Brexit: Spain Waives UK Work Visa Requirement for Touring Artists |

Brexit: Spain Waives UK Work Visa Requirement for Touring Artists

After months of the British part lobbying, UK artists looking to perform in Spain will no longer need to complete the costly and complex work visa process required post-Brexit after Spain’s Cabinet agreed to end the rule requiring British creatives and crew to get a work visa.

One of the consequences of Brexit for British music lovers in Spain has been that British artists and bands can no longer go on tour in the country without having to first arrange third-country audiovisual work visas for the whole crew.

Most EU nations have signed bilateral agreements with the British government to alleviate the fallout of the UK leaving the bloc but unfortunately Spain, together with Croatia and Bulgaria, were until now the only three countries with no alternative arrangement in place.

As explained in the official state bulletin (BOE) dealing with the decree, British musicians, actors, and other artists, as well as other people who form part of the audiovisual sector, will be able to carry out their work activities in Spain for 90 out of 180 days without requiring a work visa.

We are delighted that our hard work has paid off and the Spanish Government has agreed to lift the restrictive visa process for touring artists, ending the complicated and painful process of expensive visa applications.
Craig Stanley, Chair of the LIVE Touring Group

A whole host of people came together to fix the situation and this shows what we can achieve as an industry when we work together.

New Rule Applies to All Third Country Creatives

The ruling is in fact good news for artists and production teams from all non-EU (third) countries, not just the United Kingdom, as the waiving of the work visa requirement applies to all third-country nationals who work in the audiovisual sector.

The bureaucratic nightmare involved in performing in Spain post-Brexit recently became evident when two indie groups – Squid and Black Country – cancelled their performances in late October in Madrid, Barcelona, and San Sebastián.

According to the groups and organisers of Primera Sound Tours, “bureaucratic problems derived from Brexit” was the reason for the cancellations, as each work visa for band members, road crew, technicians, and other sound personnel would have cost €400, making their concerts financially not feasible.

Add to this the slow and complex bureaucracy that accompanies this visa process and it became fairly unappealing, especially for smaller bands that don’t have the manpower or resources.

The Spanish Cabinet’s ruling represents a boost for Spain and the UK’s live music industry. For months, the music industry has been warning of visa problems that awaited UK bands performing in Europe. On the other hand, EU performers don’t generally require a visa to perform in the UK.

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