Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the oral contributions of the Minister for Digital and Culture of 19 January 2021 ., Official Report column 773 on UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements; what assessment the Government has made of (a) the effectiveness of adding musicians to the list of independent professionals for short-term business visitors in enabling frictionless work travel for touring musicians and (b) whether adoption of that policy would have removed the requirement for EU work permits.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement includes a list of 11 activities that can be carried out by short-term business visitors without a work permit, on a reciprocal basis in most Member States, subject to any reservations taken.

During negotiations with the EU, the UK proposed expanding this list of activities for Short Term Business Visitors to cover musicians and their accompanying staff. This would have enabled musicians and other creative professionals to travel and perform in the UK and the EU without needing work-permits. Regrettably, these proposals were rejected by the EU.

Therefore, UK cultural professionals, including musicians, seeking to perform within the EU will be required to check domestic immigration and visitor rules for each Member State in which they intend to perform. Although some Member States may allow paid performances without a visa or work permit, others will require musicians and other creative professionals to obtain a visa or work permit, in the same way that they are required for other international artists.