Svalbard: where is it, how do you get there, and what about polar bears?

Updated 27.09.2026. Facts checked against Store norske leksikon (the Norwegian encyclopedia), the Governor of Svalbard and Visit Svalbard.

Short answer: Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago far north in the Arctic, between 74° and 81° north. The largest island is Spitsbergen, and the largest settlement is Longyearbyen. You fly from Oslo (about 3 hours) or Tromsø (about 1.5 hours) with SAS or Norwegian. Bring a passport or national ID card: Svalbard is outside Schengen. Outside the settlements everyone must carry means to scare off polar bears, and most visitors go out with a guide.

Key facts

What applies to you?

• You are planning the trip: see flights to Svalbard and passport and ID.
• You want to go outside Longyearbyen: see polar bears and rules.
• You want to see the northern lights or the midnight sun: see polar night, midnight sun and northern lights.
• You want to live or work there: see living and working in Svalbard.

Where is Svalbard, and which country does it belong to?

Svalbard is an archipelago between 74° and 81° north latitude and 10° and 35° east longitude. It covers 61,022 km², and the largest island is Spitsbergen at 37,814 km². In March 2026, 2,914 people lived in Svalbard, 2,512 of them in the Norwegian settlements of Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund (Store norske leksikon, updated 23.09.2026).

Svalbard belongs to Norway. The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 gave Norway sovereignty over the archipelago, and Norway took over in 1925. It is administered by the Governor of Svalbard (Sysselmesteren) (same source).

Svalbard and Jan Mayen are not the same. Jan Mayen is a separate Norwegian island on the border between the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea, 377 km², part of the Kingdom of Norway since 1930. It is not part of Svalbard and is not covered by the Svalbard Treaty (Store norske leksikon, updated 28.08.2026).

What is Longyearbyen?

Longyearbyen is the administrative centre of Svalbard. The town lies in Longyeardalen, at the mouth of Adventdalen on the Adventfjord, and has about 2,500 inhabitants (2024). It was founded in 1905 by the American company Arctic Coal Co. and was first called "Longyear City" after John Munro Longyear. In 1916 Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani bought the settlement (Store norske leksikon, updated 25.11.2025).

See also Longyearbyen in our directory.

How do you get to Svalbard?

You fly from Oslo or Tromsø to Svalbard Airport in Longyearbyen with SAS or Norwegian. The flight takes about 3 hours from Oslo and about 1.5 hours from Tromsø. Norwegian usually flies direct from Oslo every week, SAS several times a week, direct and via Tromsø. From March to August there are more departures (Visit Svalbard, checked 27.09.2026).

All visitors pay an environmental fee of NOK 150, usually included in the flight or cruise ticket (Governor of Svalbard, updated 21.11.2025). To combine Svalbard with Northern Norway, see how to plan your trip.

Do you need a passport for Svalbard?

Yes. All travellers, Norwegians included, must bring a passport or national ID card, because Svalbard is outside Schengen (Visit Svalbard). You do not need a separate visa for Svalbard. But if you need a visa for Schengen, you must have a Schengen visa when travelling via mainland Norway, and a double-entry visa is recommended so you can re-enter Schengen (Governor of Svalbard, updated 07.01.2025).

Polar bears: what do you need to know before leaving Longyearbyen?

• It is forbidden and punishable to seek out, follow, lure, feed or disturb polar bears (Visit Svalbard).
• Everyone who moves outside the settlements must carry suitable means to scare off polar bears (Governor of Svalbard, updated 21.11.2025).
• Visit Svalbard recommends going with a professional guide equipped for polar bear protection.
• From 1 July 2027 tourism activities must be led by certified Svalbard guides (Governor of Svalbard).
• Many trips require an application or notification. Cultural heritage from before 1946 is automatically protected, with a 100-metre safety zone (Governor of Svalbard).

When are the polar night, midnight sun and northern lights in Svalbard?

• Polar night: 26 October–16 February. The darkest part, the civil polar night, lasts from 14 November to 29 January.
• Midnight sun: 20 April–23 August.
• Northern lights: from late September to mid-March.

Source: Visit Svalbard, checked 27.09.2026. More about the aurora: northern lights in Norway. Weather and clothing: how to read the weather forecast.

Barentsburg, Pyramiden and Ny-Ålesund

There are no roads from Longyearbyen to Barentsburg, Pyramiden or Ny-Ålesund. You get there by boat or on a snowmobile tour (Visit Svalbard).

• Barentsburg is a Russian mining town on Grønfjorden, about 60 km west of Longyearbyen. Trust Arktikugol runs the mine and the settlement. On 1 September 2024 it had 340 residents (Store norske leksikon, updated 04.11.2025).
• Ny-Ålesund is a research community (Store norske leksikon).

Money and alcohol in Svalbard

In Svalbard you pay in Norwegian kroner. There is no currency exchange, and cards are more common than cash (Visit Svalbard).

Alcohol is sold at Nordpolet in Longyearbyen. Tourists who arrive on a scheduled flight and stay from 24 hours to 30 days can buy a quota by showing their flight ticket (Governor of Svalbard, updated 30.06.2026). About alcohol on the mainland: alcohol in Norway.

Can you live and work in Svalbard?

You must be able to support yourself in Svalbard. Get a job and housing before you go: housing is mostly tied to employers, and it is hard to find a home without a job (Governor of Svalbard, updated 07.01.2025). People who live in Svalbard pay a lower income tax, the Svalbard tax; the rates are set by the Storting (Store norske leksikon, updated 26.11.2024).

More: housing in Longyearbyen and a workation in Svalbard.

What is the northernmost point of Norway?

Svalbard lies far north of the mainland. On the mainland, the North Cape (Nordkapp) is the famous northern point: 71° 10′ 21″ north, with a plateau 309 metres above sea level. The northernmost point of the mainland, however, is Knivskjelodden, 4.5 km further northwest (Store norske leksikon, updated 22.05.2026).

More: Northern Norway and the North Cape and the route to the North Cape via Alta or Tromsø.

Hotels and tours: Longyearbyen, Tromsø and Oslo

Prices and types of accommodation in Norway: where to stay in Norway. Polar history before or after the trip: the Polar Museum and Polaria in Tromsø.

Photos: Svalbard

People also ask

• Where is Svalbard?
• Which country does Svalbard belong to?
• Are Svalbard and Jan Mayen the same?
• How many people live in Svalbard?
• Where is Longyearbyen?
• How do you get to Spitsbergen?
• How long is the flight to Longyearbyen?
• Do you need a passport for Svalbard?
• What do I need to know about polar bears in Svalbard?
• When is the polar night in Svalbard?
• When can you see the northern lights in Svalbard?
• Where is Barentsburg?
• Can you drive to Barentsburg?
• Can tourists buy alcohol in Svalbard?
• Can I move to Svalbard?
• What is the northernmost point of Norway?

Sources

All links checked 27.09.2026.

• Store norske leksikon: Svalbard (updated 23.09.2026)
• Store norske leksikon: Longyearbyen (updated 25.11.2025)
• Store norske leksikon: Barentsburg (updated 04.11.2025)
• Store norske leksikon: Jan Mayen (updated 28.08.2026)
• Store norske leksikon: svalbardskatt (updated 26.11.2024)
• Store norske leksikon: Nordkapp (updated 22.05.2026)
• Governor of Svalbard: travel in Svalbard (updated 21.11.2025)
• Governor of Svalbard: entry and residence (updated 07.01.2025)
• Governor of Svalbard: alcohol (updated 30.06.2026)
• Visit Svalbard: frequently asked questions
• Visit Svalbard: how to travel to Svalbard

Readers' experiences

Have you been to Svalbard? When did you go, and which tour would you recommend? Write in the comments at the bottom of the page. We use your experiences when we update the guide.