Acting Work in Europe - Visas & Work Permits for British Citizens

This article is for actors with UK passports, who need to spend short periods of times in European countries for filming work.

The situation on work permits and visas for the EU/EEA changes often and is very fluid right now. We are updating this page as new information comes in, so please make sure you read the disclaimer below before using this information in real-life situations. If you do spot any errors or omissions, please contact us, so all actors benefit from this page.

* Updated Sept 2026.

In General #

1. British Passport holders can remain in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in every 180 days; this means 90 in total throughout the Schengen area regardless of how many countries are visited or why (including holidays, day-trips, and working trips). This 90-day allowance covers visiting only; it does not by itself give you the right to work. Different rules apply for visas and work permits depending on which EU/Schengen country you are working in (see below).
2. British Passport holders who are also EU Residence cardholders can stay in the Schengen area indefinitely; however, some countries have a time limit of 90 days and others may ask you to register with the local authorities for a permit if you want to stay longer than 90 days. The rules for work permits vary according to the country (see below).
3. In most cases, it is the responsibility of the employer to apply for a work permit if one is needed.

ETIAS has been repeatedly delayed and, as of September 2026, has no confirmed launch date. A 2027 launch is now considered more likely than late 2026. Check the official ETIAS site for the current position before travelling.

For reference:

1. EU Countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
2. Schengen Countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. Cyprus is not yet in Schengen as of September 2026: the EU gave a positive readiness assessment in August 2026, and the matter went to a Council vote in September 2026, with no accession date yet confirmed.

Armenia #

British passport holders can visit Armenia for up to 180 days per 12 months without a visa. During this time, “culture professionals” can work without a visa.

Austria #

British passport holders can work in Austria for up to 8 weeks without a work permit.

Under sec. 3(4) of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Nationals, foreign nationals who are concert or stage performers, acrobatic artists, film, radio, and TV artists or musicians may be employed for one day or up to 8 weeks without an employment permit. In the context of an overall artistic production such as a concert, an event, a performance, an ongoing film production, or a live radio or TV broadcast. The organiser and/or producer must notify the competent local Public Employment Service (AMS) of such activity on the day it starts.

Belarus #

British and EU passport holders can stay up to 30 days without a visa. A work permit is required.

Belgium #

Belgium's rules are set regionally, not nationally, and differ depending on where the work takes place. In Flanders, internationally renowned performing artists are exempt from a work permit for up to 21 days per quarter. In Brussels, an artist with an international reputation performing in several countries needs no authorisation at all if the stay is limited to 90 days. Whether an actor counts as sufficiently "internationally renowned" is assessed case by case.

Bulgaria #

British passport holders need a freelance permit (valid for 12 months) before their arrival.

If the actor performs only temporarily and does not conclude a contract of employment in Bulgaria, a simple residence permit (Schengen short-term or long-term visa) is sufficient. Bulgaria was one of the countries that had not reciprocated the UK's general short-term touring waiver as of 2021, so treat this as one to double-check directly.

Croatia #

British Passport holders require a work registration certificate (about €35 from police station or local government office) to work for up to 30 days, or 3 months a year on a discontinuous basis; no full work permit is required.

Cyprus #

British Passport holders require a work permit, which must be submitted by the agency before work commences (can take several weeks). Note also that Cyprus is not part of Schengen (see General section above).

Czechia #

As of 1st July 2024, British Passport holders do not require a work permit, for any duration. This waives the work permit only; a visa or long-term residence permit may still be required separately depending on the length of stay.

Denmark #

British Passport holders do not require a work permit for up to 14 days, provided the actor is the focal point of, or of major significance to, a genuinely short-term artistic event. Danish authorities tightened this to 14 days in 2022 specifically to close a loophole where longer events were being waved through.

Estonia #

British passport holders must register for a long-term visa for short-term employment before arrival; once registered, no permit is needed for up to 90 days.

Finland #

British passport holders do not need a work visa for up to 90 days as a professional artist.

France #

British passport holders do not need a work permit for up to 90 days in any 12-month period. This exemption specifically covers film, audiovisual and performing arts production.

Germany #

British passport holders can work in Germany for up to 90 days per 12-month period without a visa or work permit, provided they are engaged by a foreign (non-German) production or organiser and keep their habitual residence in the UK.

This exemption does not apply if instead directly engaged by a German-based entertainment establishment (a theatre, orchestra, opera or circus); a work-authorising residence permit is required in that case regardless of how short the engagement is.

Georgia #

EU & British citizens do not need a visa to travel to Georgia for up to 12 months. Actors do not require a work permit for short-term activities.

Greece #

Under Law 4251/2014, Art. 18.1.c, members of artistic groups can enter and work via a special national entry visa issued by the Greek consulate abroad, rather than a standard work/residence permit, but no confirmed day-limit or genuine "no permit needed" window exists. Greece was also one of the countries that had not reciprocated the UK's general touring waiver as of 2021. Treat as requiring direct confirmation with the Greek consulate before assuming any free period.

Hungary #

British passport holders must apply for a residence permit which can sometimes be difficult.

Iceland #

From the Foreign Nationals' Right to Work Act, No. 97/2002, article 23:

“The following foreign nationals shall be exempt from the requirements regarding work permits for periods of up to four weeks each year in Iceland: […] (b) Artists […]”

Thus, British passport holders do not need a work permit.

Ireland #

You do not need a work permit or visa to live and work in Ireland, indefinitely, under the Ireland-UK Common Travel Area.

Italy #

British passport holders do not need a visa for short-term paid acting work in Italy, but a nulla osta al lavoro (work permit) is still required for any paid performing engagement, however brief; this is legally required, not optional. For engagements of three months or less, the nulla osta is generally applied for by the Italian producer after the actor has entered Italy under the 90-in-180 visa-free Schengen rule.

A residence permit is only required for stays exceeding 90 days.

Latvia #

British Passport holders do not need a permit if your performance does not exceed 14 days in a 12-month period.

Liechtenstein #

British Passport holders require a short-term work permit for up to 12 months. Liechtenstein applies strict quotas to all nationalities, including EU/EEA.

Lithuania #

British Passport holders require a work permit and temporary residence permit before entry.

Luxembourg #

British passport holders require a visa for short-term work.

Malta #

British Passport holders require an employment licence before they can work here. This costs €300 for the first person and €15 for each subsequent person up to a maximum of €500. Malta was also one of the countries that had not reciprocated the UK's general touring waiver as of 2021; treat this as one to double-check directly with Jobsplus or Identity Malta.

Netherlands #

British actors do not require a visa for stays of less than 90 days if they work a maximum of 6 continuous weeks over a 13-week period.

North Macedonia #

Actors from anywhere in Europe can stay in North Macedonia for up to 90 days in every 180 days without a visa.

However, for paid work, the actor requires prior consent and a work permit.

Before the actors start their work in North Macedonia, the host company or organization or any other host person should acquire prior consent from the Ministry of Culture for the actor/s to be allowed to work.

Once the permission is acquired from the Ministry of Culture, if the actors need to stay longer than 7 days, then an additional work permit is needed to be acquired from the Agency of Employment.

This is all stipulated in Article 11 of the Law for Employment of Foreigners.

Norway #

British musicians, artists and their support staff who do not have an employer in Norway do not need a residence permit for up to 90 days in a 180-day period, a UK-specific rule that is more generous than the general 14-day rule applying to other nationalities. You must notify Norwegian police in writing before entering, and you must not have a Norwegian employer.

Poland #

British passport holders do not need a permit if you work less than 30 days in a 12-month period. This figure has not been found clearly stated as an artist-specific exemption for UK nationals in Polish government sources, so it's worth double-checking directly before relying on it.

Portugal #

British passport holders require a temporary stay visa to work in Portugal. No published short-term work-permit exemption for artists or performers exists, unlike France, Spain or Germany. AIMA (Portugal's immigration authority, which replaced SEF in 2023) is the relevant authority. Portugal was also one of the countries that had not reciprocated the UK's general touring waiver as of 2021.

Romania #

For short-term "cultural" activities, no work permit is stated as needed by EURAXESS Romania. However, Romania was named as one of the countries that had not reciprocated the UK's general touring waiver as of 2021, which sits awkwardly with that; worth confirming directly before relying on it.

Serbia #

Actors do not need a work permit to film in Serbia; however if the shoot goes over 90 days, a residence permit must be obtained.

Slovakia #

British Passport holders do not need a work permit if the work does not exceed 30 days over a 12-month period. The employer or contract holder must inform the authorities of the visit.

Slovenia #

British Passport holders do not need a work permit for any period under 90 days in 180 days.

Spain #

Actors with a British passport can work in Spain's audiovisual sector for up to 90 days without a visa or work permit.

Sweden #

British passport holders do not need a permit if the work is 14 days or less in a 12-month period and the employer is an "established organiser" on the Swedish Migration Agency's published list.

Switzerland #

Switzerland treats any artistic activity for a Swiss-based (or Swiss-established foreign) employer as work requiring authorisation from day one. The specific, narrow exemption for stage artists performing at an event where a Swiss organiser handles the infrastructure is capped at 8 calendar days per year. A private Swiss immigration-law firm describes a separate UK-Switzerland Services Mobility Agreement allowing UK cultural/service professionals up to 90 days a year, but this could not be confirmed on the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration's own site; check directly before relying on it.

Ukraine #

There is no visa-free agreement between the UK and Ukraine.

United Kingdom #

Yes, as a UK Passport holder you can live and work here freely and without restriction.

The information here is for general use only. Information about visas and work permits changes without notice and so whilst this information is true to the best of our knowledge, we can make no guarantee whatsoever as to its validity.

If you intend to work in Europe, then you MUST contact the relevant consulate or authority and following their advice only apply for the relevant visas and/or work permits you might need depending on your personal circumstances.

And we urge anyone or any authority with updated information to contact us if they have edits or updates to add to this page so we can keep it up-to-date and helpful for actors.