The world's only visa-free zone is the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.
The governor can expel people who can't support themselves or find a place to live.
Insider talked to four locals about what it was like to work in Svalbard.
In a world where your passport determines where you can live, travel, and work, there is a semi-frozen haven open to citizens of all countries.
The world's northernmost human settlement is located in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. Few of the 2,300 residents of Longyearbyen are from Svalbard.
One of the many strange rules that govern existence on the remote collection of islands covered by ice is that you can't have a baby there.
Cecilia Blomdahl, a popular content creator based in Longyearbyen, said in an interview with Insider that there are surprises that the town affectionately calls "Svalbard babies."
A monthly alcohol limit of 24 beers, half a bottle of fortified wine, and one bottle of liquor is one of the odd rules left over from its days as a coal mining town.
The most important rule is not to run out of money. Don't forget to stay in a home.
If you don't have enough money to support yourself and a roof over your head, you may be kicked out of the territory.
You can stay here for as long as you want. Nothing will be provided for you if that's what it means.
In spite of being a sovereignty of Norway, employees pay an 8% income tax and local businesses contribute zero taxes towards the country's national insurance program. There are no retirement homes, homeless shelters, unemployment benefits, or any other social safety net because of this.
Mark Sabbatini, the founder and editor of IcePeople, the world's northernmost alternative newspaper, was kicked off of Svalbard in 2021.
Sabbatini told Insider that he moved to the island from the US in 2008 with $1 million dollars in the bank and hopes to start an English-language newspaper.
Two of Sabbatini's apartments were condemned because of environmental issues he said were caused by the area's rapidly warming climate. The first was built on top of the thawing permafrost, and the second was located in a new area of the mountain.
He said that he didn't have a lot of money and had a hard time scrounging up stuff. I was trying to borrow, but not stealing.
Sabbatini decided to sleep at the campground where a guide was killed in a polar bear attack the year before after squatting in a friend's cabin. The governor told him to go.
It was the right decision for Sabbatini who now works at a local paper in Alaska.
The system is very fair. He said that the trade off is that you don't get social support. Why should you benefit from that system if you don't pay for it?
It's easier to find a job on Svalbard than it is to live there. The capital of Longyearbyen is a great place to start a business because of its darkness and cold weather.
He said that if you have an idea, you are the only one doing it. I don't think we'd be as successful if we set this up in a regular city.
The remoteness of the area makes it difficult to ship goods from the mainland.
"If the coffee machine breaks, no one here can fix it and it would take weeks for us to get another one," he said.
He told Insider that they want to buy or rent another one once they save up more money. We would be perfect for a moon colony. It's very similar to a space station here.
Fiala and his co-founding partners all have second jobs, which made the launch of the cafe less risky. One of the many professionals in the local tourist economy is a nature guide who studied architecture.
He told Insider that there are a lot of people working in tourism. They are an economist, a chemist, and a photographer.
One of the world's most remote towns is home to many different types of people. According to Fiala, the best and worst qualities of human beings can be found in the extremity of life in Svalbard.
He said that if you have a drinking problem and come here, you will probably just drink through the winter. If you want to finish the book, you'll do it. Life here gets a lot more exciting.
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