Kit, visas and paperwork
Permits get the attention, but a camera case stuck at customs or a crew member refused boarding stops a shoot just as fast. Here is what a foreign crew needs to bring kit and people into France, what you can skip, and what we handle from Paris and Cannes.
01
The short version
Four questionsFour questions decide your paperwork. Where is your kit coming from? What passports is your crew travelling on? How long are they staying? And who employs them while they are here?
If your production is based in the EU and stays a few weeks, there is very little to do: kit and EU crew move freely. If you are coming from the UK, the US or anywhere else outside the EU, your camera package needs an ATA Carnet (or a decision to rent in France instead), and each crew member's passport decides whether they need a visa. Since Brexit this applies to British crews too.
The good news for short shoots: France does not require a work permit for foreign cast and crew working on a film or audiovisual production for less than 90 days. Most commercials, formats and documentaries sit well inside that window.
02
Your kit
ATA Carnet or rent hereSituationWhat to doPaperwork
Kit coming from inside the EUe.g. Germany, Italy, SpainNo customs formality inside the EU single market. Bring proof of ownership and insuranceNone
Kit coming from the UKSince BrexitProfessional equipment enters on temporary admission: get an ATA Carnet from a UK chamber of commerce before you travelATA Carnet
Kit coming from the US, Canada, Asia, Middle EastATA Carnet from your national issuing body, presented to French customs (Douanes) on arrival and on exitATA Carnet
ConsumablesBatteries, tape, gels, media you will use upNot covered by a carnet, which is for goods that leave again. Buy them here; we have them on the truckBuy locally
DroneCustoms as above, plus aviation rules: see drone permits. In practice a certified French operator fliesOperator
What a carnet is, in one paragraph
An ATA Carnet is a passport for goods. It lets professional equipment enter France for a limited time without paying import duties or VAT, on the promise that every item leaves again. It is issued in your own country, before travel, and is generally valid for up to one year. You list each item with make, model, serial number and value; customs stamp it on entry and on exit. Lose a stamp or leave an item behind and the duties become due. Allow time to prepare the list, and travel with the carnet in hand luggage, not in the case.
Often the cheaper answer is not to bring the kit at all. Once you count freight or excess baggage, the carnet, insurance and the risk of a delayed case on day one, renting the same camera, lighting and grip package in France frequently costs about the same. We price both options in the bid, line by line, and you decide on numbers. More on kit and gear rental.
03
Your crew
Visas, work permits, declarations01VisaDepends on nationality, not on the job. Many passports (UK, US, Canada, Australia, Japan and others) enter the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180. Others need a short-stay Schengen visa from a French consulate: apply early, with an invitation letter we provide.Passport
02Work permitNot required for foreign cast and crew working in France on a film or audiovisual production for less than 90 days. Beyond three months, a work permit is needed before the visa.Under 90 days
03Border registrationNon-EU travellers are registered at the Schengen border by the Entry/Exit System (fingerprints and photo on first entry). Allow extra time at the airport. The separate ETIAS travel authorisation was not yet in operation in October 2026; check before you fly.At the border
04Posted-worker declarationA foreign employer sending staff to work in France normally files a declaration online (SIPSI) before the shoot. Performers on short film and audiovisual engagements are exempt; for technical crew, plan on filing unless we confirm otherwise for your case.Employer files
05French crewHired by us on French contracts, with the social charges and working-time rules that go with them. This is part of why a production service company carries the crew rather than you.Our side
Rules change, passports differ. This page is our working summary, not legal advice. On every job we check the current rules for each nationality on your crew list against France-Visas and Film France, and tell you on the first call what each person needs.
04
How we handle it
From the first call01Crew list reviewYou send the crew list with nationalities and roles. We tell you who needs a visa, who needs nothing, and which roles are better hired locally.Crew list
02Kit decisionBring or rent: priced side by side in the bid, with the carnet and freight costs included on the "bring" side.Bring or rent
03Letters and paperworkInvitation letters for visa applications, production details for customs, and the French side of any declaration.Letters
04ArrivalFor a Riviera shoot, Nice airport handles film kit every May for Cannes; for Paris, Charles de Gaulle. We plan collection, customs and the drive to set.Arrival
05WrapExit stamps on the carnet before the kit leaves France, so you do not get a duties bill months later.Wrap
Do I need an ATA Carnet to bring camera equipment into France?
If the equipment comes from outside the European Union, including the UK since Brexit, the usual route is an ATA Carnet issued in your country before travel. It allows temporary entry without import duties or VAT, provided everything leaves again. Equipment coming from another EU country needs no customs formality.
Do foreign film crews need a work permit to shoot in France?
Not for short productions. Non-European cast and crew working in France on a film or audiovisual production for less than 90 days do not need a work permit. Whether they need a visa depends on their passport. Stays longer than three months need a work permit before the visa.
Do British crews need a visa to film in France?
British passport holders can enter the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and short film and audiovisual work in France does not need a work permit. Since Brexit, their camera equipment does need customs paperwork, usually an ATA Carnet.
Is it cheaper to bring our own kit or rent in France?
It depends on the package, the length of the shoot and freight. Once carnet, freight, insurance and the risk of a delayed case are counted, renting in France often costs about the same. FixersInParis prices both options in the bid so the production can decide on numbers.
Can FixersInParis help with visas and customs?
Yes. We review the crew list, provide invitation letters for visa applications, prepare the French side of customs and declarations, and organise arrival and kit transfers in Paris, Nice and across France. We are a production service company with bases in Paris and Cannes.
Tell us what you need to shoot.
Format, dates, locations, crew size. We come back within three hours with what is possible and what is not.