Film Madrid offers advice to companies and professionals interested in shooting in the Community of Madrid. This site includes a detailed description of the most relevant aspects for filming in the municipalities of the Community of Madrid, as well as the overall technical and safety standards applicable to your shoot.
In the section Filming Permits you can find information on permit applications for filming on public roads and urban spaces such as parks and gardens. Permits for filming on public roads are the responsibility of the local authority of each municipality.
Film Madrid offers information on the permits that are the responsibility of the Community of Madrid government, to request authorisation to film in protected natural areas, heritage sites and urban areas that depend on the different Regional Ministries of the Community of Madrid.
A film shoot is considered to be any process of filming or broadcasting a television or cinematographic action or the production of a photographic report that is carried out within a municipal area and requires the occupation of public ground, air space or subsoil, with vehicles or assistance elements.
Any use of public land, air space or subsoil in a specific municipality for filming will require a municipal permit that must be obtained in advance.
The municipal permit will grant authorisation to use public roads and spaces for assistance vehicles and technical elements needed for the shoot.
These authorisations shall be granted exclusively for the use of the public domain. Additionally, other authorisations, permits or licences may also be required to carry out other activities in the shoot or to provide other assistance services.
The Community of Madrid, through Film Madrid and as part of its policy of supporting and promoting filming in its territory, offers producers and filmmakers the spaces and locations under its responsibility and ownership, pursuant to Law 4/2014 of 22 December .
To apply for permits for filming on public roads and urban spaces producers can review the specific information about the requirements of each municipality of the Community of Madrid.
To apply for permits that are managed by the various Regional Ministries of the Community of Madrid, producers can use the General Application Form, a generic form that can be submitted in person at official registers or processed online 15 working days in advance of the shoot.
It is advisable to inform Film Madrid, the filming promotion office of the Community of Madrid, about the processing of these applications so that Film Madrid can monitor and supervise the process.
General considerations for the processing of permits, both for applications addressed to the corresponding Town Council of each municipality and for applications to the Community of Madrid:
Information on common rules applicable to shoots regarding opening/working hours, reservation of spaces or traffic restrictions, as well as specific technical requirements for night filming, use of cranes and scaffolding, firearms and explosive material, among other common queries.
Filming in the Community of Madrid is safe. Audiovisual production activities are considered an economic and professional activity. During the Covid-19 pandemic the Community of Madrid has established specific protocols for audiovisual filming activities.
Additionally, the audiovisual industry has implemented a set of health and safety protocols applicable to filming activities to protect the health and safety of all professionals working in the audiovisual industry.
In the framework of the project ‘Spain Audiovisual Hub of Europe’, the central government has simplified the administrative procedure for the entry and stay of foreign audiovisual professionals in Spain.
You can read the information on the new visa procedure, customs formalities related to audiovisual productions and the impact of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic on authorisation to enter Spain.
The integration of environmental sustainability criteria in audiovisual productions is part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The production and distribution activities carried out by the audiovisual sector generate an environmental impact that can be significantly reduced by implementing more environmentally friendly practices.
We are collecting data on initiatives from various institutions and organisations that are actively working on the development of tools and information to facilitate the introduction of environmental sustainability measures in audiovisual production.
Film Madrid offers advice on how to obtain the necessary permits for filming in the 179 municipalities that make up the Community of Madrid.
