Apply for an expedition permit

1. Check the map (Regulated area) to verify whether you need an expedition permit for your activities.
2. Check out the general guidance material and for your particular type of expedition.
3. Fill in the online application form (link below) and submit.
4. The Expedition Office will send you an expedition number, guidance on application fee payment, a link for uploading required documents, and information about additional requirements and permits.
5. Once payment is confirmed and the required documents are uploaded, your application can be processed.

There are four general types of expedition activities:

A: Tourism / Logistics expeditions.
B: Cruises in the National Park in North and East Greenland (sailing in the adjoining sea territory to the national park is termed a cruise regardless of vessel size).
C: Scientific expeditions.
D: Research stations.

An expedition permit number consists of a letter, the year the permit is issued, and a number assigned from a consecutive list, e.g. B-24-15:

B = Cruise expedition.
24 = Permit issued in 2024.
15 = Fifteenth cruise application received by the Expedition Office.

• The type of activity always determines the type of expedition permit.
• If different types of activities are conducted by members of the expedition, they will need to apply for separate expedition permits, covering their activities.
• A Tourism / Logistics (A) or Cruise ship (B) permit can only be used for tourism, adventure, logistics support and cruise purposes and activities, not for research / scientific purposes and activities.
• A Scientific expedition (C) or Research Station permit (D) can only be used for research / scientific purposes and activities, and must be affiliated with a research institution, university or similar. The activities and expedition members must hold a letter of endorsement from the relevant institution. The scientific activities must be described in detail. Alternatively, the expedition must be categorized as a Tourism / Logistics (A) or Cruise ship (B) expedition.

 

Example 1: A group consisting of four tourists and two scientists join up and travel together. This results in 1 tourism/logistics permit (A) and 1 scientific permit (C) for the same trip.

Example 2: A research institution is conducting an assignment on behalf of the Government of Greenland. This assignment does not require an expedition permit (see section on § 14 for information about other requirements to § 14 activities). However, the same institution also carries out other (perhaps commercial) activities on behalf of other project owners – the latter activities must be covered by one or more expedition permits (A or C).

 

Each trip is considered an individual expedition and needs its own permit. Similarly, if an expedition covers more than one group, each group is considered an expedition and must have its own permit.

Example 1: An expedition leader takes a group of people on a 3-day dog sled trip in the National Park in North and East Greenland. Most of the group then head home while at the same time new people join the expedition leader on another dog sled trip in the national park. Each trip / group needs its own separate expedition permit, even though the expedition leader and perhaps some of the participants are repeaters from the first or one of the previous activities.

Example 2: A family sails on a yacht into the national park. They have planned to spend a week in the national park and then head to a location outside the national park for provisions before coming back again for an additional week’s visit in the national park. Each separate visit to the national park is considered an individual expedition and must have its own permit.