Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Section 510.511 of the North Korea Sanctions Regulations authorizes U.S. depository institutions (including banks), U.S.-registered brokers or dealers in securities, and U.S.-registered money transmitters to process non-commercial, personal remittances to or from North Korea, or for or on… Read more

Yes. Section 510.512(a) of the North Korea Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 510 (NKSR), authorizes NGOs that have filed the report specified in § 510.512 to conduct transactions that are ordinarily incident and necessary to the following activities: activities to support humanitarian projects to… Read more

While OFAC sanctions do not prohibit U.S. persons from traveling to or from North Korea, as of September 1, 2017, U.S. passports are invalid for travel into, in, or through North Korea. However, in limited circumstances, applicants may be eligible for a Special Validation Passport from the State… Read more

Section 510.510 of the North Korea Sanctions Regulations authorizes the provision of goods or services in the United States to employees of the official mission of the Government of North Korea to the United Nations or employees of the United Nations, their families, or other persons forming part… Read more

E.O. 13810 provides the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, additional tools to disrupt North Korea’s ability to fund its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs. Specifically, E.O. 13810: (1) establishes several new designation criteria… Read more

Section 3 of E.O. 13810 , as implemented in 31 C.F.R. § 510.201(d), authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to determine that a foreign bank account is owned or controlled by a North Korean person or has been used to transfer funds in which any North Korean person has an interest, and to require… Read more

Foreign financial institutions have for some time been prohibited from engaging in most North Korea-related transactions that transit the U.S. financial system. In addition, as described in § 510.201(a)(3)(vi) of the NKSR, sanctionable activities of a foreign financial institution include, on or… Read more

Pursuant to E.O. 13810 and the North Korea Sanctions Regulations, a finding by the Treasury Department that a foreign financial institution knowingly engages in one or more of the sanctionable activities is necessary before the Treasury Department can prohibit or impose strict conditions on the… Read more

If, pursuant to the NKSR, Treasury decides to impose strict conditions on maintaining U.S. correspondent accounts or U.S. payable-through accounts for an FFI, or decides to prohibit the opening or maintaining of U.S. correspondent accounts or U.S. payable-through accounts for an FFI, Treasury will… Read more

The general license at § 510.522 of the North Korea Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 510 (NKSR), authorizes news reporting organizations that are U.S. persons, and their U.S. person employees to engage in certain transactions in North Korea, provided that such transactions are ordinarily incident… Read more