North Korea

Last Updated: 2026-03-31

Official Portal: No publicly accessible government portal for nationality services exists.

Embassy Finder: DPRK Diplomatic Missions

Quick Facts

Category	Details
Residency for naturalization	Not publicly specified; naturalization requires approval of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly
Language requirement	Korean (presumed; no formal published standard)
Civics test	None published
Processing time	Unknown; all decisions are political and made at the highest state level
Naturalization fee	Not published
Dual citizenship	Not permitted
Citizenship by birth in DPRK	No jus soli; citizenship is based on parentage
Citizenship by descent	Yes, through either parent who holds DPRK citizenship
Governing law	Nationality Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (1963, amended 1995 and 1999)

Dual Citizenship — Not Permitted

North Korea does not recognize dual citizenship. Article 6 of the 1963 Nationality Law states that a DPRK citizen cannot simultaneously hold the citizenship of another country.

In practice, the DPRK considers all ethnic Koreans on the Korean Peninsula (including South Korean citizens) to be its nationals under its own constitutional framework. Article 62 of the DPRK Constitution guarantees the right of citizenship to “all Koreans.” This creates a theoretical overlap with South Korea’s citizenship claims, as the Republic of Korea similarly considers all persons of Korean nationality (including North Koreans) to be its citizens under its Constitution.

This mutual non-recognition means that North Korean defectors who reach South Korea are automatically recognized as ROK citizens. The reverse is not practically enforceable.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Sanguinis)

North Korean citizenship is acquired at birth through parentage. Birth on DPRK territory alone does not confer citizenship.

A child born to two DPRK citizens acquires DPRK citizenship regardless of place of birth.
A child born to one DPRK citizen parent acquires DPRK citizenship if the parents agree that the child will hold DPRK nationality, or if the child is born on DPRK territory.
A child born in the DPRK to parents whose citizenship is unknown acquires DPRK citizenship.

By Descent

Citizenship passes through either parent. The law is formally gender-neutral on this point. Children born abroad to DPRK citizens retain citizenship and are expected to register at DPRK diplomatic missions.

The overseas Korean population holding DPRK-aligned nationality is significant, particularly among the Chongryon (General Association of Korean Residents in Japan), which historically administered nationality documentation for ethnic Koreans in Japan who chose DPRK affiliation after the Korean War. As of 2026, this community numbers approximately 300,000, though many have shifted to South Korean or Japanese documentation.

By Adoption

The Nationality Law does not contain specific provisions on adoption. In practice, adopted children of DPRK citizens are presumed to acquire citizenship, but no formal published procedure exists.

By Marriage

Marriage to a DPRK citizen does not automatically confer citizenship. A foreign spouse must apply for naturalization through the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly. Given the extreme isolation of the DPRK, marriages between DPRK citizens and foreign nationals are exceedingly rare and typically involve diplomatic or political circumstances.

By Naturalization

Requirement	Details
Application	Submitted to the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly
Residency	No fixed published period; assessed on a case-by-case basis
Approval	Entirely discretionary; requires political vetting at the highest level
Renunciation	Must renounce all other citizenships
Practical note	Naturalization of foreign nationals is exceedingly rare. The DPRK does not actively seek or encourage immigration.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

A DPRK citizen may apply to renounce citizenship through the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly. In practice, voluntary renunciation from within the DPRK is virtually impossible, as emigration itself is illegal without state permission.

Involuntary Loss

Unauthorized departure: Persons who leave the DPRK without authorization are considered criminals, not persons who have renounced citizenship. The state does not formally strip their citizenship but treats them as fugitives.
Revocation: The Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly may revoke the citizenship of any person for acts deemed hostile to the state.
Acquisition of foreign nationality: The law provides for loss upon acquiring another nationality, but enforcement depends on whether the person is within state reach.

Restoration of Nationality

Article 7 of the Nationality Law permits former DPRK citizens to apply for restoration of citizenship through the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly. In practice, defectors who return to North Korea face imprisonment, forced labor, or execution — the “restoration” mechanism exists in law but not in any practical humanitarian sense.

The DPRK has periodically offered amnesty to overseas Koreans to encourage return, particularly during the 1959—1984 “Return to the Fatherland” campaign that brought approximately 93,000 ethnic Koreans from Japan to North Korea. Many of these returnees and their descendants now wish to leave but are unable to do so.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

Article 5 of the Nationality Law provides that a child born on DPRK territory whose parents’ citizenship is unknown acquires DPRK citizenship. This is one of the few protective provisions in the law.

North Korea is not a party to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons or the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The country does not participate in UNHCR programs.

North Korean defectors who reach third countries (particularly China) and are unable to reach South Korea often face statelessness in practice, as China classifies them as illegal economic migrants rather than refugees and may forcibly repatriate them.

The inter-Korean dimension: Under the Constitution of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), all persons of Korean nationality — including those in North Korea — are considered citizens of the ROK. This means that any North Korean who reaches South Korean territory or a South Korean consulate is automatically recognized as a South Korean citizen and receives an ROK passport. An estimated 34,000+ North Korean defectors have resettled in South Korea under this framework. This creates a unique situation where North Korean refugees are not technically stateless under South Korean law, even though they are treated as such by most third countries during transit.

Document Checklist

DPRK citizenship certificate (issued by state authorities)

Birth certificate (issued by local People’s Committee)

Household registration document (inminban records)

Travel document or DPRK passport (if issued)

Application to the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly (for naturalization, renunciation, or restoration)

Identity confirmation from DPRK diplomatic mission (for overseas Koreans)

Photographs as required by state authorities

Note: Documentation requirements are not publicly standardized. All processes are controlled by state authorities with no independent verification mechanism.

Sources

Nationality Law of the DPRK (1963, amended 1995 and 1999) — Available via UNHCR Refworld: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b56a8.html
Constitution of the DPRK (2019 revision) — Article 62 on citizenship rights.
UNHCR — North Korean Refugees and Statelessness. https://www.unhcr.org/dprk.html
Database of Global Nationality Laws — GlobalCit (EUI) — North Korea country profile. https://globalcit.eu/
Henley Passport Index — DPRK passport ranking. https://www.henleypassportindex.com/

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