Town Where It is Illegal to Die — Welcome to Longyearbyen, Norway
Imagine living in a town where it is illegal to die. Sounds like a science fiction movie or a fantasy novel, right? But this is real.
Welcome to Longyearbyen, a small Arctic town in Svalbard, Norway, where a local law makes it illegal to die. But why would a town pass such a bizarre rule?
In this blog, we’ll explore:
- The strange law that bans death
- The science and history behind it
- What happens if you do die there
- And why Longyearbyen is one of the most unusual places on Earth
Where Is Longyearbyen, Norway? The Town Where It is Illegal to Die
Longyearbyen is the largest settlement on the Svalbard archipelago, located high in the Arctic Circle, between mainland Norway and the North Pole.
- 🌡️ Average temperature: -12°C (10°F) in winter
- 🌞 24 hours of daylight in summer and 24 hours of darkness in winter
- 🌍 Population: Around 2,000 people
- 🚫 Zero native trees — the landscape is tundra and permafrost
Despite its remote and harsh environment, Longyearbyen is a modern, thriving community with schools, restaurants, hotels, and even a university.
⚖️ Why Is It Illegal to Die in Longyearbyen?
The rule dates back to the early 20th century when officials noticed something shocking:
❄️ Bodies buried in Longyearbyen were not decomposing.
Due to the town’s permafrost soil (ground that stays frozen year-round), dead bodies would remain perfectly preserved for decades — even centuries. This posed serious health risks.
🧪 In the 1990s, scientists exhumed bodies buried during the Spanish Flu pandemic (1918) and found traces of the live virus still intact — almost 80 years later.
This discovery raised fears that ancient viruses or bacteria might resurface and infect the living.
💀 So What Happens If Someone Dies There?
If a person is terminally ill or expected to pass away, they are flown to mainland Norway for end-of-life care and burial.
🪦 There is no active cemetery in Longyearbyen. The last burials occurred in the 1950s, and since then, the local cemetery has been closed.
Even today, if someone dies unexpectedly:
- 🚁 Their body is transported to the mainland
- 🧊 Cremation or burial takes place in warmer soil
- 🛂 You cannot be permanently buried on Svalbard
In other words, you can be born there, live there, and work there — but you can’t stay after death.
🧠 The Science Behind It: Why Permafrost Stops Decomposition
Permafrost is soil that stays below 0°C (32°F) year-round. It acts like a natural freezer for organic material, including human remains.
- Bacteria and fungi that break down bodies can’t survive in such cold, oxygen-poor conditions
- This creates ideal conditions for preservation, which is bad when you don’t want corpses to last forever
It’s the same reason woolly mammoths, ancient humans, and extinct animals have been found almost intact in the Arctic.
🏛️ Longyearbyen’s Other Unique Laws and Features
Besides the no-dying rule, Longyearbyen has several other quirky and fascinating laws:
- 🚫 No cats allowed — to protect local birdlife
- 🔫 Residents must carry rifles outside town due to polar bear threats
- 📦 No one owns land — it all belongs to the Norwegian government
- 🗳️ You don’t need a visa to live there — anyone can move to Svalbard, regardless of nationality
- 🎓 The northernmost university in the world is based here
😮 Can You Get in Trouble for Dying?
Not exactly — after all, you can’t control death.
The law isn’t meant to punish the deceased, but rather to prevent future burials and protect the living. It’s more of a public health policy than a legal crime.
Still, it’s one of the only places in the world where death is managed this strictly — and where your final journey has to be planned while you’re still alive.
Must Read: The Tribe That Lives Almost Entirely on Trees
Why Longyearbyen Attracts Global Curiosity
Because of its extreme conditions and unusual laws, Longyearbyen has become a **popular topic for:
- Documentary makers
- Travel bloggers
- Scientists
- Curious internet users (just like you!)
Many tourists visit just to experience:
- The Polar Night (months of total darkness)
- The Midnight Sun (sunlight 24/7)
- And of course, to say they’ve been to the town where it’s illegal to die
