Spain
Location: Southwestern Europe
Broadcast Regulators
Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) (National Commission of Markets & Competition)
Consell de l'Audiovisual de Catalunya (CAC) (Catalan Audiovisual Council)
Currencies
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Q. Are there any requirements, when sending EUR?
A. Just your details, the beneficiary details and the purpose of the payment.
Q. Can I send inbound and outbound payments?
A. Yes, there are no restrictions on sending money into or outside of countries using the Euro.
Q. How much can I send?
A. As much as you want.
Q. How long will it take for my funds to be received?
A. Standard international payment time. However, with the right foreign exchange broker, this can be done as fast as the same day.
Q. Who can I send EUR to?
A. Both individuals and businesses can receive funds for countries sending with the Euro.
Q. Is sending EUR expensive?
A. Not if you use the right currency broker, who will be able to offer you bank-beating exchange rates and significantly lower payment charges.
Q. Can you use forward contracts with EUR?
A. Yes. With the right currency broker, you can book a EUR exchange rate forward, protecting you against any adverse currency movements. With these contracts, you will always know exactly what is coming out of your bank account.
Information courtesy of Currencies Direct.
Visas & Permits
Visas & Work Permits
Spain is a member of the Schengen area.
UK passport holders can enter Spain visa-free for stays of up to 90 days, over a 180 day period, for some business-related activities (such as attending business meetings). However, for longer stays or other types of work, a visa or permit may be required.
Please contact a local embassy, consulate or representative for more information. Alternatively, there are specialist companies that provide visa and immigration support to the media industry who may be able to assist.
Film Location Permits
In Spain, film location permits vary for each city, municipality and location.
There is no blanket citywide permit for filming in Madrid. Permits can be processed within three days, if the shoot doesn’t assert exclusive use of public property. These permits only grant use of property for a specific time and location. For projects in Madrid that intend to assert exclusive use of public property, such as controlling traffic, permits take up to two weeks to process.
In Barcelona, small shoots that assert exclusive use of public property require about five days to permit. More complex shoots, involving street closures, stunts and pyrotechnics, require more time. Much depends on the specific locations required. Non-commercial productions are exempt from fees. Permits involving children take about two weeks to process.
Customs
For productions looking to bring in film equipment, Spain is an ATA carnet country.
When to Film
When to Film
As one of the sunniest countries in Europe, Spain offers year-round filming opportunities.
Spain’s climate varies from temperate in the north to dry and hot in the south. Weather-wise, the best months to film, with long daylight hours, are from April to October. Summers (June to August) can be excessively hot in the mainland, with coastal regions being milder.
Spain’s most popular beach locations become very busy, during the European summer holiday season. Snowfalls in the mountainous areas occur between November and March.
In Spain, Christianity is the largest religion, so those holidays are observed.
Public Holidays
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Spain.
Costs & VAT
Spain is generally one of the less expensive Western European countries to shoot in.
Funding & Tax Incentives
Funding
Cine-Regio is a network of regional film funds in Europe.
Creative Europe is the European Commission's programme for providing support to the culture and audiovisual sectors.
Agencia Andaluza de Instituciones Culturales (AAIICC) (Andalusian Agency for Cultural Institutions)
Axencia Galega Das Industrias Culturais (AGADIC) (Galician Agency for Cultural Industries)
Comunidad de Madrid (Community of Madrid)
Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals (ICEC) (Catalan Institute of Cultural Companies)
Institut Valencià de Cultura (IVC) (Valencian Institute of Culture)
Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA) (Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts)
This interactive tool outlines the main EU-related support opportunities for audiovisual and news media sectors. It also covers funding streams beyond the sectoral Creative Europe Programme.
Incentives
Entertainment Partners' Production Incentives Map: Information for Spain.
Treaty Documents