Government delays Svalbard guide approval requirement

The Government has postponed the requirement for approved Svalbard guides, so that tourism and field operations can carry on while the approval scheme is finished. The King in Council, meaning the Government in formal session, changed the field safety regulations on Friday 13 November, and the change takes effect at once.

The approval scheme was set up in June 2025 and was due to apply from 1 July 2027. Work on it has proved harder than expected, and the administrative systems are delayed, the Government said. The tourism industry, the local council (Longyearbyen lokalstyre) and the Governor of Svalbard (Sysselmesteren) asked the responsible department for a delay, because too few approved guides might be available when the requirement starts. Until further notice, no government-imposed competence requirements apply to guides on Svalbard.

Cecilie Myrseth, who holds the trade and industry portfolio, said guides carry great responsibility, so strict competence requirements matter, but enough approved guides must exist when the rule starts. She said the aim is to have the scheme ready as soon as possible. Astri Aas-Hansen, who holds the justice and preparedness portfolio, said safety and preparedness must be kept in view, and that the state should take the time to get a good scheme in place.

Under the scheme, tourist and field operations outside inhabited areas must bring enough approved guides. Each business judges what is enough, but the Governor can set a minimum number for an activity. Guides apply to the Governor, who sets the course and learning requirements, pre-approves courses and supervises compliance. An approval lasts five years and can be renewed after further training.

Experienced guides can apply to the Governor for an exemption from the application requirements. They must document at least 1,500 hours of guiding over the past three years, and the Governor must judge their competence enough to prevent harm to people or the environment.

Coverage: Government of Norway, Norwegian feed (regjeringen.no), sysselmesteren