Richard has welcomed the news that 19 EU Member States have confirmed UK musicians and performers do not need visas or work permits for short-term tours. These countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden.
The government has spoken to every EU Member State about the issues facing our creative and cultural industries when looking to tour in Europe and 19 EU countries have confirmed that UK musicians and performers do not need visas or work permits for short-term tours. The government is also actively engaging with the remaining EU Member States that do not allow visa and permit free touring, and calling on them to align their arrangements with the UK’s generous rules, which allow touring performers and support staff to come to the UK for up to 3 months without a visa. Formal approaches via officials and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Ministers have been made to Spain, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Malta and Cyprus.
Richard Fuller MP said:
We want the UK’s fantastic performers and other creative professionals to be able to tour abroad easily. That is why we tabled ambitious proposals during negotiations with the EU and that from these discussions, 19 EU countries have confirmed UK musicians and performers do not need visas or work permits for short-term tours. The government is engaging with the remaining Member States and calling on them to follow suit.
Earlier this year, Richard raised the issue of visa arrangements for UK musicians with the DCMS Minister in the House of Commons and in writing, which can be read here.
