The UK events industry is calling for urgent visa reform with the EU.
Post-Brexit, the UK is in something of an “access crisis” with its main trading partner, the EU. New research from The Business of Events warns that UK event professionals are facing growing restrictions on working in the EU, threatening the industry’s global competitiveness.
A new whitepaper highlights how the lack of visa provisions in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) has created a fragmented system across 27 member states, leaving UK agencies and freelancers facing spiralling visa fees, red tape and legal risks.
In some cases, organisers have faced fines, as well as deportations and travel bans for failing to comply with complex rules (that vary country-by-country).
“The absence of a dedicated visa category for event delivery professionals is stifling our industry,” said Mike Fletcher, director of news and content at The Business of Events. “We’re witnessing UK organisations losing contracts, freelancers being priced out of the market, and EU clients turning away due to uncertainty and cost.”
The paper calls on the UK government to reopen the TCA and negotiate an exemption for event professionals, alongside country-specific visa guidance and centralised support services to help agencies navigate work requirements.
It also advises organisers to build visa timelines into projects. BoE wants greater coordination between UK and EU industry bodies to restore a better system mobility.
“We’re already discussing these recommendations with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events,” Fletcher added. “[But] without meaningful change, the future of cross-border event delivery hangs in the balance.”
The white paper Visas and Work Permits for UK Event Businesses in the EU is available for download here.