Doing Business in Greenland - Book - Page 18
9.4 Requirements for security
plans and insurance etc.
The application for a licence must
be accompanied by a written
safety plan, including a risk
assessment and emergency plan,
which must be available to tourists
at all times in Greenlandic and
English.
The risk assessment must be
suitable for providing tourists with
clear
and
comprehensive
information about the main risk
factors
associated
with
the
activity.
9 Tourism
The Greenlandic toursim industry is regulated with the purpose of
sustainable development, local anchorage and security in a vast
unexplored environment.
As a general rule, tourist activities
must be covered by insurance (all
risk ) or security.
9.3 Licence requirements to
operate a business with tourism
activities
You must have a licence to operate
a business with tourism activities in
Greenland, unless the annual
turnover does not exceed DKK
50,000. A tourism operator may be
a natural person as well as a legal
person.
9.5 Exemption
In special cases, Naalakkersuisut
may grant exemptions from the
requirements for obtaining a
licence and from the provisions on
safety plans and insurance etc.
Exemptions can be granted for 2
years and extended for up to 2
years at a time.
9.1 Act on Tourism Activities
The Act on Tourism Activities in
Greenland came into force on 1
January 2025.
The current scheme is expected to
be adjusted, and a bill for
amendments to the Act as per 1
July 2026 has been out in public
consultation, which among other
things includes extension of
exemption periods
9.2 Scope of the Act ("tourism
activities")
The Act applies to "tourist
activities" - i.e. offering travel
experiences in Greenland primarily
to tourists with a commercial
purpose in the form of day trips
without accommodation and trips
lasting several days.
However, the Act does not cover
hotel business or the provision of
pure passenger transport (without
elements of tourism activities).
A 'tourist' is defined as any person
(both foreigner and local) who
travels to a place outside its normal
place of residence or domicile for
pleasure, recreation or holiday
purposes (in whole or in part).
18
A licence may be granted provided
that the following conditions are
met:
Individuals: must have a
registered address in and be
fully liable to pay tax to
Greenland, and must not be
subject
to
insolvency
proceedings.
Legal entities: must be a limited
liability company (A/S or ApS)
or a partnership domiciled in
Greenland, and must not be
subject
to
insolvency
proceedings. At least 2/3 of a
company's capital and voting
rights must be owned (directly
or indirectly) by an individual
who fulfils the above conditions
to individuals. For partnerships,
at least 2/3 of the members
must fulfil the conditions to
individuals.
9.6 Entry into force and
transitional provisions
The Act shall not apply until 1
January 2027 to tourist activities
lawfully carried out immediately
prior to the entry into force of the
Act.
Thor Suhr
Partner, attorney-at-law
ts@nunalaw.gl
Helen Kibsgaard
Partner, attorney-at-law
hk@nunalaw.gl
