Owing to their excellent optical properties, fiber lasers and fiber amplifiers composed of rare-earth-doped fibers (also known as active fibers) are widely used in space, nuclear power, and high-energy physics facilities. However, in an irradiation environment, rare-earth-doped fibers are vulnerable to radiation-induced loss and their optical performance deteriorates rapidly. Therefore, improving the radiation resistance of active fibers is necessary to prevent such losses. This study first overviews the application background and problems of active fibers in irradiation environments. Second, it introduces the research progress of anti-irradiation active fibers in China and other countries from the following three perspectives: irradiation characteristics of active fibers, the primary factors influencing the irradiation characteristics, and radiation resistant technologies for active fibers. Finally, the future research trend of radiation resistant active fibers is prospected.