North Korea bans US dual nationals from entering country: travel firm

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North Korea has banned American citizens holding dual nationality from entering the country, marking a reversal from an earlier policy allowing U.S. nationals to circumvent restrictions by using passports from other countries.

In a blog post published Wednesday, a travel agency specializing in tours to North Korea said the restriction applies to all U.S. visitors, including those looking to travel for tourism, business or sporting events in Pyongyang.

“The restriction comes into effect immediately with applicants being checked for any links to U.S. citizenship during the visa approval process,” Young Pioneer Tours (YPT) said. “Individuals found to hold American nationality alongside another passport will no longer be granted permission to enter.”

As a result, citizens of countries that have friendly relations with North Korea will no longer be able to travel to the country if they hold U.S. nationality.

Pyongyang’s decision effectively closes a loophole that allowed Americans to visit North Korea despite a 2017 travel ban by the U.S. government, which Washington has renewed annually.

North Korea’s pandemic-related border closures in 2020 further limited American visitors. Only Russians are currently being allowed to enter North Korea for tourism.

The move presents another setback in efforts to resume tourism after a series of stops over the past two years.

North Korea welcomed Western tourists in February 2025 by allowing visits to Rason, a special economic zone on the Chinese border, before halting those tours just two weeks later.

The reopening of the Pyongyang International Marathon in May 2025 for over 200 foreign runners appeared to signal greater willingness to allow outsiders. However, just a year later, organizers reversed course and cancelled the 2026 race at short notice.

More recently, a Western business delegation was allowed to participate in last month’s Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair after years of cancellations. However, Rowan Beard, a North Korea expert who accompanied the delegation, said at the time that the business visit did not necessarily mean tourism would resume.

Despite concerns about the future of tourism in North Korea, YPT’s announcement Wednesday indicated there is little information to draw firm conclusions.

“As this is a breaking development, the situation remains fluid and may evolve before tourism to North Korea resumes,” the firm said.

The changes apply to Russian visitors with U.S. or South Korean dual citizenship, as tourism remains blocked for everyone else, the North Korea-focused travel company Koryo Tours told NK News, citing the Korean International Travel Company (KITC), North Korea’s oldest travel firm.

“They have no policy on anyone else who holds dual citizenship because they can’t go anyway,” Koryo Tours general manager Simon Cockerell said. “So such a policy would be not confirmed and would be dealt with when tourism resumes.”

Cockerell said North Korea’s existing visa processes had asked for other citizenships to be listed, but this has never been acted on before. However, he noted that policies may differ by organization, with different North Korean entities processing different kinds of visas.

“It may be that some organizations choose not to invite dual U.S. nationals, while others have no issues,” he said, adding that Koryo Tours will also check with non-KITC North Korean partners about the reported rule change.

North Korea’s reported move underscores its current opposition to engage with Washington, despite President Donald Trump’s oft-stated interest in renewing his personal friendship with leader Kim Jong-un.

Despite its frequent condemnation of the U.S., Pyongyang had seemingly left the door open for engagement after Trump’s return to the White House — but solely on the condition that Washington drop its calls for the denuclearization of North Korea.

Earlier this year, Kim denounced the U.S. for “perpetrating state terrorism and acts of aggression throughout the world,” without leaving room for dialogue.

Read the article at NK News.