Information for Visitors
Covid-19 Restrictions
- Policy - Visiting South Georgia – Covid 19 [pdf, 0.2mb]
Visiting South Georgia
- Visiting South Georgia (2022-2023) [pdf, 1.1mb]
- Information For Yachts Visiting South Georgia [pdf, 0.7mb]
- Yachts Application to visit South Georgia & the South Sandwich islands (2022-2023) [pdf, 1.1mb]
- ROV Application (2022-2023) [docx, 0.1mb]
- Vessel Application to visit South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (2022-2023) [pdf, 1mb]
- HOV Application (2022 - 2023) [docx, 0.1mb]
- Dive Record & Report (HOV-ROV) [xlsx, 0.1mb]
- The Use of Human Occupied Vehicles (Hov) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (Rov) [pdf, 0.2mb]
Code of Conduct Whilst Ashore
- Code of Conduct Whilst Ashore [pdf, 0.3mb]
Guidelines For The Provision Of Medical Care
Biosecurity
- Biosecurity Handbook 2020-2021 [pdf, 1.7mb]
- Visitor Biosecurity Self Audit Declaration [pdf, 0.3mb]
- Rodent Monitoring Station Protocol (2021-22) [pdf, 0.7mb]
- GSGSSI Biosecurity Dog Search [pdf, 0.6mb]
Visit Permit Holder Landing Declaration
- Visit Permit Holder Landing Declaration [pdf, 0.3Mb]
Permit Holder Briefing & Assessment
- Permit Holder Briefing 2022-23 [pdf, 0.3Mb]
Visiting Grytviken and King Edward Point
- Visiting Grytviken [pdf, 1.2mb]
- Visitors Map of King Edward Point and Grytviken [pdf, 0.2mb]
Post-Visit Report Form
- Completing your Post Visit Report (2022-2023) [.pdf, 0.7mb]
- Post-Visit Report Form (2022-2023) [.xlsx, 0.1mb]
Bird Strike
- Bird Strike Notes [.pdf, 0.4mb]
- Bird Strike Report [.xlsx, 0.1mb]
.
Expeditions: Policy and Application
The Government SGSSI has defined an expedition as "any person or group of people whose approved activities include overnight camping (night(s) ashore) on South Georgia, regardless of the aims of the expedition. These might include filming, mountaineering, skiing, science, longer trekking, sea kayaking, or other activities.
Expedition applications will be subject to an assessment process that draws advice from a panel of expert advisors (for which an administrative fee is charged). The advisory panel are guided by the planning factors and expedition guidelines in the downloaded information.
- Expedition Policy and Application Procedures [pdf, 0.92mb]
Visitor Site Review
As part of our 2016-2020 strategy, the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) committed to working with stakeholders to develop our visitor management policy to better take account of the impact and benefits of tourism and integrate visitor management into our thinking for a new system of terrestrial protected areas. We aim to ensure that visitors can access and enjoy South Georgia whilst still ensuring that the highest standards of environmental protection and safety are upheld.
The first stage of this process is to establish baseline information on how visitors (including science, media, BAS, Government and tourists) use terrestrial areas on South Georgia by gathering data on the current spatial extent of operations. Input from expedition staff will be crucial to the success of this process.
We recognise that although for some sites there are specific visitor management plans, for others there is more open access and the potential for a higher degree of free roaming and so different operators may use the landscape differently. So we can capture this information, we have prepared a booklet which contains a map for each landing site. Please mark/shade the area that you use at each location as part of your ordinary landings.
We are also interested in what you consider to be the attractions of each site (wildlife, scenery etc.), where these are located within the site and how the environmental situation on the day of landing (e.g. fur seals, position of rivers) affects how you use a site on any particular occasion. Please also mark on the maps if there are areas within sites that you think are particularly sensitive and would benefit from additional monitoring efforts.
Assistance with this process is greatly appreciated and we would encourage you to take this opportunity to engage in this survey, which will really help develop management plans that facilitate access to South Georgia whilst protecting its unique environment.
Please return completed maps to ‘GSGSSI, Government House, Ross Road, Stanley, Falkland Islands, FIQQ 1ZZ'
Download: Visitor Site Use Survey [pdf, 6.4mb]
Expeditions Reports
2022
- South Georgia – Alternative Shackleton Traverse 2022 [pdf, 1.7 mb]
2020
- 2020 Tozzi KAT [docx, 0.1 mb]
- 2020 South Sandwich Islands Pelagicc [docx, 6 mb]
2019
- 2019 South Georgia By Kayak Irish Ypake Expedition Report [pdf, 4 mb]
- 2019 Sea Kayak South Georgia: Curgenven [pdf, 0.1 mb]
2018
- 2018 Podorange Report [pdf, 14mb]
- 2018 Salvesen Report [pdf, 7mb]
- 2018 SGNZ Expedition Report [pdf, 0.1mb]
- 2018 Thin Ice Report [docx, 0.1mb]
- 2018 John Downer RAP report [docx, 0.1mb]
- 2018 Aurora ASG73 Report [pdf, 0.8mb]
2017
- 2017 Salvesen RAP Report [docx, 0.1mb]
- 2017 Aurora ASG69 Report [docx, 6mb]
- 2017 NOVARA Report [pdf, 37mb]
2016
- 2016 Antarctic Endurance Report [docx, 1.1mb]
- 2016 ASG65-Shackleton Crossing Report [docx, 0.2mb]
- 2016 Shackleton Legacy Report [pdf, 3.0mb]
- 2016 Selma Report [pdf, 1.5mb]
- 2016 Crean Traverse Report [pdf, 2.5mb]
- 2016 Lindblad Shackleton Crossing 2016 [pdf, 1,8mb]
- 2016 Starbuck Baume Report [pdf, 11.9mb]
- 2016 Intrepid-DX Group Report [docx, 1.9mb]
2015
- 2015 Montagnes du Monde [doc, 0.02mb]
- 2015 SEA Shackleton Crossing Report [pdf, 0.13mb]
- 2015 One Ocean - NZAHT Shackleton Crossing Report [pdf, 0.4mb]
- 2015 PolarExplorers Post Trip Report [pdf, 0.27mb]
- 2015 Polar Explorers Post Trip Report [pdf, 0.75mb]
- 2015 Westwind Ice Coring Project [docx, 1.8mb]
- 2015 BBC Natural History Unit filming expedition to Zavodovski Island [pdf, 1mb]
- 2015 Aurora ASG60 Shackleton Crossing [pdf, 3.4mb]
- 2015 Rapid Ascent – Canoe and Traverse [pdf, 0.04mb]
2014
- 2014 PAX ARCTICA Shackleton Expeditio [pdf, 9.3mb]
- 2014 Wickens – Icebird [pdf, 2.3mb]
- 2014 Ski Mountaineering from Podorange, Jim Blyth group [pdf, 1.9mb]
- 2014 Salvesen Expedition [pdf, 1.6mb]
- 2014 Aurora Shackleton Crossing, ASG56 [docx, 0.8mb]
2013
- 2013 Kern Adler Report: Ernest Shackleton's Trek [pdf, 0.01mb]
- Alvaro Shackleton Crossing: English Spanish [docx, 0.2mb]
- Aurora Shackleton Crossing Report [doc, 0.4mb]
- Report on the Shackleton Traverse From Pelagic Australis [docx, 2.4mb]
- Ski Crossing of South Georgia [pdf, 0.3mb]
- Shackleton Epic report [docx, 4.4mb]
2012
- Podorange report [docx, 2.9mb]
- Baffin Babes expedition to South Georgia. [doc, 0.1mb]
- Polar Explorers Post-Expedition Report [doc, 14mb]
- Antarctic Trek Retraces the Route of Shackleton and his “Unseen Companion” [pdf, 0.2mb]
- The Climate Change Institute, Kuli South Georgia Expedition 2012 [pdf, 2.3mb]
- Aurora ASG44 Shackleton Crossing March 2012 [pdf, 0.2mb]
2011
- Shackleton Traverse October 2011 [pdf, 0.7mb]
- Nordenskjold, The Last Leviathan 2011 [pdf, 2.0mb]
- Serac 2011 [docx, 0.2mb]
- Oceanwide Expeditions | Footsteps of Shackleton Expedition , December 2011 [doc, 0.06mb]
- Penguin Island 3D’, a Sky 3D filming expedition by Jason Robert Productions [pdf, 0.07mb]
- Aurora 2011 Shackleton Crossing (ASG40) [pdf, 0.5mb]
2010
- Ocean Maid 2010 [docx, 0.02mb]
- Oceanwide Expeditions Shackleton Crossing 2010 [pdf, 2.5mb]
- Norwegian Kayak Circumnavigation 2010 [docx, 1.2mb]
- Salvesen Ski Traverse 2010 [doc, 0.03mb]
- Shackleton Crossing - ASG37 [pdf, 0.7mb]
2009
- The South Georgia Association Expedition [doc, 9mb]
- Post Expedition Report BBC Frozen Planet - South Georgia 2009 [doc, 0.05mb]
- Geographic Report on Shackleton Crossing
- Aurora South Georgia Crossing
2008
- The Irish Beyond Endurance Expedition
- BSES Southern Endurance Expedition Report BSES
- BBC Frozen Planet
- Beyond Endurance Expedition Shackleton Traverse And Attempted Ascent Of Mount Nicholls [.doc]
2007
- Insubrica Expedition’s Shackleton Traverse and ascent of Mt. Stanley
- Georgia Sat - Outline Expedition Report
- French South Georgia Expedition
- BSES Southern Endurance Expedition
2006
- Report On The Metolius Expedition
- BSES - Reconnaissance Expedition To South Georgia Post Expedition Report
2004/05
Site Visitor Management Plans (SVMP)
The Site Visitor Management Plans (SVMP) have been prepared for the most popular approved visitor landing sites and a number of overland walks. These detail open access areas, closed areas and routes for overland walks. Visitor management information is detailed as well as additional information such as hazards and areas which are particularly sensitive to disturbance.
It is a condition of visit permits that these must be complied with and visit permit holders must ensure that all visitors and staff under their charge adhere to these plans. SVMP are reviewed annually and visit permit holders must ensure that they have the most recent versions of the plans before they depart for South Georgia.
- Cape Rosa [pdf, 1.0mb]
- Cooper Bay [pdf, 0.8mb]
- Fortuna [pdf, 0.7mb]
- Grytviken [pdf, 1.1mb]
- Godthul to Sandebugten Walk_extended walk [pdf, 4.0mb]
- Godthul [pdf, 1.0mb]
- Gold Harbour [pdf, 3.4mb]
- Maiviken Walk extended walk [pdf, 0.9mb]
- Ocean Harbour Walk extended walk [pdf, 14mb]
- Prion Island [pdf, 4mb]
- Rookery Point Walk extended walk [pdf, 0.6mb]
- Salisbury Plain [pdf, 0.8mb]
- Shackleton Walk [pdf, 6.0mb]
- St Andrews Bay [pdf, 0.8mb]
- Stromness to Leith Walk extended walk [pdf, 0.8mb]
gpx files to download
Regulated Activities Permit
More information on the Regulated Activities Permit page.
- RAP Category 1 application: here
- RAP Category 2 application: here
- RAP renewal application: here
- RAP feedback form: here
- Sample collection form [xls, 0.01mb] - any projects wishing to collect samples as part of their RAP application MUST use this form. You will be required to upload it to the RAP application portal as part of your application.
- Exported material declaration [xls, 0.01mb]
The Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Island has a Privacy Policy regarding the purpose, use and sharing of any Personal Information collected via Regulated Activity Permit applications:
Drone Information
Getting Married on South Georgia
With its stunning landscapes, abundant wildlife, and unique history, South Georgia is a very special place to get married. Your wedding can be incorporated as part of your visit to Grytviken.
If you decide this is what you want to do, you should contact the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) at least three months before your prospective wedding date. This allows for the practicalities of the marriage to be arranged before your visit so that your special day is relaxed and hassle-free.
Further details here.
- Notes to assist with the completion of the Notice of Marriage document [pdf, 0.3mb]
- Notice of Marriage form [doc, 0.03mb]