Do you need a visa for spitsBerGen (svalBard)?
Many tourists do not know that Spitsbergen (Svalbard) is, opposed to mainland Norway, not part of the Schengen treaty system. Accordingly, if you need a visa to visit the Schengen area, then you will also need a visa to fly from Longyearbyen to Norway, even if you are just on a return journey from a shorter trip.
Why do I need a double-entry visa for Svalbard?
It's important to ensure that you get a double-entry visa so you can return to the Schengen area (mainland Norway) after your stay in Svalbard. Foreign nationals residing in Svalbard can submit applications for a visa for Norway/the Schengen area at The Governor of Svalbard. The Governor has the authority to make decisions in visa cases.
How can I get help with immigration to Svalbard?
The Governor of Svalbard can provide advice and guidance with respect to Norwegian immigration legislation. You can also get application forms for the various permits here, e.g. permission to study on the mainland. The Governor has the authority to make decisions on visa matters.
How do I get to Svalbard?
Both Norwegian and SAS offers flights to Svalbard. The flights from Oslo takes about 3 hours, from Tromsø about 1 ½ hours. Due to Svalbard being outside the Schengen area, identity control is performed for all guests travelling to and from Svalbard. This also includes Norwegians.
Is Svalbard visa-free for Indians?
The Norwegian authorities do not require a visa for entry to Svalbard, but if you have a visa requirement to enter Norway/the Schengen area, you must have a visa if you travel via Norway/the Schengen Area on your way to or from Svalbard.
Can anyone go to Svalbard?
Svalbard located on far north, welcomes anyone in the world with open arms, what makes it unique is there is no visas required and has open borders. Svalbard is a part of Norway, prior to 1925 known as Spitsbergen. The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 established full Norwegian sovereignty over the archipelago.
Can you go to Svalbard without a passport?
Do I need a visa, passport or other travel documents to enter Svalbard? All visitors to Svalbard must present either a passport or national ID card. This applies to Norwegian citizens and visitors from other countries.
Does Svalbard count as Norway?
Although Svalbard belongs to the Kingdom of Norway, two settlements in the archipelago are mostly populated by Russians and Ukrainians. Around 450 people live in the modern mining community of Barentsburg, while fewer than 10 live in the Soviet ghost town of Pyramiden.
Is Svalbard a Schengen country?
Svalbard is not part of the Schengen co-operation, and foreigners need neither a visa nor a work or residence permit to stay on Svalbard. However, a visa for the Schengen area is required when travelling via the Norwegian mainland.
How much money do you need to live in Svalbard?
The cost of living in Svalbard is approximately the same as in the rest of Norway. Stipulated costs for accommodation and food is approximately NOK 10 000 per month.
Is there a visa free country?
Fiji: Officially known as the Republic of Fiji, Fiji is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. The country is visa free for Indian citizens.
Do I need cash in Svalbard?
It is a good idea to bring cash or a credit card as back up. Most major credit and debit cards, such as Visa / Mastercard are accepted by hotels – however cash is preferred in supermarkets and shops. On all ships, credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) are often accepted.
Is Svalbard safe?
As far as crime goes, Svalbard is one of the safest places on Earth.
Do they speak English in Svalbard?
The official language is Norwegian. However, nearly everyone speaks English. In Barentsburg, Russian and Ukrainian are spoken.
Does Svalbard have Internet?
Believe it or not, Svalbard, Norway has famously reliable internet — and has since 2003. The remote arctic archipelago sits almost 2,000km away from the mainland, at about 80˚N, but its nearly 3,000 residents have surfed the web for years, thanks to a network of fiber-optic cables that cover the distance underwater.
What is Svalbard famous for?
Top of so many people's bucket lists, Svalbard is the home of the world's northernmost… well, pretty much anything. Among many other things, the world's northernmost full service hotel, liquor store, supermarket, cinema, library, and kebab van can all be found here.
Is Svalbard safe to visit?
The main settlement of Longyearbyen is comparatively safe to the rest of the archipelago but there are still significant dangers. Polar bears are unlikely to enter the settlement itself but it can and does happen. Be on your guard especially in the dark season.
Do I need cash in Svalbard?
It is a good idea to bring cash or a credit card as back up. Most major credit and debit cards, such as Visa / Mastercard are accepted by hotels – however cash is preferred in supermarkets and shops. On all ships, credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) are often accepted.
When does the transition period end in Svalbard?
The transitional period ends on 31 December 2021. Everybody may live and work in Svalbard indefinitely regardless of country of citizenship. The Svalbard Treaty grants treaty nationals equal right of abode as Norwegian nationals. Non-treaty nationals may live and work indefinitely visa-free as well. Per Sefland, then Governor of Svalbard, said "It ...
Who said asylum seekers can settle in Norway?
Hans-Henrik Hartmann, then head of the legal unit at the Norwegian government's immigration department, said, "If an asylum seeker is refused residence in Norway he can settle in Svalbard so long as he can get there and is able to pay for himself.". Svalbard has a high cost of living, but only a limited welfare system.
Is Norway a visa free country?
Politics of Norway. Other countries. v. t. e. Uniquely, the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, located in the High Arctic, is an entirely visa -free zone. However, travelers who have a visa requirement to enter mainland Norway/the Schengen area must have a visa if they travel via mainland Norway/the Schengen Area.
Do you need a passport to travel to Svalbard?
Those traveling to and from Svalbard must bring passports or national ID-cards, as identity control is performed for all. Passports or national identity cards satisfy the Schengen regulatory requirements for identity verification.
Does Svalbard have a high cost of living?
Svalbard has a high cost of living, but only a limited welfare system. Welfare and health care is available only for Norwegians and for workers employed by a Norwegian company. The Norwegian Nationality Act applies to Svalbard, cf. Section 1.
What is the best ID to travel to Svalbard?
For Norwegian citizens. Passport or national ID-card is the recommended identification for all Norwegians travelling to Svalbard, as it is the fastest and easiest way to travel here.
How long does it take to get to Svalbard from Oslo?
Both Norwegian and SAS offers flights to Svalbard. The flights from Oslo takes about 3 hours, from Tromsø about 1 ½ hours.
Can a Norwegian child travel with an adult?
Norwegian children can therefore be identified by an adult accompanying the child to the plane or travelling with the child. After December 31 2021, Norwegians (including children) must identify themselves with a passport or national ID card. Read more about the rules and regulations for passport and visa here.
What does the governor of Svalbard do?
The Governor of Svalbard can provide advice and guidance with respect to Norwegian immigration legislation. You can also get application forms for the various permits here, e.g. permission to study on the mainland. The Governor has the authority to make decisions on visa matters. The Governor also accepts applications for residence permits and citizenship. These applications are forwarded to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) for processing.
Who has the authority to make decisions on visa matters?
The Governor has the authority to make decisions on visa matters. The Governor also accepts applications for residence permits and citizenship. These applications are forwarded to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) for processing.
Does the Governor of Svalbard arrange work?
The Governor of Svalbard does not arrange work and does not have an overview of which jobs are available. The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) provides an overview of job vacancies in Norwegian, but not in English.
Is it hard to get housing in Svalbard?
Most of the housing is owned by the various employers who offer them to employees as part of their employment. In other words, it’s hard to get housing if you do not have a job.
Does Norway have a visa for Schengen?
Visa to Schengen. In mainland Norway, the Immigration Act regulates foreigners’ access to and residence in the country. Although Svalbard is part of Norway, the Immigration Act does not apply to the archipelago.
Where do most people live in Svalbard?
As the biggest settlement on the archipelago, Longyearbyen is where the majority of residents of Svalbard live, work and play.
How much is the tax rate in Svalbard?
As a general rule, income tax on Svalbard is much lower on the Norwegian mainland at just 8%, but this is offset but a much higher cost of living.
Who runs Svalbard?
The first thing to understand is how Svalbard is governed. The islands are part of Norway but are covered by the Svalbard Treaty, which gives equal rights to engage in commercial activities to the 46 signatories.
What are the employers in Longyearbyen?
Employers include the Governor's Office, the Community Council, the University Centre in Svalbard, the school, and of course the tourism industry.
What are the challenges of living in Svalbard?
The biggest challenge faced by anyone living on Svalbard is adjusting to the harsh climate. While summers can be mild and snow-free, they come with permanent sunlight for months. In contrast, winters are permanently dark with snowstorms and avalanches common problems.
When did the Kulturhus open in Svalbard?
The modern kulturhus (Culture House) opened in 2010 and plays host to a cinema that shows more than 100 movies every year.
Does Svalbard have EEA?
It's critical to fully understand these rules especially if you are a European citizen, as the EEA Agreement does not apply in Svalbard. This means certain benefits accrued here cannot be transferred to other EEA-countries. As a member of the National Insurance scheme, pension benefits are accrued.
What is the companion book for the Svalbardhytter poster?
The poster visualises the diversity of Spitsbergen‘s huts and their stories in a range of Arctic landscapes. The book tells the stories of the huts in three languages.
What language is the book Norway's Arctic Islands?
Lofoten, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from the air - Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German, but there is very little text, so I am sure that you will enjoy it regardless which languages you read (or not).
Is the Spitsbergen calendar a double calendar?
In 2022, our Spitsbergen calendar is again a real double calendar. two calendars for the price of one – twelve stunning images on one side with Spitsbergen's landscapes and wildlife and twelve equally equally stunning macro photographies of arctic flowers on the other side!
Where to fly to Svalbard?
Flying to Svalbard. Svalbard's only airport is at Longyearbyen, the main visitor hub. The vast majority of flights go via Oslo, Norway, around a 3-hour flight. Although flights are at least daily, be aware that they can be at awkward times.
How many passengers are onboard the Svalbard?
Discover Svalbard on this extraordinary journey onboard a 12 passenger vessel. Ideally suited to photographers these late season voyages experience amazing light. Your expedition guides plan to take you to Ny Ålesund, the Hinlopen Strait, Bird Mountain and Edgeøya capturing…
How many ships can you circumnavigate in Spitsbergen?
Circumnavigate Spitsbergen onboard a choice of three small ships and in the company of specialist guides. Travelling in such small groups allows you more time to explore and some late season departures benefit from stunning autumn light. Ask about special…
How long is the flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen?
Flying time is 3 hours between Oslo and Longyearbyen. Longyearbyen airport is the world’s most northerly airport to receive regular scheduled flights. There’s no regular boat service to Svalbard at any time of year. The only way to arrive by ship is as part of an expedition cruise (9 - 14 days)
How many kilometers of road are there in the Svalbard Islands?
There are only around 46 kilometres of road on the Svalbard Islands. Driving off-road is strictly prohibited.
What is the largest island in Svalbard?
The largest and only permanently populated of Svalbard’s islands, Spitsbergen is where all the activity and life happens. The beating heart of Spitsbergen itself is the town of …
What is the best place to visit in the Arctic?
Arctic Journey: Svalbard, Greenland & Iceland. This comprehensive Arctic triumvirate encompassing Svalbard, East Greenland and Iceland offers the best of the Arctic: some of the best wildlife viewing with spectacular scenery, unspoiled fjords, gigantic icebergs and Inuit communities.
