# Greenland (GL)

**Capital:** Nuuk  
**Currency:** Danish krone (DKK) (DKK)  
**Population:** 56'542  
**Area:** 2'166'086 km²

> Greenland is the world's largest island and, as an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, an EU OCT outside the EU customs territory. There is no VAT; import duties apply to certain goods on the CIF value, administered by the Greenland Tax Agency (aka.gl). Supply runs almost entirely via sea freight of the state-owned Royal Arctic Line (Aalborg hub) and air freight through Nuuk airport, expanded in 2024. Over 90 percent of exports are fish and seafood, which enter the EU duty-free as an OCT. The currency is the Danish krone (DKK).

Greenland (ISO code: GL) is the world's largest island, lying between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, and is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. It has its own government and parliament, while Denmark handles defence and foreign affairs. The climate is Arctic, with long cold winters, short summers and a predominant ice-sheet cover. The economy centres on fisheries, fish processing, mining and a growing services sector, while agriculture and industry are limited. Foreign trade is heavily focused on fish and seafood, and the country depends strongly on imports of food, fuel and industrial goods. As an EU Overseas Country and Territory (OCT), Greenland lies outside the EU customs territory; there is no VAT. Supply runs almost entirely by sea via the state-owned Royal Arctic Line and by air through Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq. The currency is the Danish krone (DKK).

**Top Import Partners:** DK, CN, DE, NO, US

**Top Export Partners:** DK, CN, JP, NO, KR

**Top Import Goods:** Nahrungsmittel, Treibstoffe, Maschinen, Fahrzeuge, Baumaterialien

**Top Export Goods:** Fisch, Meeresfrüchte, Mineralien

**Key Airports:**
- [Aasiaat Airport (JEG)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/aasiaat-airport-jeg)
- [Ilulissat Airport (JAV)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/ilulissat-airport-jav)
- [Kangerlussuaq Airport (SFJ)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/kangerlussuaq-airport-sfj)
- [Kulusuk Airport (KUS)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/kulusuk-airport-kus)
- [Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/narsarsuaq-airport-uak)
- [Nuuk Airport (GOH)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/nuuk-airport-goh)
- [Pituffik Space Base (THU)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/pituffik-space-base-airport-thu)
- [Sisimiut Airport (JHS)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/sisimiut-airport-jhs)
- [Danmarkshavn Landing Strip](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/danmarkshavn-landing-strip-airport-8210)
- [EastGRIP Airport](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/eastgrip-airport-9404)

## Customs & Import

**Import VAT:** Keine Mehrwertsteuer in Grönland. Einfuhrabgaben (Zoll) auf bestimmte Waren wie Fahrzeuge, Alkohol, Tabak und Lebensmittel, berechnet auf den CIF-Wert.  
**Customs complexity:** mittel  
**Customs system:** Eigene Einfuhr-Zollanmeldung bei der grönländischen Steuerbehörde (aka.gl); Grönland liegt ausserhalb des EU-Zollgebiets, EU-Zollsysteme gelten nicht. Abgaben auf CIF-Wert.  
**Customs authority:** [Grönländische Steuerbehörde (Akileraartarnermut Aqutsisoqarfik / Skattestyrelsen)](https://aka.gl)

## Logistics & Risk

**Logistics role:** Arktische Insel-Logistik / Fischerei-Export-Hub  
**Economic area:** EU-OCT (assoziiert), ausserhalb EU-Zollgebiet; Königreich Dänemark  
**Logistics risk:** mittel  
**Dangerous goods relevance:** mittel  
**Pharma/cold chain:** niedrig bis mittel

## Sources & Last Verified

- [https://aka.gl](https://aka.gl)
- [https://int.aka.gl/en/Tax-Greenland/Import-customs-duties](https://int.aka.gl/en/Tax-Greenland/Import-customs-duties)
- [https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/greenland/corporate/other-taxes](https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/greenland/corporate/other-taxes)
- [https://www.businessingreenland.gl/en/Erhverv/Export-control-of-duel-use-items](https://www.businessingreenland.gl/en/Erhverv/Export-control-of-duel-use-items)
- [https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs/rules-origin-goods/preferential-origins/overseas-countries-and-territories-octs_en](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs/rules-origin-goods/preferential-origins/overseas-countries-and-territories-octs_en)
- [https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2025)769534](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2025)769534)
- [https://www.ral.gl/en/](https://www.ral.gl/en/)
- [https://stat.gl/publ/en/be/202501/contents/Population%20estimates.htm](https://stat.gl/publ/en/be/202501/contents/Population%20estimates.htm)

*Last verified: 2026-06-23*

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*Freight Academy — Country Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/gl](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/gl)*

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