Svalbard and Jan Mayen: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors
3 harbours
Svalbard and Jan Mayen: 3 harbours, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.
Formalities
outside the EU customs unionCurrency: Norwegian krone
Clearing in: Svalbard belongs to Norway but lies outside Schengen and the Norwegian customs territory. Before leaving the mainland, complete border control with the police (in Tromsø by appointment only, arranged at least 24 hours in advance); on return, border control and customs at the first Norwegian port. Report arrival and departure via SafeSeaNet Norway (Nasjonal meldingsportal) with crew and guests, the arrival at least 24 hours before the boat calls at a port on Svalbard. The Norwegian regulations on port calls by foreign yachts of 15 m or more or 50 GT do not apply off Svalbard, but they do on the mainland, i.e. on return, and at Jan Mayen: notice of arrival via SafeSeaNet Norway to the Armed Forces' operational headquarters, to be received at least 24 hours before the boat crosses the baseline; without clearance to call, no entry into internal waters. Anyone sailing outside the travel area around Longyearbyen (formerly Management Area 10) applies to the Sysselmester at least four weeks in advance, waits for the reply, needs search and rescue insurance and sends a report within four weeks after the trip. Jan Mayen is a nature reserve out to the 12-mile limit: visits only with prior permission (up to 24 hours from the station commander, up to one week from the chief of police in Nordland, longer from the Ministry of Justice), for yachts of 15 m or more or 50 GT also the notice of arrival; landing only in Kvalrossbukta, Båtvika is closed. Jan Mayen also lies outside the Norwegian customs territory, but only Svalbard is expressly excluded from Schengen.
Documents: Passport or identity card (mandatory for Svalbard too; anyone who needs a Schengen visa needs it for transit there and back, usually multiple-entry), boat papers, insurance, outside the travel area search and rescue insurance (zone A 120,000, B 350,000, C 650,000 kroner per operation), outside the settlements means of scaring off polar bears (firearm only with a permit or a rental weapon from Longyearbyen; bear spray is not permitted), radio for reports and emergencies.
Fees: Environmental fee of 150 kroner per person to the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund, to be paid yourself if you arrive on your own boat; harbour dues in Longyearbyen.
Fairway: Drift and pack ice into the summer, especially in the east and north; inaccurate charts, glacier calving in the fjords. Midnight sun from late April to late August.
Nature: Stricter environmental rules since 1 January 2025: at least 300 m from polar bears, 500 m from 1 March to 30 June; under engine at least 150 m from walrus haul-outs, at most 5 knots within 300 m; at the designated bird cliffs from 1 April to 31 August at most 5 knots within 500 m of land. In the bird sanctuaries all traffic is prohibited from 15 May to 15 August, including on the water; around Moffen from 15 May to 15 September, including within 300 m of the island; around Kong Karls Land all year within 500 m of land. Bjørnøya is a nature reserve out to the 12-mile limit: at the large bird colonies no navigation and no landing from 1 April to 31 August; boats up to 40 feet may go to sea, within 500 m of land at most at 5 knots. Tourist landings in the protected areas only at designated sites, drones are prohibited there; cultural remains from before 1946 are protected.
Emergency: 112; JRCC Nord-Norge and the Sysselmester, VHF channel 16 and DSC, satellite phone recommended.
Sources: Sysselmesteren på Svalbard: entry and stay, Sysselmesteren på Svalbard: travelling on Svalbard, Norwegian Cruising Guide: rules for Svalbard (as of 2026), Norwegian Cruising Guide: rules for Jan Mayen, Tolletaten: scope of customs law (excluding Svalbard and Jan Mayen), Lovdata: control of travellers to and from Svalbard (report 24 hours before calling), Lovdata: port call regulations for foreign vessels of 15 m or more (apply at Jan Mayen, not at Svalbard), Lovdata: national parks and nature reserves on Svalbard (Kong Karls Land, bird sanctuaries), Lovdata: Moffen nature reserve, Lovdata: Bjørnøya nature reserve, Lovdata: motor traffic on Svalbard, walruses and bird cliffs (2024 amendment), Sysselmesteren: new environmental rules from 1 January 2025, Lovdata: Jan Mayen nature reserve, Station commander Jan Mayen: guidance for ship visits 2024 (PDF), Auswärtiges Amt: Norway (with Svalbard), travel and safety advice (as of 2026-10-20)
Harbours by cruising area
Svalbard (Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, Ny-Ålesund)
Frequently asked questions
Svalbard and Jan Mayen: Do I need to clear in?
Svalbard belongs to Norway but lies outside Schengen and the Norwegian customs territory. Before leaving the mainland, complete border control with the police (in Tromsø by appointment only, arranged at least 24 hours in advance); on return, border control and customs at the first Norwegian port. Report arrival and departure via SafeSeaNet Norway (Nasjonal meldingsportal) with crew and guests, the arrival at least 24 hours before the boat calls at a port on Svalbard. The Norwegian regulations on port calls by foreign yachts of 15 m or more or 50 GT do not apply off Svalbard, but they do on the mainland, i.e. on return, and at Jan Mayen: notice of arrival via SafeSeaNet Norway to the Armed Forces' operational headquarters, to be received at least 24 hours before the boat crosses the baseline; without clearance to call, no entry into internal waters. Anyone sailing outside the travel area around Longyearbyen (formerly Management Area 10) applies to the Sysselmester at least four weeks in advance, waits for the reply, needs search and rescue insurance and sends a report within four weeks after the trip. Jan Mayen is a nature reserve out to the 12-mile limit: visits only with prior permission (up to 24 hours from the station commander, up to one week from the chief of police in Nordland, longer from the Ministry of Justice), for yachts of 15 m or more or 50 GT also the notice of arrival; landing only in Kvalrossbukta, Båtvika is closed. Jan Mayen also lies outside the Norwegian customs territory, but only Svalbard is expressly excluded from Schengen.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen: Which documents do I need on board?
Passport or identity card (mandatory for Svalbard too; anyone who needs a Schengen visa needs it for transit there and back, usually multiple-entry), boat papers, insurance, outside the travel area search and rescue insurance (zone A 120,000, B 350,000, C 650,000 kroner per operation), outside the settlements means of scaring off polar bears (firearm only with a permit or a rental weapon from Longyearbyen; bear spray is not permitted), radio for reports and emergencies.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen: What fees apply?
Environmental fee of 150 kroner per person to the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund, to be paid yourself if you arrive on your own boat; harbour dues in Longyearbyen.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen: What is the emergency number at sea?
112; JRCC Nord-Norge and the Sysselmester, VHF channel 16 and DSC, satellite phone recommended.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?
Sailseer covers 3 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning.