Valencia operates a permit system where any production that fences off public space, impedes traffic, or has a crew of more than 10 people must apply through the city’s Electronic Office at least 30 days in advance. Applications are processed in Spanish only (the English version of the system doesn’t exist) and each iconic location from the City of Arts and Sciences to the Albufera has its own separate permit process on top of the standard public road authorization.
Since 2008, we’ve secured Valencia filming permits for international productions shooting everything from tech commercials in the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences to documentary footage on the Albufera wetlands. The system is manageable once you understand that Valencia doesn’t run on one central permit, but it runs on many, depending on where you’re shooting.
According to the Ajuntament de València’s official procedure, there are three circumstances that require a filming permit in Valencia:
If none of these apply to your shoot, you don’t need a formal authorization, but you are still required to submit a communication through the same procedure. Even the smallest crew that doesn’t trigger any of the three conditions must go through the Electronic Office and submit the Memoria Descriptiva and a Responsible Declaration form.
The 10-person rule is Valencia’s key threshold. This is slightly stricter than Madrid (where the free permit threshold is 15 people) but in line with Barcelona. For international productions with a full technical crew, the threshold is almost always crossed.
You will also need permits for:
The base permit covers public roads. Beyond that, each significant location has its own authorization process running in parallel.
This is the foundational permit required for any production occupying Valencia’s public streets.
Who qualifies:
Application: Through Valencia’s Electronic Office, procedure VP.OC.150 and it requires a digital certificate; the form is in Spanish only
Lead time: 30 days minimum for general public filming; additional advance notice for traffic stoppages
Cost: €2.33/m²/week for commercial productions, calculated on total occupied surface area including vehicles and equipment. Documentaries and informative productions are exempt. See full fee breakdown below.
Valencia’s most iconic filming locations each require a separate authorization running independently of the standard public road permit. The most common ones international productions need:
| Location | Who Issues Permit |
| City of Arts and Sciences | CAC management |
| Beaches | Valencia Coastal District |
| Albufera Natural Park | Generalitat Valenciana |
| Port & Marina | Port Authority |
| Train Stations (ADIF) | ADIF |
For international productions, our Valencia video production services include identifying which permits your specific shoot requires and managing each application process, including locations that don’t have English-language application systems.
Valencia’s system runs on two tracks depending on your shoot. Caso 1 is a full authorization and it’s required when your production fences off public space, stops traffic, or has a crew over 10. Caso 2 is a notification: no authorization needed, but you still must formally register the shoot through the same Electronic Office procedure. Both tracks use the same portal, the same form, and both are in Spanish only.
Here’s how each works.
Step 1: Prepare your documents
You’ll need:
Step 2: Submit through Valencia’s Electronic Office
From the Ajuntament de València’s page you can start the application (Iniciar Trámite). You’ll need a Spanish digital certificate to sign and submit and there’s no English version of the system.
Submit at least 30 calendar days before your shoot date. If traffic stoppages are involved, submit earlier.
Step 3: Pay the fee before collecting the authorization
Once your application is processed, Valencia will issue a payment document. The permit is not released until the fee is paid. For commercial productions the rate is €2.33/m²/week on the total occupied surface (vehicles and equipment included). See the full fee breakdown in the costs section below.
If your crew is under 10 people, you’re not blocking traffic, and you’re not fencing off any public space, then you don’t need authorization. But you still need to formally notify the Ajuntament through the same procedure.
What you need:
Submit through Ajuntament de València’s official procedure the same way as Caso 1. No fee applies for Caso 2.
Valencia’s fee structure for commercial productions is published by the Ajuntament de València and is based on area occupied rather than a flat administrative charge.
For films, videos, and TV recordings of a commercial or advertising nature with a profit-making purpose, the fee is:
€2.33 per square metre, per week or fraction thereof
This calculation includes the total surface area occupied including vehicles, sets, film equipment, and all materials on location count towards the square metre total. A commercial shoot with two production vehicles, a camera truck, and lighting rigs on a Valencia street can quickly accumulate significant occupied area. Calculate conservatively: overestimate your footprint rather than underestimate it.
50% reduction applies when filming takes place inside a building (an interior shoot) and the public road is only occupied by auxiliary support elements such as vehicles and mobile units servicing that interior production.
The following productions are not subject to the commercial filming fee under Valencia’s Ordinance:
Each special location sets its own rates independently of the City Council fee. The City of Arts and Sciences charges commercial rates. Beach fees are determined by the Coastal District authority. For the Botanical Garden, Central Market, and the Bullring each set their own rates through their respective management.
ORA parking zone surcharge: If your shoot occupies public space that falls within a regulated parking zone (O.R.A.), the applicable fee is doubled: 100% surcharge on top of the standard rate. Factor this in when selecting street locations in central Valencia.
Payment timing: The fee must be paid before collecting the authorization. Valencia will issue a payment document; the permit is not released until payment is confirmed.
Planning tip: For a multi-day commercial shoot with a significant equipment footprint, calculate your occupied area carefully before budgeting. Location-specific permits add on top of the base municipal fee, so the total cost across a multi-location shoot can vary considerably.
The 30 calendar days is the official minimum and while the City Council does try to process applications as quickly as possible, it’s still 30 days on paper and can stretch longer during high season when Valencia is busy with productions. Build in 6-8 weeks of lead time to be safe, especially if you’re shooting in spring or autumn.
The Valencia Electronic Office has no English version. The Valencia Film Office explicitly flags this on their website. Productions that attempt to complete the form without Spanish-language support or local assistance will encounter a system that doesn’t accommodate English. Factor in translation and local representation time before starting.
The City of Arts and Sciences is not covered by the standard public road permit, but it has its own authorization process through its own management. Productions that assume the municipal permit covers all of Valencia’s famous architectural landmarks end up with permits that don’t apply where they actually want to film.
March 1-19 is a total filming blackout for public domain occupation in Valencia. No exceptions. Productions that plan shoots near Fallas dates and assume they can start immediately on March 20 also run into practical problems: the city is recovering from the festival, cleanup is ongoing, and logistics are disrupted. The first safe date to actually execute a smooth production is typically late March.
Valencia requires valid civil liability insurance to be submitted together with the application. Productions that start the permit process before their insurance policy is active will need to restart or resubmit. This is the most common single-document delay in Valencia permits.
How does Valencia’s permit system compare to Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville?
| City | Free Permit Threshold | Processing Time | Occupation Permits Fee Structure | Coordination |
| Valencia | Under 10 crew, no fencing off, no traffic impeded | 30 calendar days minimum | €0 (documentaries/informative) / €2.33/m²/week commercial; doubled in ORA parking zones | Valencia City Council |
| Barcelona | Under 10 crew, 1 tripod, no vehicles | 24 hours to 5 working days | €89.59 issuing fee + €480/day occupation (Occupation Licence) | Barcelona City Council |
| Madrid | Under 15 crew, camera + tripod only | 7 to 15 working days | €48.65 + €0.58/linear metre/day (Occupation Permit) | Madrid City Council |
| Seville | Up to 15 crew, handheld or occasional tripod | 48 working hours to 10 working days | €0 (documentaries, student films) / €3.39/m²/day commercial (min. €127.07/day); | Sevilla Film and Events: one-stop shop coordinating all authorisations |
Why Valencia can work well for international productions:
Where Valencia adds complexity:
For productions filming across multiple Spanish cities, Valencia rewards early planners but punishes last-minute decisions. Factor in Barcelona’s two-tier permit system, Madrid’s occupation permit process, and Seville’s sequential filming permit process, and it’s clear why multi-city shoots need local coordination from the start. Each city operates independently with different rules, timelines, and authorities.
Valencia’s permit system rewards productions that plan early and understand that each location category runs a separate authorization track. Since 2008, we’ve handled Valencia permits for international clients across commercials, documentaries, and sports productions, from the City of Arts and Sciences to the Albufera.
We handle:
You get:
Whether you’re bringing your own crew or need full production support in Spain, our Valencia video production services include permit handling as a standalone service or as part of a complete production package.
