Guide

Filming permits in the Canary Islands: island-by-island guide

Filming in the Canary Islands is easier than in many destinations, but permits are not a single procedure: they depend on where you point the camera. The same shooting day can require authorisation from a town hall to close a street, from an island council for a viewpoint on an island road, and from the environment department if your frame enters a protected natural area.

This guide summarises how that authority is distributed and which bodies are involved on each island, based on what we learn managing them daily as location managers.

Who approves what

Urban land and municipal roads: the town hall of the municipality where you shoot: public-space occupation, traffic closures, parking reservations.
Island roads and viewpoints: each island's cabildo (island council), usually through its roads department.
Protected natural areas: the cabildo's environment department; in the national parks (Teide, Taburiente, Timanfaya, Garajonay), the park authority. These are the slowest permits, with the most conditions.
Beaches and the coastal domain: the Coastal Demarcation authority, in addition to the town hall.
Private estates and interiors: the owner, with a location agreement. This is the most underestimated part: finding the right owner takes time.

Three tips before applying for anything

1Start with more lead time than you think you need. A simple urban shoot can be resolved in days; a protected natural area can take several weeks and come with specific conditions (crew limits, schedules, supervision).
2Describe the real shoot: crew, vehicles, drones, structures. A permit granted for “tripod photography” does not cover a set with a generator, and finding out on shoot day is expensive.
3Drones have their own regime (AESA and, in protected areas, additional conditions). Treat them as a separate permit from day one.