UNIS /Facilities /Operations and field safety /Weapons

Weapons

On Svalbard, anyone who travels outside inhabited areas must know how to protect themselves from polar bears and carry suitable equipment to scare them away. They must also take steps to avoid an attack without harming or killing the animal.

UNIS – Regulations regarding field work and polar bear protection

  • All participants must complete the UNIS Polar Bear Safety Course. A refresher is required if more than 6 months have passed since you took the course.
  • All field groups who go outside settlements must carry a UNIS rifle and a flare pistol.
  • To borrow and carry a firearm from UNIS, you must either already hold a firearms license (caliber 6.5×55 or larger) or apply for “lending permit for rifle” from the police.

The application process for getting a “Lending permit” differs slightly depending on whether you are a Norwegian citizen or a foreign national.

Norwegian citizens and people with D-numbers

To borrow a rifle + signal pistol from UNIS, you must:

  1. Complete the UNIS Polar Bear Safety Course, and
  2. Either hold a Norwegian firearm license (caliber 6.5×55 or larger), or apply for a “lending permit for rifle” through the Norwegian police (Politi.no)

If you must apply for a permit from the police, your application must include proof of firearms competence, such as:

  • Military service
  • Membership in an approved shooting organization
  • Registration in the Norwegian Hunter Register
  • Completion of the UNIS Polar Bear Safety Course

Note: If you plan to use the UNIS Polar Bear Safety Course as documentation, you must complete the course before applying. If you already have other valid documentation, you can apply immediately.

Processing times varies and may be long in some police districts.

Foreigners

To borrow a rifle + signal pistol from UNIS, you must:

  1. Complete Unis Polar Bear Safety Course, and
  2. Either hold a European Firearms Pass (caliber 6.5×55 or larger), or apply for a “lending permit for rifle” through The Governor of Svalbard.

If you must apply for a permit from the Governor, your application must include:

  • Proof of firearms competence, such as:
    • Military service
    • Membership in an approved shooting organization
    • Registration in the Norwegian Hunter Register
    • Completion of the UNIS Polar Bear Safety Course
  • You should also include a police certificate from your local police confirming a clean record. The certificate must be no older than three months.

Note: If you plan to use the UNIS Polar Bear Safety Course as documentation, you must complete the course before applying. If you already have other valid documentation in firearm competence, you can apply immediately.

Processing times at the Governor’s office (Sysselmesteren) may vary and can take up to eight weeks during particularly busy periods.

UNIS lends out rifles and flare pistol for field work. To book, send an email to ofs@unis.no or contact your department’s field engineer.

The maximum loan period is three weeks. After that, you must make a new booking via ofs@unis.no and come in to renew the loan.

More info on firearms and applications can be found here: https://www.sysselmesteren.no/en/weapon/