According to allcountrylist, Greenland (Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat, Danish: Grønland, English: Greenland) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean that can be counted with both North America and Europe in terms of location. Greenland has been an autonomous self-governing country from Denmark since 1979. The capital of Greenland is Nuuk.
According to countryvv, Greenland is best known for the large ice fields with ice floes and mountains. No less than 85% of Greenland is covered by an ice sheet, in some places up to 3 meters thick. On the coastline you will find huge fjords and glaciers. Greenland has few buildings and few inhabitants. The population consists largely of nomads (locally referred to as Kalaallit and/or Inuit). Polar bears, seals and walruses live in Greenland. There is plenty of fishing around Greenland, including salmon trout. In Greenland you also have to deal with the polar night/day. This is a natural phenomenon where there is no sun all day (November 27 to January 15) or sun all day long (May 20 to July 22). Like the entire Arctic, Greenland is affected by global warming. Since the year 2000, the sea level has risen by about 0.8 millimeters annually. If all the ice caps in Greenland melted, this would mean a sea level rise of about 7 metres.
Where is Greenland?
Travel information of Greenland
Official name: Greenland
Continent: Europe and North America
Area: 2,175,600 km²
Capital: Nuuk
Country code: GL, GRL
Population: 56,749 inhabitants (2012)
Government: Status separate from Denmark
Highest point: 3,694 m (Gunnbjørn Fjeld)
Distance (Amsterdam – Nuuk): 3,437 km
Flight time: approximately 5 hours
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Greenland that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs in Greenland, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Greenland. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compile your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Greenland?
Weather and climate
Greenland has a polar climate. In the summer months the temperatures are around -10 to 10 degrees. In the winter months, temperatures are around -10 to -50 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Greenland can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Greenland can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June and July are the best months to travel to Greenland. In these months the temperatures are highest and it is longer light than in the winter months. March and April are the best months for a snow holiday to Greenland.
Language
Greenlandic is the official language in Greenland. In addition, Danish and English are spoken.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Denmark: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate in Greenland: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Danish embassy in the Netherlands (also for Greenland): netherlandse.um.dk.
Danish consulates in the Netherlands (also for Greenland): rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Greenland.
Money and Currency
In Greenland, payments are made with the Danish kroner (DKK).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Greenland can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Greenland are much more expensive than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +25% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (6% more expensive), food (46% more expensive), imported beer in catering (72% cheaper), cigarettes (63% more expensive) and public transport (30% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Greenland it is not customary to tip. Service costs are included in the price as standard.
Time difference
– Greenland (Nuuk): 4 hours earlier.
– Scoresbysund and Ittoqqortoormiit: 2 hours earlier.
– Danmarkshavn: 1 hour earlier (winter time), 2 hours earlier (summer time).
– Thule and Pituffik (Qaanaaq): 5 hours earlier.
Above we talk about the time difference during our winter and summer time.
Find the local times, dates, time zones, time zone map and exceptions for Greenland on our time difference page.
Traffic
In Greenland you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Greenland.
Electricity
In Greenland the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity in Greenland can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112
– Fire: 112
– Ambulance: 112
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Greenland can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Greenland can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Greenland end in.gl.
Greenland official websites: greenland.com and naalakkersuisut.gl.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Greenland is 00299 or +299.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Greenland? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Greenland.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Greenland.
Public holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Greenland can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotel), restaurants and destinations in Greenland, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Greenland?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Greenland. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Greenland can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Greenland can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Greenland? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, medicines and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Greenland.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Greenland is geographically part of North America?
…Greenland is the largest island in the world?
…Greenland is the least populated country in the world (0.03 inhabitants per km²)?
…All towns and villages in Greenland are on the coast because of the lack of ice?
…85% of Greenland s covered in ice?
