As the results of 2021’s entry intro Brexit being on the tip of everyone’s tongue, it is hard to believe that as it stands, the way we consume live music and general artistic performance is on the verge of changing forever. Whether this is stunted by COVID-19 or the ending of free movement, it is key to remember that in order to keep our industry alive like it once was, we must also consider the guidelines in place today, and what we must fight for to keep the industry growing.
If this is too much information for you, check out our simple table below to find information relevant to you, faster. The Musicians Union also provides a flowchart to explain vital documentation and paperwork for musicians travelling to the EU.
Permitted Paid Engagement Visas
Our first problem is that with new Brexit rules in place, musicians will not be able to play paid gigs (or any payed work) without work permits in each country. With different regulations surrounding what the EU member states ask for to apply for a work permit, artists, tour managers, and anyone else travelling alongside the band will have to check the requirements for each state individually.
The reason this is concerning is that the UK Government have not yet provided guidance on what those different countries regulations may be, making difficult to find out for certain what is involved. Musicians and managers will be forced to visit a large variety of websites or read large documents that may be difficult to understand due to language barriers, before we even confirm if this information is accurate.
ISM published a guide for artists that outlines what they can of each EU member state.
For example, in Belgium, “artists of international renown” do not need a work permit to perform, whereas smaller, lesser known bands are required to get a work permit before their shows.
If an artist is not doing any paid work, they can travel around most EU countries without restrictions for up to 90 days on a tourist visa. This means that an artist could play for free or take part in business meetings, but only so long as they do not receive any form of payment.
On the other hand, EU artists that wish to play in the UK also have a number of issues to deal with. Though there are a number of ways to be able to attend your own gig, getting a Permitted Paid Engagement Visa (PPE) seems to be the cheapest and easiest way to do so. An individual stay in a country for up to 30 days will cost around £95, with suggestion that it will be required for artists to carry documentation about who is hiring them and what type of work they are doing.
The £95 fee means that a touring group of 4 musicians, one manager and only one roadie would cost around £570, which could greatly deter some groups from looking any further into the travel.
The permit-free festival scheme
In the UK, over 41 festivals are listed as those that do not require a permit, including Glastonbury, Boomtown and Camp Bestival, though a number of festivals have the opportunity to apply
According to Gov.uk, Festivals and events which are not currently listed in Appendix Visitor: Permit Free Festival list of the Immigration Rules must have:
- been established for at least 3 years
- had an audience of at least 15,000 for each of the last 3 festivals
- an expected audience of at least 15,000 throughout the forthcoming event
- at least 15 non-European Economic Area (EEA) performers who have performed at each of the last 3 festivals
- at least 15 non-British or Irish performers who have been invited for 2021 to 2022
In support of an application you must have:
- copies of the event brochures or programmes for the last 3 years
- a letter from the Arts Council, or another such body if they support the event
- press cuttings relating to the event for the last 3 years
- confirmation of ticket sales and attendance details for the last 3 years
- a letter from the local police or licensing authority concerning the cultural event or festival
- the number of non-EEA performers and their nationalities for the last 3 years
- the number of non-British or Irish performers who have been invited for the forthcoming event
- other additional evidence if requested by the Home Office
Temporary Worker Government Authorised Exchange Visa (T5)
A T5 is more complicated than the PPE as it means that the group will be forced to obtain a certificate of sponsorship from an employer or contractor in the UK in order to gain entry.
Carnet
If you travel with gear, new legislation requires you to get a carnet for the gear that you are touring with. This document acts as a passport for your equipment, and although this means that you will be excluded from the likes of paying duties and import taxes when clearing customs, obtaining the document itself will cost around £360 before a security deposit.
Your carnet will list the items you are travelling with to then be checked when borders are crossed, in order to ensure that you enter a country with the same things you left it with.
The Live Events Network Committee at the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union’s John Rogers claims that this has the potential to be an expensive job, and even requires hiring another crew to compete; after the band or crew pack up a gig in London, it is unreasonable to wake them up in order to undo all of their own hard work for the sake of these checks, to then put them back again.
Tour bus
If you tour in your own vehicle, there is some bad news for you. The Brexit rules for haulage, “Transporting goods between Great Britain and the EU: guidance for hauliers and commercial drivers“ have the potential to make touring with a bus of equipment close to impossible.
Because the operator is only permitted to make two “costs trade or cabotage movements” once they enter the EU, bands will be expected to transport their gear from the UK to the EU in one van, to then rent another to offload their gear.
Once gaining the second vehicle in the EU, you should be free to do as you please, but hiring extra transport could be expensive and risk many’s budget alongside other charges.
For roadies
It would be a lie to say that the new Brexit deal doesn’t change the way managers hire staff – It could be much cheaper to hire EU based roadies and technicians for the associated gigs over that of their UK peers. Because an EU technician has the potential to move through a country without having to deal with restrictions and permits, it saves a considerable amount of both money and time.
For event promoters
For those trying to bring talent to the UK or boost promotion around the nation, there will be significant problems. Not only are bands going to be more reluctant to travel to us, but additional costs means that promoters may be led into paying some of those charges to make the concept of playing here more attractive to musicians.
According to ISM, half of the income earned by 44% of British Musicians was done in the EU before COVID-19 hit, suggesting significant problems for those based in the UK. During the pandemic, the UK Government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has failed to reach between 38% and 50% of Musicians Union members.
The Musicians Union have campaigned against Brexit and it’s results from the start, with over 283,000 people signing the petition asking for a Musicians’ specific Passport (including Sir Elton John and violinist Nicole Benedetti), whereas others feel that performers should be except from certain new rules, though this suggestion was rejected in January of 2021 by the parliament, as they do not wish to offer this to EU members travelling to the UK. You can read about this in The Independent here.
| Documents | Price | Requirements | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK to EU travel | Valid passport (+6 months remaining) Travel/Health/PLI/Instrument Insurance Work Permits (country dependant) | £75.50 Some of these prices vary depending on your health and the condition of your instruments. Pricing for work permits will vary depending on country. | Securing paperwork can be difficult once you have already left the UK, and so all of this should be done in advance where possible. |
| With gear; Instruments or equipment With merchandise | CITES Musical Instrument Certificate —If your instrument could be subject to endangered species regulations; EORI Number (if your instrument does not contain the above) ATA Carnet EORI Number | FREE LLC offer a 24 hour service £360 + security deposit | Your SITES Music Instrument Certificate is valid for three years. Plan return travel via UK/EU CITES Designated Ports for your instruments. |
| Driving/travel | VE103 Vehicle for Hire Certificate Evidence of a return journey | £20.99 here | If you are joining a tour at a different time than the rest of your group, you will have to prove that you plan to return home with them via booked travel, etc. |