Svalbard

All settlements in Svalbard are on the main island of Spitsbergen (or Vest-Spitsbergen).

• 🌍 Barentsburg (Баренцбург) – sole remaining Russian settlement, population 400
• 🌍 Hornsund – Polish research station, population 10 in winter, around 20–30 in summer.
• 🌍 Longyearbyen – the "capital" and main Norwegian settlement with a population of 2100
• 🌍 Ny-Ålesund – the most northerly civilian settlement in the world, population under 100
• 🌍 Sveagruva – a former mining town that has since closed in 2017 due to economic conditions

The other islands of Svalbard are uninhabited and, as they are all nature reserves, generally inaccessible without special permission. The islands can be divided into two groups: the Spitsbergen group of Barentsøya, Edgeøya, Nordaustlandet and Prins Karls Forland, and the more remote islands of Bjørnøya, Hopen, Kong Karls Land and Kvitøya.

Svalbard is the northernmost tip of Europe and, a few military bases aside, its settlements are the northernmost permanently-inhabited spots on the planet. Located between the 76° and 81° parallels, they are far more northerly than any part of Alaska and all but a few of Canada's Arctic islands. In fact, they would be permanently locked in by ice if not for the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream, and it is this comparative warmth that makes them habitable. The islands cover 62,050 km² (smaller than Iceland, about twice the area of Belgium), the largest of which are Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. Austfonna glacier on Nordaustlandet is 8,492 km² and the widest glacier in Europe, slightly ahead of Vatnajökull in Iceland. Austfonna glacier alone covers an area about 3-4 times wider than Luxembourg. Spitsbergen is the fifth-widest island in Europe and covers an area about the size of Switzerland.

While Svalbard has never had an indigenous population, the islands are inhabited today by fewer than 3,000 people, nearly all of them in the main settlements of Longyearbyen and Barentsburg on Spitsbergen.

The islands are governed by Sysselmesteren på Svalbard, literally if slightly awkwardly translated into English as the Governor of Svalbard. The Governor is a single person appointed by the government of Norway, but the Sysselmestre administration they run is responsible for policing, rescue, environmental policy, visas, weapon licences and basically all public services on the islands.

Norway's welfare system mostly does not apply to Svalbard. Residents are mostly working age (20 to 70) and most have permanent residence on the mainland; working on Svalbard does not qualify you for Norwegian residence or citizenship. There are no old people and in principle it is forbidden to die at Svalbard.

All man-made objects older than 1946 are protected by law and cannot be touched by visitors. For this reason, the area around Longyearbyen, and several other parts of the archipelago, are littered with interesting artifacts including disused mining equipment, bits of rope and shovels. Human graves are often shallow and human remains are in some cases visible on the ground. Remains of animals such as whales and polar bears of any age are also protected.

Getting in is relatively expensive and time-consuming, but less so than other destinations at nearly the same latitude, e.g., in Greenland and Canada. Svalbard has no border controls, and citizens of the 41 signatories of the Svalbard treaty (including such unlikely countries as Afghanistan and the Dominican Republic) need no visas or other permits to visit – or even work – in Svalbard. However, most scheduled flights to Svalbard depart from Norway, and as Norway considers Svalbard a domestic destination, you'll need to pass through Norwegian immigration first. In the other direction, Norway reserves the right to check the passports of passengers coming from Svalbard. Svalbard is not inside the Schengen area. People who need a visa to the Schengen area will need a multiple-entry visa to go to Svalbard since returning to mainland Norway counts as entering the Schengen area again. People from the Nordic countries need a passport to Svalbard even if they do not normally need it inside the Nordic countries. Norwegians can for the time being use their Norwegian driver's licence.

Most of Svalbard is protected as national park or nature reserves. There is no infrastructure outside Longyearbyen. Visitors can in general not go around on their own out of Longyearbyen, also for safety reasons.

The only "highway" links Longyearbyen Airport to the Mine 7 via Longyearbyen. It is for the most part unsealed and anyway very short. There are paved streets in the settlement of Longyearbyen and many of the local residents tend to have cars. Snowmobiles are common transportation in wintertime. Visitors don't need a car.

Travel between islands and settlements can be done by plane or helicopter any time of year.

Boats can be used in summer. MS Polargirl runs a mail service several times a week between Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and Pyramiden and passengers are taken on these trips. Many people go with an expectation of seeing a polar bear on a boat safari. This is possible, but by no means guaranteed.

The official language is Norwegian. However, nearly everyone speaks English. In Barentsburg, Russian and Ukrainian are spoken.

See also: Eurasian wildlife

Svalbard's visitors come mostly to experience Arctic nature at its rawest and most powerful. The islands have untouched glaciers and craggy mountains, but also polar bears, caribou, a peculiar short legged reindeer, polar foxes, whales, seals and walruses. Svalbard is renowned for its variety of birds, including Arctic Terns, Arctic Fulmar and Puffins. Whales can be spotted off the coastlines particularly during late summer. Humpback whales, Orcas, Beluga whales, and Narwhals all frequent the ocean waters near Svalbard.

During the short summer, the melting snow in the milder parts of the islands gives place to vast stretches of tundra vegetation, sometimes dotted with delicate flowers.

Although it is possible to prepare your own excursion while on Svalbard, the lack of infrastructure, the necessity of carrying (and knowing how to use) a rifle outside the settlements, and the harshness of the environment even during the summer make organized activities with professional guides a necessity for most visitors. Activities can be booked online or in Longyearbyen.

Longyearbyen has a couple of museums and the world's northernmost church. The Soviet-era settlements of Barentsburg, still running fitfully, and Pyramiden, abandoned in the 1990s but open to visitors on tours, make offbeat attractions, being home to (among other things) the world's two northernmost Lenin statues. Both can be visited by cruise or snowmobile from Longyearbyen.

The currency is the Norwegian krone (kr), and this is also accepted in the Russian settlements. Svalbard is a tax free zone so a number of shops in Longyearbyen display various items for sale at prices well below mainland Norway.

Food on Svalbard is expensive for most visitors, as it is anywhere in Norway. Local specialities include seal and reindeer, served at restaurants in Longyearbyen. Sometimes polar bears are shot (see below) and served to tourists. It is generally accepted that they don't taste particularly good, but the novelty value keeps them on the menu.

Alcohol is duty-free on Svalbard. If you've arrived from Norway the bars will seem refreshingly cheap but are still equivalent to London prices. In Barentsburg, Russian vodka can be cheap.

A popular party trick for glacier cruises is drinks served with glacier ice, purified by natural processes over thousands of years.

A range of accommodation is available only in Longyearbyen, which offers camping, guesthouses and luxury hotels. The camping site is located 300m from the airport and is the only place where camping is permitted in relatively close proximity to Longyearbyen. For travellers looking to bring the cost down it is much cheaper to camp than pay for guesthouses and the camping site is free to use outside season, although the service buildings are locked meaning facilities such as toilets are unavailable. Rules therefore apply to how to deal with urgent toilet purposes, and strict rules are applied to waste disposal. In season the camp site is serviced and facilities available, and it is possible to rent tents. Warm showers cost extra.

Barentsburg, Ny-Ålesund and Pyramiden each have one hotel.

• The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). A private foundation run by four Norwegian universities, offers university-level courses in Arctic biology, geology, geophysics and technology. Several hundred students, half of them exchange students from outside Norway, attend yearly.

Citizens of Svalbard Treaty signatory countries need no permits to work on Svalbard; you can even set up your own mine if so inclined. In practice, work opportunities are rather more limited, although there is some seasonal tourist industry work available during the summer if you have the requisite skills and language abilities (Norwegian will come in handy). The Governor of Svalbard does, however, have the right to boot you off the island if you cannot support yourself.

The biggest threat on Svalbard is polar bears (isbjørn), some 500 of which inhabit the main islands at any one time. Seven people have been killed by polar bears since 1973, the most recent in August 2020, so if travelling outside settlements you are required to carry a rifle at all times to protect yourself. They can be rented for about 150 kr and up per day, but starting 2009, a valid gun license is now required; those without a gun license can apply for temporary permission to rent a rifle: all that is required is to fill out an application form and a certificate of good conduct (i.e. proof of no criminal record) which can be e-mailed to the Svalbard Police Department. Processing may take up to 4 weeks, but has been known to work even on the same day with some luck. However, for most people, it's better to stick to guided tours. Do not underestimate the speed of polar bears (you cannot outrun one). Polar bears can be extremely unpredictable and are far more dangerous than European brown bears. You are not allowed to kill polar bears unless it is an immediate threat to your life.

The harsh Arctic environment also poses its own challenges, particularly in winter. Beware of the danger of frostbite in the face (nose and cheeks), fingers and toes, particularly in low temperatures with wind (such as high speed on snowmobile). Crossing glaciers and rivers can be hazardous and travelling with local guides is strongly recommended. If heading out on your own, informing the Governor of Svalbard about your route and expected duration is highly advisable. For any trips outside central region of Spitsbergen, you must notify the Governor, and may be required to purchase insurance or put up a large deposit to cover possible rescue costs.

Svalbard has virtually no crime, except occasional drunken brawls.

Tap water on Svalbard is drinkable, but surface water may contain tapeworm eggs from fox feces and should be boiled before consumption.

There is a pharmacy in Longyearbyen and you can buy some non-prescription drugs in the supermarket (Svalbardbutikken). Longyearbyen also has a hospital for treating emergencies.

As there are no maternity clinics on or near Svalbard, women in late-stage pregnancy are discouraged from visiting.

In most of Svalbard's buildings, including some hotels and shops, you are expected to take off your shoes before entering. In public buildings this will be obvious as a shoe rack covered in dirty walking boots will be prominent at the entrance. Alternatively you may be invited to put on overshoes (effectively plastic bags) over ordinary footwear.

GSM/3G phones work in the main towns of Svalbard.

The Internet connection in Svalbard is top class because NASA rents bulk capacity on undersea fiber optic cables running at seabed to mainland Norway for its experiments. Longyearbyen has several public Internet terminals.

While mail from Svalbard to mainland Norway and the outside world uses regular Norwegian stamps at regular Norwegian prices, philatelists may be interested in the Lokalpost system used for intra-Svalbard mail. Stamps, first-day covers and more are available at the post offices in Longyearbyen and Barentsburg, as well as at Longyearbyen's Svalbardbutikken.

Svalbard is a popular staging point (at least in relative terms) for launching expeditions to the North Pole. For more experiences of the Arctic north, you can visit Ellesmere Island or northern Greenland, where the world's northernmost land is located.

Fairly close to Svalbard is Franz Josef Land, a largely uninhabited group of islands which belongs to Russia.

If you want to explore extreme Norwegian lands, see also Jan Mayen in the Arctic and Bouvet Island in the Antarctic.