UK Government Officially Rejects Visa-Free Touring For Musicians

UK Government Officially Rejects Visa-Free Touring For Musicians


January 20, 2021

It's official: hopes of a visa-free touring for musicians and their crew with the EU are dead. After a convoluted back-and-forth between UK and EU negotiators, hopes of visa exemptions for artists touring for under 90 days have been officially rejected by the UK government.

Last week an argument erupted in the press between the UK and the EU over who was responsible for the failure of Boris Johnson's Brexit trade deal to secure visa-free travel for artists wanting to tour Europe.

Initially, it was reported that the UK government had rejected what was being described as a "standard" proposal that would exempt performers from needing a visa to enter EU member countries for trips under 90 days. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden then publicly blamed the EU for this, claiming "It was the EU letting down music on both sides of the Channel — not us."

The EU, however, quickly hit back, even going a step further to say that not only did they not reject the UK's proposals of visa-free travel for trips under 90 days, it was the EU who offered the idea in the first place and that the UK had responded with their own proposal of just 30 days.

Despite drawing anger from the music industry, the continued success of a petition with over 250,000 signatures and a letter-writing campaign to MPs, ministers have now firmly rejected the idea with the claim that "taking back control" of UK borders is more important and that it was up to EU negotiators to reopen negotiations.

The news came in comments made by Tory MP Caroline Dinenage who spoke in the House Of Commons yesterday (January 19), claiming that it would have left the door open for "visa-free short-stays for all EU citizens," adding, "That is just simply not compatible with our manifesto commitment to taking back control of our borders." She also added that the government would be working with European nations "to find ways to make life easier" for musicians. Whatever that means.

To add even more stress to the lives of artists and tour managers, the barriers against touring in Europe could make it harder for artists to tour the U.S, since according to immigration attorneys VisaPro, artists "must be internationally recognised" to qualify for a P1 visa to travel to and work in America. They go on to say they "must have a high level of achievement in a field as evidenced by a degree of skill and recognition that is substantially above what is ordinarily encountered. Such achievement must be renowned, leading, or well-known in more than one country."


Words: James Keith


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