Touring in the EU
Outbound Mobility within the European Union
EU MEMBER STATES – SHORT STAY ENTRY FOR WORK
UK nationals may travel visa free to EU member states but may only stay 90 days within any 180 day period. If you are working, then further regulations may apply.
You are strongly advised to check with each member state before travelling if you intend to work as requirements may change at short notice.
This summary of the current situation is divided into three parts which correspond to current UK Government advice:
- Part one: the 22 member states that the UK Government advises do not require work permits for short stay work.
- Part two: the four countries which do not require work permits for short stay work, but which LIVE anticipates may have some intricacies which should be built into anticipated application times.
- Part three: Croatia, which requires a registration certification required to perform contracted work for up to 30 and up to 90 days in a calendar year.
For more information, please see the following links from the UK Government:
- Visa-free short term touring allowed in 20 member states
- Visiting the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- Touring Europe – checklists for the arts, cultural, creative, and heritage sectors
- Brexit: guidance for businesses
Please note that this is not legal advice. You should attain expert counsel before planning travel to the EU and check the latest Government advice.
To view the source of information for each country, please click on the relevant country.
Travelling to EU member states
Part One
UK artists can now tour in 22 EU states with fewer restrictions in terms of visas and permits. Whether you will need a permit/visa will depend on the type of contract, relationship with purchaser, duration of tour, and whether you require multiple entry into that country.
| Austria | Work permit required for more than 4 weeks. A work permit is not required for independent work as the C- or D-type visa is in place. For independent work, the artist would need proof of qualifications. |
| Belgium | Permit free for 90 days for artists “with an international reputation”. In other cases, authorisation for a performing artist depends on their remuneration and the duration of employment. |
| Czech Republic | Permit free for artists whose performances do not exceed 7 consecutive days or 30 days in the summary per calendar year. |
| Denmark | Artists who participate in “a substantial or essential part of a noteworthy artistic event” can tour permit free for up to 90 days. |
| Estonia | Permit free for up to 90 days within a 12 month period. |
| Finland | Permit free for 90 days within a 12 month period with an invitation or contract to work. |
| France | Permit free for up to 90 days within a 12 month period. |
| Germany | Permit free for up to 90 days within a 12 month period. |
| Greece | Artists and their crews do not need a Schengen visa until 31.12.2022 (when this will be reviewed) as long as they are not dependent on work in Greece, their pay is not provided in Greece, and they are insured for a work incident. |
| Hungary | Permit free for up to 90 days. |
| Ireland | Permit free. The UK and Ireland share a Common Travel Area. |
| Italy | Permit free for up to 90 days within a 12 month period. Border authorities will require proof of documentation to justify the reasons for and the duration of your stay in Italy. |
| Latvia | Permit free for up to 90 days within a 180 day period. |
| Lithuania | Permit free for up to 90 days. |
| Luxembourg | Permit free for up to 90 days per calendar year. |
| Netherlands | Permit free for artists for a maximum of 6 continuous weeks within a period of 13 weeks. Artists may need a short stay visa. |
| Poland | Permit free for up to 30 days per calendar year. |
| Romania | Permit free for up to 90 days within a 180 day period. |
| Slovenia | Permit free for up to 90 days per calendar year. |
| Slovakia | Permit free for up to 90 days per calendar year. |
| Spain | Permit free for up to 90 days within a 180 day period. |
| Sweden | Permit free for up to 14 days over a period of 12 months. |
Part 2
There are four EU member states which LIVE believes do not require work permits for short stay work. However, there are still complexities during the application process and these should be built into anticipated application times.
| Bulgaria | British performing artists do not need a work permit or visa for stay up to 90 days. |
| Cyprus | British and US passport holders do not require a visa to enter Cyprus for stays of up to 90 days, this includes touring musicians. |
| Malta | Artists and entourage touring Malta do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days. |
| Portugal | Permit free for up to 90 days within a 180-day period, unless you are directly employed by a company based in Portugal, with payments being made into a Portuguese bank account, in which case you may require a seasonal Schengen work visa. |
Part 3
Croatia is now the only country in the EU-27 which requires work permits and/or visas for touring.
| Croatia | Work registration certification required to perform contracted work for up to 30 and up to 90 days in a calendar year. Permit required for stays over 90 days. |
Other useful websites
- Incorporated Society of Musicians: Visas and work permits in Europe
- Musicians Union: Working in the EU Post Brexit
Note: This page was last updated on 15 June 2022. We believe this information is accurate up until the date marked on this document. Updated versions will be published in due course to reflect new information.
Routes of entry into the UK for EU artists and entertainers
- For further information on the routes of entry, please see this document.
Movement of Goods
- HMRC guidance on the movement of goods in and out of the UK can be viewed here.
Exporting goods from the UK
- For further information regarding exporting commercial goods out of the UK in accompanied baggage or a small vehicle visit this Government website page.
- For information regarding exporting goods from the UK to the EU, visit this Government website page.
ATA Carnets
For further information regarding ATA Carnets and how to use them, please see these downloadable documents here:
Brexit and the UK’s Live Music Industry
LIVE is deeply concerned about the impact Brexit will have on the UK’s live music industry on top of a devastating year due to Covid-19 pandemic. Our key areas of concern and asks of Government are below:
1. Musicians and their entourages must be able to continue to work freely across Europe
It is in the collective cultural and economic interest that European governments come together to allow professional musicians and their entourages to travel and work freely across borders without bureaucracy, delays, and additional costs. The UK government must:
- Do what they have done for other industries and work with their European counterparts to ensure musicians and their entourages can work across Europe without impediment.
- Work openly and constructively with individual member states to agree non-onerous, zero- or low-cost work and travel arrangements for musicians and other industry professionals.
- Streamline entry routes into the UK for international artists and their entourages and ensureimmigration guidance for the sector is up to date, comprehensive, and accessible.
2. European touring must be saved by cutting red tape at borders
The UK live music industry relies on an extensive range of specialist haulage and bus companies to carry UK based equipment and personnel essential for Pan-European touring. New arrangements under post-Brexit cabotage and cross-trade regulations will stop multi-stop European tours employing UK registered vehicles, risking the collapse of the UK based concert touring sector and leading to widespread company closures and job losses.
- The UK government must support and negotiate an EU-wide cultural exemption, allowing the unfettered movement of specialist vehicles transporting concert equipment and personnel between multiple points.
- During the negotiation period the Government must:
- Provide assistance to UK operators able to establish EU bridgehead operations involving re-registration of their vehicles within an EU member state.
- Grant unilateral relaxation (“reverse easement”) of cabotage rights within the UK for newly EU registered vehicles to return and operate freely within the UK.
- Introduce tailored bridging support for own account vehicles & smaller operators.
3. Live Music needs a Transitional Support Package (TSP)
The industry needs immediate support to mitigate the disruption caused by Brexit. The TSP offers a stopgap solution to support the industry while fuller negotiations are ongoing.
- The package should include financial assistance and regulatory relief, research, information, and advice alongside support for lobbying and negotiation.
- The programme should prioritise emerging talent and those likely to be hardest hit by the new regulations, including smaller operators.
- Provide support for all those on stage and everyone involved behind the scenes.
- TSP would only be a transitional arrangement. LIVE therefore supports the establishment of a new UK Music Export Office to: (i) encourage development of emerging talent in Europe & beyond, (ii) support exporters of musical talent, related goods & services, and (iii) provideaccessible guidance on tax, legal, regulatory, and other issues to the music touring sector.
Live Music Transitional Support Package (TSP)
LIVE is calling for a Live Music Transitional Support Package which would:
- Offer a quick solution for the Government to mitigate the catastrophic disruption to the live music sector caused by Brexit.
- Establish a working partnership between the Government and the live music sector until the planned UK Cultural Export Office is operational.
- Prioritise emerging talent and those likely to be hardest hit by the new regulations.
- Provide support for all those on stage and everyone involved behind the scenes.
The package would consist of five main strands of support:
- Support and relief
- Research
- Information
- Expert advice
- Lobbying and negotiation
Please click here to view the full details of the Transitional Support Package.
#LetTheMusicMove
Launched on June 23rd 2021, #LetTheMusicMove is an artist-led music industry campaign instigated by the Featured Artists Coalition and the Music Managers Forum pushing for a reduction in the costs and red tape faced by UK musicians and UK music businesses when full-scale live touring of Europe resumes.
More than 1,000 artists are now backing the campaign, including Little Mix, Orbital, Olly Murs, Sampha, Sleaford Mods, Alison Moyet, Nubian Twist, Bicep, AlunaGeorge, Niall Horan, Wolf Alice, Annie Lennox, Biffy Clyro, IDLES, Poppy Ajudha, Radiohead, Anna Calvi, Skunk Anansie, Laura Marling, Faithless, Everything Everything, Graeme Park, Bob Geldof, Katie Melua, Editors, Mark Knopfler, Two Door Cinema Club, Mr Scruff, Kelli-Leigh, Ward Thomas, New Order, Rick Astley, Ghostpoet, Midge Ure, Glasvegas, Anna Meredith, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Nina Nesbitt, Keane, Erland Cooper, The Chemical Brothers, Matthew Herbert, Portishead, Blur’s David Rowntree, Gilles Peterson, Jack Garratt, Dave Okumu, Bill Ryder-Jones, Peggy Seeger, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason and many, many others.
The campaign is calling on Government to deliver four immediate actions to help avoid an impending crisis:
- An urgent Transitional Support Package to cover new and additional costs for touring artists and crews in the EU
- Measures to overcome restrictive “cabotage” rules on UK vehicles touring Europe
- A viable long-term plan for UK artists and crew to continue working in all EU-27 countries, without costly permits and bureaucracy
- To ensure European artists have reciprocal freedoms and access to perform at UK venues and festivals
- Sign up to support the campaign – here.
- Download social media assets (from here) & post with #LetTheMusicMove hashtag.
- Tell us your post-Brexit tour experiences or case studies – here.
- Artists & industry bodies, tell Aleksa if you would be prepared to speak media on this issue.
For further information, please see www.letthemusicmove.org
