The Information and Procedures Office of the Barcelona City Police (OIT) is the body responsible for issuing permits for the occupation of public roads for filming and photo shooting reasons in the city of Barcelona.

To occupy public roads (streets and squares) in Barcelona for filming or photo shooting, a permit is always required. This occupation of public roads can be either direct (when the action takes place directly on the public road, whether on the sidewalk or the roadway) or indirect (when the action occurs indoors, but it is necessary to place equipment on the sidewalk, block pedestrian pathways, block traffic, block parking spots, etc.). In all these cases, a permit is required.

Depending on the type of production being carried out (advertising or non-advertising), permits must be processed in different ways.

Below is a description of the different types of permits available for public road use and how they must be managed based on the type of production.

There are three types of permits for the occupation of public roads for filming or photo shooting that can be processed in the city of Barcelona:

1. Basic public space occupation authorization (10 people with 1 camera and 1 tripod)
2. Public space occupation license for filming or photo shooting (more than 10 people with 1 camera and 1 tripod)
3. Basic camera-car authorization

Basic Public Space Occupation Authorization

(formerly Notification or General Permit)

CHARACTERISTICS:

• This permit authorizes the occupation of public roads throughout Barcelona (streets and squares) for filming or photo shooting, on the sidewalk, without obstructing pedestrian movement or the normal activity of the city.
• By default, the authorized hours are between 8:00 AM and 10:00 PM.
• By default, it authorizes a team of up to 10 people with 1 camera and 1 tripod.
• It can be requested for several consecutive days.
• Important to note that this permit DOES NOT authorize:
  • Green spaces, parks, beaches, promenades, and other spaces managed by the Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens.
  • The bunkers of Carmel.
  • Locations managed by B:SM (Parc del Fòrum and surrounding areas, Olympic Esplanade, Olympic Port)
  • Port Vell and Port Autònom.
  • Private locations.
  • Municipal facilities, enclosed areas, or areas that are not freely accessible (even if they are municipal).

COST:

• It is completely free for all types of productions.

HOW TO APPLY:

• For individuals or legal entities residing in Spain, this permit must be self-processed through the City of Barcelona’s Procedures Portal (only in Catalan or Spanish).
• To apply, you must have an electronic identification method. The portal provides information on compatible identification and electronic signature systems.
• Please consult the Processing Manual (only in Catalan) before beginning the application process.
• If you do not reside in Spain, the Barcelona Film Commission can process the permit on your behalf. To do so, you will need to complete the following forms: Production Registration and General Permit Form to request it.

DEADLINE:

• Individuals or legal entities residing in Spain can self-process this permit up to the day before the occupation; it cannot be processed for the same day.
• In the event that the permit needs to be processed by the Barcelona Film Commission, the forms must be submitted at least 2 business days in advance.
  

Public Space Occupation License for filming or photo shooting

(formerly Specific Permit)

CHARACTERISTICS:

• Any requests that require occupying public roads with a team of more than 10 people with 1 camera and 1 tripod and/or include blocking parking spots for technical vehicles will require a Public Space Occupation License for filming or photo shooting.
• This is a permit for a specific location and date.
• Advice:
  • Before starting to request permits, we recommend checking the list of recommendations and limitations in the Downloads section, which includes recommendations and limitations for each district and other spaces.
  • We also recommend reviewing the regulations for reserving parking spots and the signage protocol for space reservations (only in Catalan).

COST:

Public space occupation licenses for filming or photo shooting require the payment of two separate fees:

• Processing Fee:
  • €89.80 per permit (even for more than one day, only one fee per permit).
  • At the time of applying for each license, proof of payment for this fee must be submitted.
  • This fee is paid via self-assessment, and it can be done by any individual or legal entity, with or without a digital certificate, through the City Hall’s Procedures Portal (only in Catalan or Spanish).
  • Advice:
    • The self-assessment amount is non-refundable. When filming cultural projects, we recommend discussing your intended activity with us before paying the fee, in case the request is not feasible or is out of time, etc.
    • When processing the fee: the date must be the first day of the occupation (even if it's for setup) and the location’s address must be the filming location’s address, not the parking area.
       
• Public Space Occupation Fee:
  • €600 per day per location, if there are 10 or more technical vehicles.
  • €480 per day per location, if there are fewer than 10 technical vehicles.
  • This fee is paid afterward: a few days after filming, the applicant (individual or legal entity) will receive a notification with instructions for making the payment.
  • If the applicant is a production company, they will receive the notification directly.
  • The notification of the fees is issued by the Municipal Institute of Finance (Institut Municipal d’Hisenda).
  • If you have any questions about the fee payment, you should contact the Municipal Institute of Finance by calling 010 (+34 931 537 010 if calling outside the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona).
  • Advice:
    • We recommend that the applicant register for electronic notification with the City Hall:
      https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/notificacioelectronica/ca/

EXEMPTIONS AND REDUCTIONS:

• Consult here for the cases exempt from paying fees.
• Consult here for how to apply for a 90% reduction of the occupation fee.

PROCESSING TIME:

• A minimum of 5 business days is required for processing.
• Advice:
  • For productions that manage the permits with us, we recommend submitting requests well in advance to allow time to correct any errors, seek alternatives if necessary, etc.
  • The processing time starts the day after the application is received.
  • The day of filming/occupation does not count as a processing day.
  • Please consider the city’s holiday calendar, as holidays do not count as business days.
  • For complex occupations, we recommend submitting requests at least 15 days in advance.

HOW TO APPLY:

• Commercial Production:
  • To apply for this permit for a commercial production, it must be done through the City of Barcelona’s Procedures Portal (only in Catalan or Spanish).
  • Please consult the Processing Manual (only in Catalan) before starting the application.
  • For inquiries, you can contact the Information and Procedures Office of the Urban Guard (OIT): +34 93 291 50 30 // + 34 93 291 50 29 // +34 93 291 50 38 gu_oit_filmacions@bcn.cat.
     
• Cultural Production:
  • To apply for this permit for a non-commercial production, it should be processed through the Barcelona Film Commission. Consult here for how to manage it through the BFC.

DOCUMENTATION:

• When applying for the license, proof of payment of the processing fee or an exemption letter must be provided. Without one of these documents, the request will not be processed.
• At the time of requesting the license, a document must be submitted where the applicant (production company) authorizes the Representative to process permits on their behalf for the specific project being carried out. It is crucial that the project title is mentioned in the document. Here is an example in Catalan and in Spanish. You can fill this out or create a new one with the same content, signed by both parties).
• While the license is being processed, additional necessary documentation, such as the ICUB reduction notification, the location or auxiliary space contract, and reports from other affected bodies (Parks and Gardens, Taxis, etc.), can be attached.

Basic Camera-Car Authorization

CHARACTERISTICS:

• This permit authorizes free circulation with a camera-car on all roads in Barcelona city, except for the Ronda de Dalt (B-20), Ronda Litoral (B-10), and the Ronda del Mig.
• It can be requested for several consecutive days.
• Unlike the Basic Public Space Occupation Authorization, this permit does not have a predefined schedule, so it can be requested between 00:00 and 23:59.
• Conditions for this permit:
  • The bus lane cannot be occupied under any circumstances.
  • If the vehicles are circulating in parallel, they must do so in adjacent lanes, and at least one lane of traffic, other than the bus lane, must remain free.
  • Accompanying the camera-car, one scene vehicle may circulate, complying with traffic regulations. In the case of a camera-car with a platform, the scene vehicle can be placed on the platform.
  • Along with the camera-car and the scene vehicle, a maximum of two support vehicles may circulate, complying with traffic regulations.
  • If using a camera-car with a side platform, it cannot exceed the authorized size (2.55 m). If it exceeds these dimensions, a “Public space occupation licenses for filming or photo shooting” permit must be processed.
  • If using a camera-car with the camera attached to the vehicle, the mounting device cannot exceed the authorized size (2.55 m). If it exceeds these dimensions, a " Public space occupation licenses for filming or photo shooting " permit must be processed.
  • It is prohibited to cut off or disturb the traffic of vehicles or pedestrians at any time.

COST:

• This permit is completely free for all types of productions.

HOW TO APPLY:

• For individuals or legal entities residing in Spain, this permit must be self-processed through the City of Barcelona’s Procedures Portal.
• To apply, you must have an electronic identification method. The portal provides information on compatible identification and electronic signature systems.
• Please consult the Processing Manual (only in Catalan) before beginning the application process.
• If you do not reside in Spain, the Barcelona Film Commission can process the permit on your behalf. To do so, you will need to complete the following forms: Production Registration and General Permit Form.

DEADLINE:

• Individuals residing in Spain can self-process this permit up to the day before the occupation; it cannot be processed for the same day.
• In the event that the permit needs to be processed by the Barcelona Film Commission, the forms must be submitted at least 2 business days in advance.