The passport of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK passport for short, is a travel document issued by the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to its citizens for the purpose of proving nationality and identity when entering or leaving the country and when traveling or staying abroad. Since the revision of the DPRK passport in 2000, the color of the cover has been changed to blue, whereas before, the cover was red and made of vinyl. The DPRK passports are mainly divided into three categories: diplomatic passports, official passports and ordinary passports, and the color of the cover and the authority to use the passports are different for different types of passports.
Passport Cover Design
The cover design of the North Korean passport is simple and solemn. The current blue cover represents the country's formality and stability, with the official name of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (in Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국, in English: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and the word "passport" (in Korean: 여권, in English: passport) printed on it. The cover design not only reflects the identity of the country but also facilitates international recognition.
Diplomatic passports usually have red covers, symbolizing authority and dignity, while official passports may use green or other colors to differentiate them. These color choices are somewhat common and customary internationally, but specific colors may be adjusted according to national policies and design changes.
Inside Page Design
The design of the inner pages of the DPRK passport also emphasizes the integrity and security of the information. The interior of the passport contains basic information about the holder, such as name, gender, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, passport number, expiration date, date of issue and issuing organization. The information is presented bilingually in Korean and English to facilitate international exchange.
On the declaration page of the passport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea requests all relevant countries to allow the holder to pass through freely without any hindrance and to provide the holder with necessary assistance and protection. This statement reflects the State's attention to and protection of the rights and interests of its citizens abroad.
In addition, DPRK passports have adopted advanced security technologies, such as anti-counterfeit paper, watermarks and security threads, to ensure the authenticity of passports and prevent counterfeiting.
Visa-free Countries
According to the Henry's Passport Index, the passports of DPRK citizens rank in the middle of the global rankings, with a relatively limited number of countries that can be traveled to visa-free or visa-on-arrival. As of the latest data, DPRK citizens can travel to about 42 countries/regions visa-free or visa-on-arrival, ranking about 99th globally.
In the Asian region, DPRK citizens can travel visa-free to countries such as Kyrgyzstan; in the Americas, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname are open to DPRK citizens for visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel; in Africa, Kenya (e-Authorization) is among the countries with visa-free access; and in Oceania, Micronesia and Samoa are visa-free for DPRK citizens.
In addition, DPRK citizens can get visa-on-arrival in Armenia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Jordan, Laos, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritania, Nepal, Palau, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu. For countries requiring e-visas, DPRK citizens can apply in a number of countries including Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia and others.
Despite the limited number of visa-free countries for DPRK passports, the DPRK government has been making efforts to enhance the ease of overseas travel for its citizens and strengthen diplomatic relations with other countries in order to expand the visa-free scope of the passport.
To sum up, the DPRK passport, as an important document for DPRK citizens' international travel, has a solemn and simple cover design and detailed and secure information on the inner pages.
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