Svalbard Food, Alcohol and Water

Food

Svalbardbutikken, the main grocery store in Longyearbyen, offers a good range of supplies. Prices for fresh items such as milk and vegetables can be significantly higher than on the mainland, while canned and dried foods, as well as long-life milk, may be cheaper. Stock levels, especially for fresh produce, can be temporarily low depending on the arrival of supply ships from mainland Norway.

Alcohol

Tax-free alcohol is sold at Nordpolet in Longyearbyen, which is part of Svalbardbutikken, and at the small shop in Ny-Ålesund. Boat visitors must apply in advance to the Governor for an alcohol licence and will be granted the same beer and spirits quota as residents. An airline boarding pass is accepted as proof of a valid licence. Wine is not included in the quota but still requires a licence.

Normal mainland import limits for alcohol and tobacco apply when returning to Norway.

Water

Fresh water can be taken on at the docks in both Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund. We do not recommend filling tanks from streams or drinking untreated stream water because reindeer are common and there is a risk of giardia. Water flowing directly from glaciers is generally free of giardia but is often full of glacial flour, the fine rock particles that give glacial streams their milky colour.

In summer and autumn 2025, the Longyearbyen local council (Lokalstyre) reported that manganese concentrations in parts of the town’s drinking water supply were significantly above the recommended limits used on the Norwegian mainland. Health authorities indicated there was no immediate acute health threat, but that long-term exposure to high manganese levels over years could pose risks.. The results of the monthly water quality tests are published on the council’s website.