Producing large-scale commercial audio and visual content requires a number of moving parts. From the production team to the location and legal aspects, there can be a lot going on.
One key component of commercial photography and film projects is obtaining permits.
When Do You Need a Permit?
If you are planning a commercial photo or video shoot on lands deemed as national parks and/or government land you will need to obtain a permit. There are also plenty of other instances in which you would need a permit. Some examples include: filming movies and commercials in government buildings and major cities, destination wedding photography, nature and wildlife documentation in exotic locations, etc.
It is always a good idea to check the rules and laws for a location you are thinking about using for a shoot beforehand. In some locations, smaller shoots (1-10 people) with minimal equipment are free, but still require a permit and/or written permission. For larger projects it can become costly depending on the location and specific fees you need to pay to the appropriate government. You also need further documentation, insurance, and licensing contracts in place the larger your project gets.
Be sure to always consult with a lawyer for the specificities of your project/location. You don’t want to deal with the legal repercussions in the future if you fail to obtain the proper permits.
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How to Obtain Commercial Photography & Filming Permits
To obtain a commercial permit for photo, video, and/or film production you will need to contact the government agency responsible for the location you are looking at. You may also need to contact the local representatives.
For example, here in Boston where I live, you need to contact the Boston National Parks Service specifically when producing commercial film/media projects in parks and protected regions. In France, the Diplomatie website recommends reaching out to your Paris correspondents (if you have them) and their embassy for commercial information.
This can often be a complex and confusing process so we wanted to put together some information to help you out. Below you will find a list of Film Commissions and government agencies specifically set up for managing commercial productions.
Commercial Film/Photography Permit Links
This list includes links to various government agencies from all over the world that grant permits for commercial shoots. The rules vary greatly from location to location, so be sure to find the specific location that applies to you.
If a government is not listed below it is likely that we were not able to find significant information on commercial photography/filming guidelines. Leave a comment below if you are looking for a location that you can’t find on the list and we will do our best to find out more information. Film Commissions and Permit List last updated: 12/10/2021
International Film Commissions List
North America
Commercial film and photography permits for governments located in North America.
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Beliz Film Permits – National Institute of Archaeology
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Canada Commercial Photography Permits – Parks Canada
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Costa Rica Press Information – Ministry of Tourism
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Dominica Filming Guidelines – Dominica Film Office
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Dominican Republic Shooting Permits – Dominican Republic Film Commission
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Greenland Travel/Research Permits – Government of Greenland
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Mexico Film Industry – Mexican Film Commission
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United States Commercial Photography Permits – National Parks Service
Antigua and Barbuda
We were unable to find an official page about commercial permits, but you can contact the office for the Ministry of Trade here. From there you should be able to gather more information about obtaining permits for commercial film and photography projects in Antigua and Barbuda.
Bahamas
The Bahamas Film and Television Commission has information on applying for commercial production permits. This page lists the official procedures for permits in the Bahamas.
Finally, you can apply for a Bahamas film permit online here.
*Please note that while Bahamas.com and Bahamasfilm.com are not .gov websites. The official site of the Government of the Bahamas links directly to both sites in their commercial production documents, so they can be trusted as authentic sources of information for the matter.
Barbados
The Barbados Film Commission shares official guidelines for filming in Barbados. The Government of Barbados website also has information and contacts on the Ministry of Tourism page.
As there is no application form online, so you will have to contact the responsible party at the Ministry of Tourism to apply for a commercial production permit in Barbados.
Dominica
Dominica.dm is the official tourist site of Dominica where you can find specific pages about filming permits along with other related information for press and media. You can also visit the Dominica Ministry of Tourism website for more information and the government contacts.
Greenland
The Government of Greenland has a page of local contacts with Greenland media professionals. Film.gl is a site that was put together by Visit Greenland, the official tourism website of Greenland. The site is home to the film community of Greenland and serves as a helpful resource for media and production teams looking to produce projects in the Danish Territory.
You can also find information about general travel permits required in Greenland from the Government of Greenland website.
Puerto Rico
The Department of Economic Development and Commerce is responsible for the management of the Puerto Rico Film Commission. You can view Puerto Rico’s Strategic Plan for growth, and this page also contains links to the Film Commission website (currently inactive/down). Unfortunately the site is not working right now and the page describing the film and media production incentives is also down. If you are looking to obtain film permits for Puerto Rico your best chance is to contact the Puerto Rican government directly on this page.
South America
Commercial film and photography permits for governments located in South America.
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Argentina Film Commission Representative – Argentina Film Commission
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Brazil Filming Policies and Guidelines – Brazilian Film Agency
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Chile Film Commission Website – Chile National Council of Culture and the Arts
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Colombia Film Commission Website – Colombia Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
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Ecuador Film Commission Representative – Ecuador Ministry of Tourism
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Uruguay Film Commission & Promotion Office – Uruguay Ministry of Education and Culture
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Film In Venezuela – Venezuela Ministry of the Popular Power for Culture
We were unable to find verified sources of information for Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, and, Suriname.
Europe
Commercial film and photography permits for governments located in Europe.
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National Cinema Center of Armenia – Armenia Ministry of Culture
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Austrian Film Commissions & Funds – Film Industry Support Austria (FISA)
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Carinthia Film Commission – CFC Carinthia Province Government
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Cine Tirol Film Commission – Tirol Government
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Cine Styria Film Commission – Styrian Provincial Government
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Lower Austrian Film Commission – Lower Austrian Government
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Salzburg Location Agency – Land and City of Salzburg
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Vienna Film Commission – Vienna City Admistration
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Azerbaijan Film Commission – The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan
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Belgian Film Commission – Initiative of Belgian Federal Authorities
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Bosnia and Herzegovina Association of Film Workers
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British Film Commission (BFC) – United Kingdom Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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Bulgarian National Film Center – Bulgaria Minister of Culture
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Filming in Croatia – Program of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre
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Filming in Cyprus (Permits) – Managed by Cyprus Government
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Czech Film Commission – Czech Republic Department of the Czech Film Fund
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Film Estonia – Estonian Film Institute
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Film Finland – Finland Film Commission
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France Terms and Conditions for Filming – France Diplomatie (Additional info: Film France)
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Film in Georgia – Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia
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German Film Commissions – German Federal Film Fund (Deutscher Filmförderfonds)
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Hellenic Film Commission – Greece Ministry of Culture and Sports (Greek Film Centre)
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Hungarian Film Commission – Hungary Government Agency (Hungarian National Film Fund)
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Film in Iceland – Icelandic Film Commission (Division of Promote Iceland)
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Filming in Ireland – Irish Film Board
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Filming in Italy – Italia Trade Commission
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Kosovo Film Commission (KFC) – Kosovo Government Organization
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Film in Latvia – Latvian Film Council (Minister for Culture of the Republic of Latvia)
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Lithuanian Film Tax Incentive – Lithuanian Film Centre
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Film Fund Luxembourg – Luxembourg National Center for Audiovisual (CNA)
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Macedonian Film Agency – Republic of Macedonia Government Agency
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Malta Film Commission – Maltese Government Division
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French Riviera Film Commission (Monaco) – Division of Film France
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Netherlands Film Commission – Division of the Netherlands Film Fund
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Norway Film Commission – National Film Institute of Norway
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Western Norway Film Commission – Division of Western Norway Film Centre
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Film Commission Poland – Part of the Polish Film Institute
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Portugal Film Commission Contacts – Portugese Government
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Romanian Film Promotion – Romania Government Organization
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Moscow Film Commission – Moscow Department of Culture (Russia)
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Filming in Serbia – Serbian Government Organization
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Slovak Film Institute – Slovakia International Federation of Film Archives
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Slovenia Film Commission – Activity of Slovenian Film Centre
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Spain Film Commission – Spain Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness
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Film Location Switzerland – Swiss Film Commission
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Turkish Film Commission – Istanbul Governership and Ministry of Internal Affairs
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Ukrainian Film Office – Ukrainian Government Organization
We were unable to find verified sources of information for Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, San Marino, and Sweden (website down).
Popular movies and shows made in Iceland.
Denmark
The City of Copenhagen offers guidelines for filming in Copenhagen on their website. For specific purposes, you need police approval and other documents. You can contact the Excavation Permits department if you need advice in English. This is also the best place to call for major motion pictures information. If you are from Denmark, you can apply through the government website.
Africa
Commercial film and photography permits for governments located in Africa.
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Algerian Agency for Cultural Influence (FR) – Algeria Ministry of Culture
- The English site is currently not working.
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Botswana Filming Permit – Republic of Botswana Ministry of Labour & Home Affairs (MLHA)
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Burundi Film Center – Burundi Non-profit Media Development Project
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Egypt Government Directory – Must contact the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Tourism, and Ministry of Defense to obtain permits.
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Ethiopia Film Permit Fees Index – Ethiopian Film Commission (EFC)
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Kenya Film Commission – Kenya Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts
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Ouarzazate Film Commission – Moroccan Film Authority
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Nigeria Film Industry Information – Nigeria National Film and Video Censors Board
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Rwanda Filming Permit – Rwanda Academy of Language and Culture (Rwanda High Commission)
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South Africa Filming and Photography Permits – South African National Parks
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Uganda Communications Commission – Government of Uganda
We were unable to find verified sources of information for Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea.
Asia
Commercial film and photography permits for governments located in Asia.
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Abu Dhabi Film Commission – United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government Agency
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Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC) – Government of Dubai
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National Cinema Center of Armenia – Armenia Ministry of Culture
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Bangladesh Film Development Corporation – Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
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Cambodia Film Commission – Cambodia Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts
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China Work Permits & Applications – The People’s Republic of China
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Georgian Film Commission – Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia
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India Film Commission – Member of the National Film Development Corporation of India
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Japan Filming Information – Japan Film Commission
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Jordan Royal Film Commission – Jordanian Public Organization
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Korean Film Council – Republic of Korea Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
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Thailand Film Office – Ministry of Tourism and Sports
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Vietnam Association of Film Production and Development – Newly launched, read about this on Variety.
Australia
Commercial film and photography permits for governments located in Australia. Permits are granted by the Australian Government. You can find the specific requirements for each Australian state below.
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Queensland Permits for Commercial Activity
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New South Wales Filming and Photography Licences
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Victoria Permit for Filming and Photography
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South Australia Commercial Filming Licence
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Western Australia Film Permits/Media Broadcast Proposals
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Tasmania Commercial Filming Agreement
Fiji
Film Fiji is the dedicated website for film production in Fiji. On the website you can find information about incentives and rebates, view a locations showreel, and apply to the Film Fiji Office for a film permit.
Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” (2000) via Film Fiji
New Zealand
You can obtain film permits for New Zealand through the New Zealand Film Commission, a government agency managed by the Ministry for Arts, Culture, and Heritage. The New Zealand Film Commission offers a wide variety of funding and support for your project. You can get assistance on project development, post production, interactive/virtual reality projects, distribution, and more!
We were unable to find verified sources of information for Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Antarctica
Think it is hard to get a permit for commercial production in other continents? Think again. Because Antarctica is not officially controlled by one single country, there are a variety of challenges for obtaining a film and production permit. (let alone any permit to visit the continent)
The Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty website has a page related to Tourism and non Governmental Activities.
The ATS states: ‘ National legislations establish a permitting regime for activities in Antarctica, and eligible visitors are required to obtain the necessary permits in advance from the relevant Competent Authority of each Antarctic Treaty Party.’
Basically, depending on where your production company is located, you will need to contact the government responsible for both a permit to Antarctica and the commercial production permit.
For example, the Government of the UK allows you to specifically apply for a permit to visit Antarctica. They also state that you do not need to obtain a permit through them if your expeditions are organized and authorized in writing by another contracting country to the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty.
Cover photo features background image by Gordon Wells.
This is a very important insight into commercial photography. Permits is a must.
I found it interesting how you mentioned how you should always check the rules and laws for a location you are thinking about using for a shoot beforehand. My son is interested in film development and eventually wants to shoot commercials. However, he has been hesitant to start because he didn’t know what was free to film on and what needed written permission. I will be sure to pass this information on to him so he can start his commercial production career off right!
Yeah, you never really know the rules of the land so best to check first haha. Glad this list is helpful to you, thanks so much for sharing!