Moving to Iceland from North Korea
What to Expect
Considering a move from North Korea to Iceland? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from North Korea to Iceland, and you’d need to navigate life in Icelandic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Reykjavik averages 45°F vs 60°F in P'yongyang, making it significantly cooler.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from North Korea to Iceland.
Who's moving to Iceland?
Top countries of origin for Iceland's foreign-born residents.
- 21,102
- 3,918
- 3,171
- 2,604
- 2,357
- 2,284
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Iceland compared to North Korea.
How's the healthcare?
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
North Korea generally does better on environment, though Iceland leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Iceland performs significantly better than North Korea across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
North Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Iceland leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
Iceland performs significantly better than North Korea across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | P'yongyang | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | P'yongyang | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) |
| Feb | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) |
| Mar | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) |
| Apr | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) |
| May | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) |
| Jun | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) |
| Jul | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) |
| Aug | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) |
| Sep | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) |
| Oct | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Dec | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) |
Icelandic Meteorological OfficeVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between North Korea and Iceland. To live, work, or study long-term in Iceland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Iceland's immigration authority.
North Korea passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa Required
Iceland passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Iceland?
From major Iceland cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in North Korea and Iceland are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Iceland compared to North Korea?
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 36.7 in North Korea. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (North Korea: 68).
What's the weather like in Iceland compared to North Korea?
The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.
What language do they speak in Iceland?
The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.
