Residents
Svalbard residents can travel around most of the archipelago in both summer and winter. Individual travellers who are local residents of Svalbard must give notification of travel plans that involve travel to or within Sør-Spitsbergen, Forlandet and Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Parks and Søraust-Svalbard and Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserves. In addition, residents must apply for a permit to set up tents and camp in the same location for a week or more.
You are resident in Svalbard when you have registered in the Population Register of Svalbard and intend to stay in Svalbard for a minimum of six months.
Local residents who are planning one or more trips during the winter or summer season to the areas which require notification, may give notice of their tentative tour plans. The Governor will process the notification and send out an official answer. This answer is valid on the following condition: that latest one day before departure, information including exact dates, number of person and planned route is sent to the Governor's office via email. This is primarily for your own safety.
All tenting and camp stays in the same place for a week or more require permission from the Governor. Applications must be submitted to the Governor no later than four weeks before the planned camping stay.
Tenting and camp stays that require an application to the Governor must be secured with an alert and organized polar bear guard when there are people in the camp.
The Governor of Svalbard can set requirements for search and rescue insurance.