How to shoot in Valencia

In our photo gallery, you’ll find several photographs of the distinctive locations Valencia has to offer. If any of the photos takes your interest, we’ll help you process the permits you’ll need to film there. Equally, if you need a booking reference service, we’ll put you in touch with the right people.

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In Valencia, these are the three circumstances for requesting a permit to film in public areas:

1. You need to fence off an area in the public domain
2. You will be impeding vehicle or pedestrian traffic
3. Your crew exceeds ten individuals

Should not be any of these three circumstances, you won't have to process anything provided you comply with the basic rules of conduct in public spaces.

The first steps for requesting a filming permit involve filling in the relevant form in the section entitled “Filming request forms”, or by clicking here. Ask us about the areas you are interested in filming in, and we will assist you with the right document you need to complete, and where you should present it.

The City Hall will endeavour to obtain the permits as soon as possible, but please submit applications sufficiently in advance. To film in public in the city, the deadline are 30 days. If the request concerns buildings or monuments, the processing time may be shorter. If filming will lead to traffic being stopped, please send the request further in advance.

Requests for filming in public spaces must be accompanied with a map that clearly indicates the places required for the actual filming and for logistical purposes.

Filming in the streets of Valencia may be free provided that the film helps to promote the city’s cultural values. Public buildings or other private locations have their own fees for hiring out space. At VFO, we’ll help you to check the fees that apply to the area you are interested in.

Check the ORDINANCE REGULATING THE OCCUPATION OF MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DOMAIN from page 89 (in Spanish).

- From 1 to 19 March, due to the Fallas festival. There is a special edict for these dictating that during this period no occupations of the public domain will be authorised.

- The last Sunday of each month in Plaza del Ayuntamiento or its surrounding areas for the holding of various activities organised by Valencia City Council.

- Popular races around the streets of Valencia are held on some Sundays. Check the calendar here.

You will have to attach valid civil liability insurance together with the filming request, and this insurance should cover all the potential damages the filming may cause. Furthermore, if you are intending to film more complex action scenes that could pose a risk to people and street furniture alike, you must also send a risk plan.

To ensure filming goes as smoothly as possible, please always bear in mind public safety, i.e. allowing the passage of ambulances, people with reduced mobility, mothers with pushchairs and so on, and respect driveways, traffic signs and law enforcement officials. The whole film crew must comply with current by-laws. Where such laws are violated, the City Council may confiscate the permit immediately.

It’s important for everyone that film crews and residents, passers-by and retailers all treat each other with respect, so acceptable noise levels must be complied with as far as possible. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the producer to address an information letter to residents and retailers outlining the key points about the filming, such as its duration, and give the name of person they can contact should any incident occur. The producer is also responsible for leaving the space in question clean and tidy.

In order to increase sustainability, and out of respect for the environment, we would recommend that film crews travel by public transport, bike or on foot from their accommodation to the set where possible. We also ask all personnel involved in filming to put all cigarette butts, bottles of water, bags and chewing gum in the appropriate places, i.e. bins or recycling containers.

We would ask the producer to provide us with photographs from the shoot that we can use to support VFO, in addition to visual material we can distribute and a copy of the finished product for our archives. The VFO logo should also be included in the production credits.