Safety in Svalbard

Svalbard’s nature is astonishingly beautiful – but also very unpredictable and full of surprises. 

The climate is rough, the weather can change rapidly, and polar bears can suddenly show up when you least expect them to. These are some of the risks that are ever-present in Svalbard, and which you should be preparred for when travelling in the Arctic wilderness. Good preparations are key in order to minimize these risks and the likelihood of accidents or dangerous situations. Here you will find information on how to safely explore the wilderness in Svalbard, how you can prepare for travelling in the Arctic, and where you can get additional information for your preparations. 

Go organized! 

Go with professional and local tour operators if you want to head into the vast wilderness of Svalbard. The guides are well qualified to take care of your safety, by esteeming the weather conditions, avalanche risk, ice conditions, risks related to polar bears, and a range of other factors that one should keep in mind when travelling in Svalbard. They also bring the required safety equipment, both general and activity-specific equipment when needed, in order to safely lead you through the wilderness. For general safety, guides leading tours outside of the town limits in Longyearbyen always bring the required equipment for polar bear protection, as well as long range communication systems when travelling outside of areas with phone reception.

You can find information about organised tours and how to book these by clicking here.
Some local tour operators also offer the option to book a private guide. To check if there are available guides for a private tour you should contact the tour operators directly.

Make sure to familiarise yourself with the laws and regulations regarding where you can go and what you can and cannot do in the wilderness to ensure the caretaking of nature and the protection of cultural heritage. The tourist information and the Governor of Svalbard might advice you on this. See the Governor's webpages by clicking here for more information.

Read up on the Svalbard Guidelines to get a brief overview of what you should take in consideration before leaving the settlements in Svalbard.

If you are a guest aboard an expedition cruise visiting Svalbard then you can find AECO's expedition cruise-specific visitor guidelines by clicking here.

Longyearbyen Hospital

Longyearbyen Hospital is a public hospital. Since the EEA rules do not apply to Svalbard, the European Health Insurance Card does not apply here. Entries are expensive and must be covered by the patients themselves (not applicable to citizens of the Nordic countries and those covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme). Everyone has to pay deductible for consultation at the hospital. This also applies to citizens of the Nordic countries.

Don't venture outside the town limits in Longyearbyen without a guide

Keep in mind that you should not venture out from the settlements in Svalbard without being accompanied by a professional guide from one of our local activity providers, who can ensure your safety in the case of a polar bear encounter. In Longyearbyen there is a zone within which you do not have to carry any equipment for polar bear protection. The zone is marked with red on the map below. You can get a free copy of this map in the tourism information office in Longyearbyen.