New regulations on field safety in Svalbard from 1 January

The new regulations are in many respects a regulatory consolidation of current law and practice, but with some new elements. You can find updated information about the regulations on our website under the "Travel" tab.

The regulations also introduce an approval scheme for Svalbard guides. To allow sufficient time for adaptation to the new rules, the requirement to use approved Svalbard guides will apply from 1 July 2027.

The most important elements of the new field operations safety regulations are:

• Introduction of an approval scheme for Svalbard guides and requirements for the use of such guides in tourist activities and field activities.
• Introduction of the definition of "field activities" in Section 3 of the regulations.
• Requirements for permits for travel, activity or stay for tourist activities, field activities and research and educational activities, and rules for application deadlines.
• Introduction of requirements for internal control for tourist activities, field activities and research and educational activities.
• Standardization and simplification of the insurance system.
• Introduction of an insurance obligation, and a requirement to carry communication equipment for research and educational activities when traveling, engaging in activities or staying outside the travel area (formerly known as management area 10).
• Notification obligation to the Svalbard tax office for tourist activities and field activities.

Updated application and reporting forms will be available on the Governor's website in the new year. Until updated forms are available, you can register and apply for a permit for planned activity for the year 2026 using the current forms.

Guide approval
Tourist businesses and field operations that travel, engage in activities or stay outside inhabited areas in Svalbard must use approved Svalbard guides from 1 July 2027. Svalbard guides shall prevent damage to people and nature.

A Svalbard guide must meet several requirements for knowledge and skills related to safety and the environment. The Governor is responsible for designing the course and learning requirements required for approval as a Svalbard guide according to Section 11 of the regulations and is now in the final phase of this work.

Course and learning requirements will be published on the Governor's website as soon as they are ready, and we will then provide further information about pre-approval of courses pursuant to Section 15 of the regulations.

In collaboration with the academic community at UNIS, work is underway on the content of the basic e-learning course, and testing of this in the future.

Insurance
The new field operation safety regulations require insurance for and coverage of rescue costs in Svalbard.

For tourism and field activities, the requirement applies to activities throughout Svalbard.

For research and education activities and visitors, insurance is mandatory when traveling outside the travel area (previously known as area 10).

Permanent residents do not have to have special insurance but may be required to pay for rescue costs if they have acted intentionally or grossly negligently.

The size of the insurance and guarantees is given in the field operation safety regulations, and depends on where you are traveling (see map below):

• 120,000 Norwegian kroner per search, rescue operation or medical transport in insurance zone A
• 350,000 Norwegian kroner per search, rescue operation or medical transport in insurance zone B
• 650,000 Norwegian kroner per search, rescue operation or medical transport in insurance zone C