Abstract: The marine navigation system is a precondition for all kinds of military and civilian marine vehicles to sail safely to and within the polar regions. However, the special polar environment reduces the performance of such systems, sometimes to the point at which they cannot even be applied. In order to fundamentally understand the application of marine navigation systems in polar regions, this paper systematically expounds upon the development history of such systems, and comprehensively analyzes the impact of the special polar environment in four aspects: Earth kinematics, geophysical field, marine environment and geographic environment. As such, this survey provides valuable references by exploring the research context and future development of marine navigation technology, and analyzing the research status and future trends of the deployment of marine navigation systems in polar regions.