North Korea duty-free allowance

Your duty-free allowance is what you can bring into North Koreawithout paying import duty or tax. Anything above it must be declared at customs and is taxed. The figures below were checked on 2026-08-01 against the named source, linked on the card.

Alcohol

No set limit

reasonable personal amounts

Full rule

No published numeric allowance - alcohol may be brought in for personal use in reasonable quantities; tour operators report it is rarely questioned

Tobacco

No set limit

no published quota

Full rule

No published numeric allowance - cigarettes for personal use (and as gifts for guides) are customary and tolerated in reasonable quantities

Goods & gifts

None published

electronics counted in and out

Full rule

No published goods/gift value threshold; all electronics are itemized and counted on the arrival declaration form and must leave the country with you

Cash · declare from

Declare all

foreign cash on arrival · won banned

Full rule

Foreign currency import/export unrestricted but must be declared on arrival; North Korean won may NOT be imported or exported at all - wallets are sometimes checked on exit

Depends on: none published

Good to know

DPRK publishes no traveler allowance schedule; no official customs page is reachable (naenara portal is intermittent), so everything here is from established travel guides and specialist tour operators - treat as indicative only. Arrival quirks dominate: GPS units, satellite phones and drones prohibited (phone/camera GPS must be disabled, phones historically deposited at customs); lenses over 250mm banned; religious texts, media about either Korea, and Korean-language or current-affairs publications risk confiscation. Tourism access itself remains restricted post-2020 (limited reopening via Rason); rules are enforced at officer discretion

The official customs site was unreachable when checked (2026-08-01) — figures rest on a reputable secondary source ·source · Guidance, not law — allowances change and the customs officer has the final say. Verify before you fly.

Sending something to North Korea?

Travelers on Airlo carry parcels on routes they're already flying — declared, inspected, and within allowances. No platform fees.

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