Using the Archive

You can use the National Archives to research the history of Greenland, your family history, school assignments, academic papers, and much more.

You are welcome to contact the archives by telephone or mail on weekdays. We aim to answer all queries within 2-3 working days.

Queries that require research by our staff can be dealt with for a fee. To agree on the terms for such queries please contact the archives directly.

Family History Research in the Reading Room

Church ledgers are the most common source of family history in the archive. These can be accessed online or in our reading room during library opening hours.

Find more information about visiting our reading room here.

Research

In addition to church ledgers, we have many other documents and records. If you would like to use other sources for research or other purposes please contact our archivists for advice on what is available.

Please note that the documents and records in our archive are subject to different accessibility time limits. Records from public authorities are accessible after 25 years – or 80 years if they contain personal information. In principle the same rules apply to records submitted by private individuals or associations. There are cases, however, where specific time limits have been agreed between the archive and those submitting documents. Some documents and records may also be inaccessible due to their poor state of preservation.

If you would like to see a document that is not accessible to the public you can apply for special permission. Applications are to be made in writing and contain information about the documents or records to be accessed, their intended use, as well as your name and contact information.

Handling and Photographing Documents

All records and documents are to be handled with care. Gloves are not necessary, but your hands should be clean and devoid of hand cream, etc. prior to touching any documents. In general you are allowed to photograph the documents made available to you, with the exception of those under copyright. These include various kinds of manuscripts. The archive staff will inform you of any such limitations before the documents are made available.

Delivery of Private Archives

You are also welcome to contact us regarding the delivery of material. We accept documents and records with links to Greenland from associations, individuals, companies, etc.

Services for Public Authorities

The National Archives advise public institutions in Greenland on the storage and delivery of documents worthy of preservation, as well as on archiving current casework. The work of the National Archives is subject to current archive legislation and regulations.