Frequently asked questions

It does not process permits, but offers information and advisory services to facilitate the decision-making process regarding filming, recording or photography.

Depending on the island locations to be used as defined in the work plan by the interested parties, various permits may need to be processed, depending on the competent authority (Cabildo, National Parks, Canary Islands Coastal Protection Service, Town Councils, General Directorate of Traffic, Town Councils and municipal offices etc....) which is responsible for the management and authorisation for the use of these areas (beaches, natural areas, roads, heritage buildings, public buildings or infrastructures, private properties etc....).

More information: filming permits

Once the application has been submitted to the competent authority that manages the location in question, it will be studied and analysed by administrative technicians.
If information is missing or there are any errors, the applicant will be asked to correct them in due time and form. If the application is compatible with the conservation objectives of the sites, the corresponding administrative authorisation will be issued.

Following the entry into force of Law 39/2015, on the Common Administrative Procedure for Public Administrations, groups with the right and obligation to interact digitally with Public Administrations are established.
Groups obliged to interact digitally with Public Administrations include:
a) Legal persons.
b) Entities without legal personality.
c) Those who represent a data subject who is obliged to interact digitally with Public Administrations.

On this website you can find all permits required to film on the island of Lanzarote. Depending on the location and project, different permits will be needed for the same location.

Applications should be submitted between 1 and 3 months in advance. Some permits are free of charge, while others have fees associated with them.

Administrative authorisations are normally resolved within a period of 1 to 3 months, but this depends on the type of activity to be carried out, the descriptive documentation provided, and whether the documentation is complete or a correction is requested. However, the maximum limit for the resolution of an application is limited by Law 39/2015, of 2 October, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations, and in Royal Decree 1778/1994, of 5 August, which adapts the regulatory rules for the procedures for granting, modification and termination of authorisations, with the maximum limit being three (3) months.

A digital certificate is a digital signature that is installed in your browser to guarantee your identity on the Internet and that allows you to carry out transactions from your computer, mobile device or tablet in Electronic Offices.
Its purpose is to digitally guarantee the identity of the citizen when carrying out an online transaction. The Authentication Certificate (Digital Signature) ensures that any digital communication is being carried out with the right person. The certificate holder will be able to prove their identity to anyone, as they are in possession of an identity certificate and the private key associated with it.

Any Spanish citizen or foreigner, of legal age or emancipated minor, in possession of a DNI or NIE number, can request and obtain a digital certificate free of charge in order to sign and verify their identity securely on the Internet.
The applicant for the certificate must present themselves at one of our Identity Accreditation Offices to verify their details by means of a valid identity document in original format or, failing that, an officially certified photocopy.

Spanish national:

• The application code that has been sent to your e-mail account and
• National Identity Document (DNI), passport or driving licence.

Citizen of the European Union:

• The application code that has been sent to your e-mail account and
• National Identification Document for Foreigners showing your NIE, together with your passport or identity card from your country of origin, or
• EU Citizen Certificate showing your NIE, together with your passport or identity card from your country of origin, or
• Official document granting your NIF/NIE, together with your passport or identity card from your country of origin.

Foreign citizen:

• The application code that has been sent to your e-mail account and
• Red/Green/White Foreigner Identification Card showing your NIE, together with your passport, or
• Official document granting your NIF/NIE, together with your passport.

Accreditation in order to be issued a user Certificate can be carried out in the network of offices set up by authorised organisations that have previously signed a collaboration agreement with the FNMT-RCM, or in Spanish Consular Offices abroad. However, it is not possible to be accredited in customs registries. You can find a list of offices hereFilmed on Lanzarote files.

The specific deadlines and requirements that apply according to the competent authority or municipality from which the permits must be requested must be confirmed, as this will depend on the planned filming schedule and the chosen locations.

More information: filming permits.

The Descriptive Report is the document in which the characteristics of the visual professional activity (photography, cinema, video, television, etc.) that the applicant wishes to carry out are set out in detail:

• Justification and objective of the professional activity
• Detailed description of the work.
• Plan for the work on the island.
• Materials and equipment to be used while carrying out the pofessional activity.
• Staff.
• Work schedule with details of dates and timetable of the activity, indicating start and end time(s) or, where appropriate, time slots.
• Detailed Work Plan.
• Official mapping at a scale of 1:5,000 (GRAFCAN: www.grafcan.es) of the areas covered by the activity, with details of the routes.
• Any other additional or complementary information that may be of interest in order to better understand the activity.

You should consult with the competent administration about the procedures that apply in each case with a view to requesting new dates on which to carry out the activity.

It offers free location scouting services, information on professional services in Lanzarote, and advice on how to obtain filming permits.

For more information, click here.

As a general rule, the Cabildo de Lanzarote and the island’s local councils do not charge fees for filming on public roads, unless this involves reserving parking, police presence or other services required of this island institution or the different municipal bodies.

There are currently no official tariffs set for the rental of public spaces.
Depending on the location chosen, it will be necessary to contact the public administration that manages the space in question (Heritage, CACT Lanzarote, Town Councils etc.) to request information on the charges that would be applied according to the work plan envisaged by the interested parties.

To carry out both professional and commercial film, television, video and photography activities on the coastline and beaches of Lanzarote, authorisation must be requested from the Canary Islands Coastal Protection Service in Las Palmas.

Once the activity has been authorised, the production company shall pay the fees as determined by the Coastal Service.

More information: Filming permits

Drones, regardless of their size and use, are considered aircraft, as defined by the national and international legislation to which they are subject.
There is a legal framework that regulates their use and allows for the safe development of the remotely piloted aircraft sector, covering so-called drones or UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems). You will find full information on the national and EU regulations applicable to drones/UAS on the AESA website (Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea).

ENAIRE is the provider of communications, navigation and surveillance services throughout Spanish airspace and at the airports in the Aena network.

ENAIRE has created an application – ENAIRE Drones – that is available to all citizens to enable any DRONE/UAS pilot or operator, whether professional or amateur, to plan the flight of their DRONE/UAS safely.

Tools are also made available to DRONE/UAS pilots and operators for the consultation of NOTAME (NOtice To AirMen) as well as Insignia for accessing aeronautical information in digital and integrated format.

If you are a UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) operator registered with the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) and you want to fly your aircraft in airspace where ENAIRE provides air traffic control services, the steps you need to follow are detailed in this link.

IMPORTANT:

• Your category of operation and class of drone may require AESA authorisation.
• If you are flying in airspace controlled by another air traffic provider, you must follow their procedure.

Visit the AESA website on drones for more information.

Regarding the flight of UAS / DRONES for filming and recording in Lanzarote (whether professional or recreational), in addition to compliance with the requirements established by ENAIRE and AESA, you must also take into account that 42% of the island's territory is covered by some form of protection, e.g. Protected Natural Spaces, or is included in the Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) of the Natura 2000 Network.

(See details of SPA and SCI areas in Lanzarote).

In order to fly in any protected space within these areas, it is necessary to request permission from the Environment Department of the Cabildo of Lanzarote at least 1 month in advance, using a form similar to the one found here.

The letter must be submitted via the institution's electronic office.

Once applied for, it is also necessary to apply for a permit from the local council of the municipality where the chosen location is situated.

More information: Filming permits

Production companies or production service companies that have their tax domicile in the Canary Islands, are registered with the Instituto de Ia Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA) and have made a feature film or carried out foreign audiovisual work.

The tax deduction amount (50%-45% of eligible expenses) is deducted from the applicant’s corporate tax liability, from the tax period in which the production service ends. In the event of insufficient tax liability, an application may be made to the tax office for payment of the remaining amount not deducted.
In the case of animation productions, the deduction may be applied for partial deliveries in accordance with the work certificates issued (see Consulta Vinculante V0065-17).
In order to access this tax deduction, and for greater legal certainty, it is possible to make a prior application to the Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria (AEAT), who will reply within 20 days.

Expenditure incurred in the Canary Islands directly related to production:
Expenses of creative personnel, provided that they are resident for tax purposes in Spain or in a Member State of the European Economic Area.
Costs arising from the use of technical industries and other suppliers.

The Spanish service production company (registered with the ICAA) in charge of the international production must submit the account of all eligible expenses in the month of July of the fiscal year following the date of filming.