Now, let me warn you in advance. This is a post that is written in anger and sheer exasperation, and to be honest, partly with a broken heart. It’s a response to a situation that creatives are left in here in the United Kingdom, especially musicians, whose careers very much depend on the flow of movement. It’s about the challenge and reality of Brexit to musicians.

Today an invitation arrived, to perform a live show in the North West of Spain, for an enticing sounding music festival with my electronic modular synth set-up, at the end of 2021. I work independently. I don’t use agents to book shows, nor have a manager to add grease to the wheels, so to speak. Like countless other musicians I need to take care of all these things myself.
I excitedly pencilled in the date on the calendar, conscious that Covid might mean that the dates could potentially change, but feeling once again thrilled at the thought of returning to the real world, meeting new people and sharing my work with those who want to experience it.
And then reality struck me in the face, like a door slamming shut. Just a few months ago I could respond to invitations speedily. Flights and hotels could be booked and I could be in Spain, Germany, France, Italy or almost anywhere, flights permitting, within days. 2021 presents a dramatically different scenario.
Applying for a Work Visa
Now I need a work visa for the trip. According to the Consulate, applicants who will perform/work in Spain for a period no longer than 5 consecutive days or 20 performance days (rehearsals are not taken into account) require a C-type EET visa, which costs a rather eye-watering £409! One agency responded with an offer to help, who are ‘visa specialists to the entertainment industry,’ but whose clientele features the likes of Beyoncé, Madonna and Arctic Monkeys. And, as much as I would be overjoyed to consider my name featured alongside theirs, I think the costs of such services are far beyond my means. And, anyhow, they never even answered my enquiry!

No matter, I would still need to complete the Spain Business Visa Application form. I need to provide passport photos no older than 3 months, a work certificate from the promoter which mentions my position, salary, and date of starting the ‘post,’ and a letter of invitation written in Spanish, in which it states the business relation that justifies my trip. I need Spanish Travel Health Insurance, covering any incident or unforeseen illness with a minimum of 30.000€, that may occur in Spain and any other Schengen country. I need to prove that I have enough money to support myself while in Spain, providing bank account statements, or, as in my case, a letter from the promoter to confirm they are financing my trip, which they need to accompany with bank statements from their own account, and my hotel booking.
After which, I then need to travel to London for a Visa interview. Easier said than done. I live 50 minutes outside of the city on an extremely expensive train line which I just checked costs £103 return. So, that’s another day lost to administration, and a loss of potential earnings, whilst my fingerprints are taken and facial scanning captured. It’s worth noting that these interviews can only take place in Edinburgh, Manchester or London too, so for many people it’s going to be a challenge to get there too.
And, of course, I need to return to London to collect my passport some weeks later. Another £103 train ticket. And whilst that is being processed I cannot travel anywhere, nor apply for a Visa for another country, which in the case of musicians is often the case since we need to visit several different countries in a row for shows.
And now the Carnet
Whilst waiting for the results of the Visa application I can apply for a carnet to accompany the equipment I travel with. This is to be ‘used primarily for goods being temporarily exported for display at trade fairs or exhibitions, and for professional equipment and samples.’ Here I need to spend time detailing every single piece of equipment, with serial numbers, weight of each item and country of origin, which in terms of electronics could be challenging depending on the individual parts. It shows that the equipment I take with me to the EU, then returns back to the UK and I’ve not sold anything on. The carnet comes in at a bargain £360 too! And lasts for just one year.

For myself, I also frequently travel with different equipment, for different shows and events, so have been advised to literally add all the equipment I own, to ensure it’s all covered in the future. Just to consider how long this might take causes more anxiety. I also buy new equipment every now and then, but this would mean I could not bring it for a performance, as I would need to apply for an entirely new carnet again. And, every now and then, I’m gifted a little piece of equipment on a trip, so not clear how to bring that back without issues, as clearly it could not appear on the carnet. Unless I was travelling in the DMC DeLorean vehicle with a flux capacitor, that is.
UPDATE 16 Feb 2020
It has been confirmed today by DCMS Minister Caroline Dinenage MP that musicians travelling into and around the EU with portable musical instruments are not required to obtain a Carnet. Different rules apply if you are travelling by vehicle though. More details here. Now, back to my story…
The carnet will be stamped at every border crossing, and it’s quite likely that at some point a customs officer will require me to display everything I have brought with me to cross-reference it with the paperwork. Now, consider that I often travel in on the day itself for a performance, and how much extra time will now need to be factored in as a precautionary measure, in case I’m held up at customs.
For a little light comic relief, it’s worth sharing the example carnet on the official site, that proudly displays that they will travel with 10 x RCA to Phono connectors at £20,000, £150,000 for video screens and a £2000 BASF battery charger. Did they shop in notoriously expensive Harrods for their electronic goods? In my experience RCA phono connectors generally cost less than £10 at most, yet are seemingly more valuable than an Emerald and Diamond bracelet!

And let’s not forget the taxes
And don’t forget your double taxation forms, which are essential ingredients for any international show. These forms need to be stamped by the UK tax authorities to ensure that you don’t get taxed at source in the EU country you are working in, and then again on the same income in the UK. Even though it’s 2021, these can only be applied for online and can take up to three months to arrive in the post, with no guarantee they will be with you before you need them on departure.
And perhaps I will take some CDs and vinyl records to sell? Well, I’ll need to somehow settle all the taxes on these in the country itself and have my EORI number at hand for the goods. And for the time being we all need Covid tests for travelling which seem to come in a variety of price options. Pop that into your calculator!
When you earn less than you did 34 years ago
I’ve been working independently for 25+ years. The majority of my income has been from the EU, working with choreographers, film makers, artists, theatre companies, live performance and much more, but now I’m left in a rather compromising and harrowing situation. And I’m far from alone in this position. To add stress to this situation, as an independent artist I was encouraged to set up a limited company, but in so doing have not qualified for any government support or furlough in the last year. So, whilst I repeatedly hear talk of people never have had so much cash in their pockets, simply because they can’t go on holiday, eat out in restaurants and so on, I’m currently earning less than I did in my first job when I left university back in 1987.
I’m cautious about falling into the murky rabbit hole of complaining about Brexit and all the negative energy that entails. Today, I’m simply trying to highlight the challenges for one person trying to work in Spain for just one day. As simple as that. Don’t forget, this Spanish admin adventure would need to be repeated for each of the EU countries I need to work in too. And don’t forget this affects all EU artists now visiting to perform in the UK.

It’s worth mentioning that some years ago I was offered a show at the prestigious UCLA in the USA, with a fee I’m not accustomed to – (cue the drum roll) – $10,000. However, by the time I’d factored in the visa costs with an agency (since the show date was fast approaching), the cost for a lawyer to expedite this application, the flights, the hotel, rehearsals, and all other additional costs, I suddenly realised I was probably going to lose money on the show, and had to cancel it, much to the chagrin of the promoter. And right now, with Covid devouring so much of our culture, venues and promoters have much smaller budgets to work with.
I’ve just worked out that this single show in Spain will personally cost me £728, BEFORE I’m paid for the show, money I need to advance from earnings I don’t have. And given our fragile Covid climate, where do I stand should the show be postponed or cancelled, as the visa has a limited term on it.
It’s been argued that these costs should be met by the promoters in question, absolutely so, but historically I’ve always been left to organise visas to the USA or Russia by myself, here in the UK. This also suggests that promoters have grand budgets, able to absorb such costs, but that erases all the possibilities for new exploratory music, nurturing fresh young artists who are just starting out, as it’s clear that a promoter would not wish to book an act with such additional costs now. And in some sense, no matter who is paying for some of this, on the ground level it’s the artist who needs to complete all the leg work for these requirements.
These new rules mean that Brexit has essentially inhibited and stopped this flow of performance, and exchange of ideas and talents, and significantly hit income for so many. Artists still needs to pay for a carnet, no matter. Given that fees for small venues are frequently less than €200 per artist, it’s obvious that this would mean none of them could ever play these shows.
At present, it’s most likely that I will also have to sadly decline this invitation, and others in the future too. The fee for this show would sadly in itself would be wiped out by the financial costs and weight of bureaucracy. I love music. I love performing, and most of all I love the people and the world we inhabit. It was nice while it lasted…
Useful links
It’s worth keeping up to date on the Musicians Union website, who have provided a Flow Chart to working in Europe, as well as offer frequent updates to lobbying the government for clarity and a potential ‘passport’ for free movement in performance.

04/02/2021 @ 17:52
It’s heartbreaking and infuriating how much attention has been given to the fishing industry during the negotiations and also how the sports industry seems to be excluded from certain measurements (both Covid and Brexit) but both these industries bring in as much money as the UK Entertainment industry. It’s so short-sighted, but then again, the arts are overlooked in most countries. And then in the industry itself, musicians are highly overlooked too and always come in last while it often plays such a significant role. I truly hope more people will stand up and fight this, but then again, people might be too busy celebrating all the Brexit success stories (eh, remind me which these are again?)
04/02/2021 @ 17:54
Yes, the music industry actually brings in FOUR times the amount of the fishing industry. And yes, I can’t wait to ‘celebrate’ all the joyous success stories from Brexit. I mean remember the one about…er..or how about..er…I’ll get back to you that then!
10/02/2021 @ 23:01
Ironic that the fishing industry unanimously supported Brexit unlike the vast majority of performers.
11/02/2021 @ 07:22
and now look at how much they regret this too. And look how much press they got, despite the fishing industry being worth just one quarter of what the music industry brings in.
08/02/2021 @ 18:38
And still, Johnson and the Torys remain popular. The sight of government ministers on zoom with the union jack nestling in the corner of their study/living room/ while they spout nonsense fills me with utter despair
04/02/2021 @ 21:50
Your tale sounds, unfortunately, too familiar.
A few years ago the Spanish government gathered a group of independent musicians, promoters, labels, etc. in El Salvador for a week of sessions trying to understand why artists from Central America had not developed healthy independent music scenes like those in Spain or Mexico. In the end, our conclusion was just what you just sketched here: artists in such small countries could neither endure the difficulties and costs of international tours nor thrive playing exclusively in their hone countries. A very disappointing conclusion and I am sorry to read Brittish artists are now in a similar situation.
07/02/2021 @ 07:49
Yes, it’s not as if there aren’t previous lessons to be learnt from this backward looking behaviour. I’m almost embarrassed for living here at the moment as it’s so utterly shameful and unsupportive of a massive industry, that actually brings in millions to the UK too!
04/02/2021 @ 22:36
Well done and important to document this! I hope for some way that this eases up
07/02/2021 @ 07:48
Thanks Stephen. Let’s remain positive that keeping this in the public and political eye means a solution
04/02/2021 @ 23:04
You’ve captured it perfectly there Robin. Such a ridiculous situation. I hope they can sort something out for us all. Thanks for explaining it all so well.
07/02/2021 @ 07:48
Thanks Paul. I’ve already had a few interesting conversations towards potential resolutions for artists so let’s remain positive that something will be resolved to help everyone
05/02/2021 @ 15:10
Ouch. Hurts to read but appreciate your giving details of what it would entail to perform. As alluded – megacorps ‘superstars’ may be able tack on extra expenses passed on down line but when bureacratic fees crush bones of industry it’s crying shame. As a fellow mu-sick-ian – doubt would attempt deal with all additional hassle. On other side – how many promoters are willing either or to take risk on recovering expenses. Anyway – best wishes from across pond from Pacific NW !
05/02/2021 @ 15:13
Thanks for reading. And yes bigger acts can in some ways absorb these kinds of charges but for all the countless independent artists it’s impossible. Promoters will choose to work with different artists, more locally perhaps, than invite British artists to perform, and that’s a genuine pity for the future, and especially nurturing the work of younger musicians too.
05/02/2021 @ 17:54
So utterly heartbreaking to read about all the complications for all the working and traveling artists like yourself in the UK. Very well documented Robin, though sadly under such tragic circumstances… <3
07/02/2021 @ 07:47
let’s just hope all our voices will be heard and something will change!
07/02/2021 @ 12:11
Thank you for so carefully describing all the friction points to participating in the event. I hope by sharing the problem you/we can somehow overcome it.
07/02/2021 @ 12:33
When I was touring (and for those readers that don’t know me, I am a US citizen), we would get frequent requests to tour Europe, and it was always thus for us. We did frequently play in Canada and Mexico, which was roughly 50% of the pain in the ass you detailed above. I had a management company at the time, and they took care of the visas and carnet and taxes and such, so it didn’t directly affect me, but I know that it existed. However, dealing with the Canadian and Mexican borders, and to a lesser extent Europe, is a fact of life for American musicians, and something we’re used to and factor in to our working experience.
My point here is that the problem for UK artists is too new, and in the midst of the pandemic (natch) so it doesn’t have a System. Musicians are, in general, a clever lot, and experimental musicians are more clever than the average, so I would expect methods for working around all this nonsense to come in to being once the form of the problem is fully known. Yes, I absolutely agree that it does suck gaping ass, especially when you’ve built a large segment of your working life around a system that no longer is available. But I submit that coming up with clever work-arounds is the current course of action.
For instance, can you rent gear there? Can you do a performance with the same net result with a laptop only? Can you recreate your modular rig digitally with VCE or Cherry Audio or SoftTube products? Is it possible a modular retailer in that country can make a loaner or floater rig for you in exchange for promotional consideration? Getting rid of the carnet makes the entire process easier. You don’t even need to mention the laptop and headphones in your carry-on bag.
Assuming the gear situation can be dealt with, you can do the performance for free on a tourist visa, and when you return (or before you leave) the promoter can buy a limited edition 1-of-1 product in your online shop for the fee amount.
Etc. There are Ways, is all I’m saying.
07/02/2021 @ 12:55
Thanks Chris. I have bsolutely thought about many of these things here. But of course this argument isn’t about me per se, but the general response to what is going to prove to be very difficult for many others. There are many work arounds for me but they come with risks. I mean travelling for just one night stays raises suspicion immediately. For some shows I have considered renting a keyboard, etc and bringing my laptop of course, but for many invitations they are for a live modular synth set up which is so particular to my own niches that it would near impossible to rent such a system. And to have to return to being a laptop artist isn’t appealing after many years of doing my utmost to escape this! And to have to completely compromise what I present in the way I present it is not appealing at all.
I performed a show in Portual in 2019 using a borrowed ADDAC rig and needed at least 3 days before a show to learn it and make it mine and still it was compromised and I was really unhappy with the performance itself. There is talk after my post of possibly NOT needing a carnet if you are travelling alone on Eurorstar or a cheap flight with just hand luggage but let’s see if that follows through.
Tourists visas are fine for many but of course if you are caught then you are sent back at your own cost, and banned from the country in question and that’s quite possible in this climate unfortunately. And again short trips like gigs raise suspicions. Work visas are absurdly expensive and totally impractical too. And yes I’ve been through with the USA but once you are there it’s fine. However we would need them for 27 different countries, with 27 different interviews at 27 different embassies, then tax papers and double taxation agreements with each of them.
And to make it clear my post isn’t about experimental musicians able to find tricky ways around this either, it’s for both the artists for all styles of music and levels of success to be able to move freely.
There are indeed ways, but the majority are risky and a little scary. I have been with musicians entering the US who have been turned back twice and do not wish for this to happen to me or anyone else!
07/02/2021 @ 18:05
Funny how silent most UK musicians were about brexit though. Check their social media timelines from 2016 to today and none of them could be bothered protesting this madness. With a few exceptions. Why were they so silent?
07/02/2021 @ 18:09
it’s something that has troubled me a lot over time. I even tweeted and copied in many significant figures in music, from all different genres and scenes and not a single response, not a single voice risen and spoked up. I’m really trying as hard as I can now, but sometimes feel rather alone too! With Covid perhaps many aren’t even aware of the real challenges as such yet!
08/02/2021 @ 02:10
Rodger Daltry was shouting how great brexit would be , oh how he’s regreting it now , though I think they’re only crocodile tears he’s shedding it’ll not hurt him one jot , I’m only a punter but I said on another forum some time back brexit would virtually kill off the touring capabillities of smaller bands just with dealing with the tax anomillies of trying to sell merch which lets face it is what gives most bands the most income
07/02/2021 @ 20:05
There is a House of Lords enquiry into how Brexit is affecting us. They are asking for evidence to consider, your story would be good to submit, they need it by tomorrow though.
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/945/future-ukeu-relations-trade-in-services/
07/02/2021 @ 21:50
I’ve done that, so let’s hope that it’s read by someone who values it!
07/02/2021 @ 22:29
How can everyone be so surprised about the Visa, TAX, and registration of import/export of gear?? This was known and explained before the UK voted out of the union. And it’s not much different from any other country outside the Union. Brexit was, is, and will be a bad idea. We all need to get used to it.
08/02/2021 @ 07:36
The actual costs were never explained or clear. That much is obvious from my post here. I’ve had literally hundreds of musicians, The Musicians Union and countless others get in touch in some shock. Only a few weeks ago Johnson was confirming on camera that musicians would be able to freely travel 90 days out of 180 a year, so yes this is a shock to many of us. And given that I’ve lived my entire life being able to freely move between here and the EU, I never voted for this, nor did anyone that I know of, and within a month all the doors have been locked and it’s costing significantly more than was suggested. That’s the reason for this post. It’s not a typical ‘let’s just use the internet to moan about the world’ post.
08/02/2021 @ 07:14
Great article, but incredibly sad reading. I’d suspected the situation might be this bad but hadn’t looked into the specifics, so thanks for putting it all down in black and white. And who knew what a few phono leads costs in 2021!
08/02/2021 @ 10:56
Time in invest in phono leads, it’s clearly better than Bitcoin!! ?
09/02/2021 @ 17:09
As an orchestral player with a tiny bit of ivory on my favourite bow and a choir conductor who regularly performs in Germany, France and Bulgaria, there is no way that I can see that I can continue to do so economically. Thank you for the blog, I hope it gets further circulation.
09/02/2021 @ 17:14
Thanks Duncan. That’s horribly sad to read. Let’s hope things can improve after consolation and reflection. These are useful resources to check the countries where you can work easier (or not):
UKEARTSWORK
LMI
10/02/2021 @ 08:48
This such a terrible situation that you have described Robin. Your post needs to be shared far and wide to people who have no idea if the impact of Brexit on artists.
10/02/2021 @ 09:01
thanks Sara. And since I wrote this I’ve learnt so much more in additional costs unfortunately. Let’s hope that some sense comes out of all this!
13/02/2021 @ 06:29
The unfortunate reality is that although Britain has been at the forefront of modern music, it’s not a given, for every British musician wanting to perform in Spain there’s a Spanish one, France a French one etc etc so the promoters will, with regret, simply move on. Maybe the ghetto-isation of British music will produce an underground cult with rare mp3s played around campfires at European festivals.
The other thing that strikes me is where does the £728 cut of Robin’s fee go? To the man, to the corporates. Good oh. Music, the fuel of revolution anyone?
13/02/2021 @ 09:09
Yes, it’s a curious question regarding the finances. Presumably it’s goes towards paying for the admin to process all this, so a completely pointless and invaluable loop ?
16/02/2021 @ 20:57
So we all re-train to become Customs Agents and Visa Agents.
16/02/2021 @ 21:39
Or just move into ‘cyber’ as the government previously suggested ?
14/02/2021 @ 04:08
Excellent piece Robin, very well written. I’ve shared it on my own Mark Shaw:Then Jerico
Facebook page as it resonates with me. I’ve worked in Spain dozens of times since the mid-80’s both as a solo artist and with my full band, most recently in October 2019, so I can empathise with your situation because both we’re in the same leaky boat sailing up the same shitty creak without any paddles!
All we can do is pray that the combined and continued pressure from artists, promoters, agents, managers, music industry leaders, the media, our supportive public and those few enlightened and concerned U.K. & Euro MP’s all pushing together at the same time will eventually create enough noise to make our cause heard. It won’t be easy, nor swift, but IT CAN HAPPEN. We must believe that. Stay safe, stay strong and keep on making your superb music..!
Cheers. Mark
14/02/2021 @ 09:00
Thanks Mark. Let’s remain positive. In some sense perhaps it’s still early days, and since Covid has stopped the very idea of performance and touring for most people the effects aren’t really being felt at present. Thanks for your kind words too. Lovely to be in touch!
16/02/2021 @ 11:25
Brexit is BREXSHIT, sorry for it..
The solution of all the British musicians is to live Britain and come over to continue your life in Europe, so Much easier and cheaper. You can go back as holiday in the UK, not for the sunshine of course ?
(Sorry for my broken English, I’m an Italian living in Belgium)
16/02/2021 @ 11:54
Oh, if only it were that simple Tony. Moving to EU doesn’t improve many things unfortunately. I would still have a UK passport. I would need citizenship to ensure I could actually work as an EU citizen. If I moved to Belgium tomorrow and wanted to work in Spain I would still be seen as a UK citizen! That would mean living in an EU country from anything from 2.5 years to 10 years, passing a language exam, a cultural exam and all the paperwork and costs associated with that. In the meantime I would not be able to work legally. It’s such a total mess and is indeed Brexshit, with no advantages for anyone unless you are a rich business person presumably, like most of the government.
20/02/2021 @ 18:20
good article Robin.
20/02/2021 @ 21:54
Thanks Andrew, let’s hope something gets resolved for everyone one day soon!
21/02/2021 @ 10:31
Wonder if you can officially go to Europe for a few days as a tourist. But once out of the airport do the work as normal?? In the past I’ve done this a few times when working for a few days in America.
In terms of shipping kit – it can go in your suitcase or be shipped stating it’s ‘material value ‘ rather than ‘commercial cost.’
21/02/2021 @ 10:37
Of course, travelling with hand luggage you can ‘sneak’ through but you also take the risk of being stopped, and if caught fined, sent home at your own cost, and banned from the country for some years. This happens in the US quite frequently and has happened to several friends. Trips for live shows are usually just for a couple of days so very difficult to excuse yourself by just visiting for such a short time, it raises suspicion unfortunately. And even if this worked the inviting organisation requires the official paperwork so not really a way out of it.
21/02/2021 @ 22:15
Great article, however a few points that are important.
1, these are not new rules, these are rules that have always been in place for non EU Citizens. The UK government have willingly placed us into this position.
2, This catastrophe is not due to a bad deal by Johnson, it’s purely all that Brexit had to offer and leaving the Single Market & Customs Union secured our fate.
3, Carnets ARE still required for those who cross into the EU by road.