How to plan a location recce trip abroad
- Last reviewed
- 5 min read
- For production crews
The short answer
Plan a location recce by deciding what questions it must answer, sending the smallest team that can answer them, and contacting the local film commission before you travel. Entry and work rules for a recce vary by country, so check them for each person rather than assuming a scouting trip needs no paperwork. Book flexible flights, record everything in a standard format, and check insurance covers the trip.
Key takeaways
- Define the decisions the recce must support, such as permits, power, access and safety, and plan the days around them.
- Send the smallest team that can answer those questions. Fewer travellers means lower cost and fewer entry checks.
- Film commissions can advise on permits, regulations and visas. Film France, for example, says its services for foreign productions are free.
- Whether a recce counts as work varies by country. Check each destination's rules for each person.
- Do not fly a drone on a recce without checking local rules. UK drone IDs are not valid abroad.
What should a recce achieve?
A recce is a decision-making trip. Write down the questions before you book, and make sure each location visit can answer them. A typical list covers permits and who grants them, access and parking for trucks, power, noise, toilets and welfare, phone signal, daylight hours at the shoot time, hazards, and the nearest hospital and emergency services. The same notes feed your travel risk assessment for the main shoot.
Agree the format for notes and photographs in advance, so the findings from three locations over four days are comparable on the way home.
Who should go on the recce?
Keep the team small. A common core is the person who makes creative decisions, the person who knows the practical and safety requirements, and the location lead. Add specialists only where a decision depends on them, such as a rigger for a rooftop or a safety adviser for water or heights. Each extra traveller adds airfare, accommodation, a passport check and an entry-rules check.
A local fixer or a film commission contact can save days by pre-arranging site visits and introductions. Treat their location suggestions as a shortlist, not a substitute for visiting.
Do recce visitors need permits or visas?
There is no single answer. UK nationals can visit the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa for listed purposes, but GOV.UK says to check the specific country for work. Its pages for France, Germany and Spain list film and audiovisual crew as exempt from a visa or permit for up to 90 days with conditions, while its Italy page lists no such exemption. Those exemptions concern working on productions, and whether a short scouting trip counts depends on the country and activity.
- Ask the embassy, consulate or national film commission whether the recce team needs anything beyond a standard visitor entry.
- Carry a letter from the production company stating the purpose of the trip, the dates and who is paying, plus return tickets and accommodation details.
- Check each person's passport against the destination's validity rules, and the EU Entry/Exit System for Schengen trips.
Our guide on UK film crews working in Europe has the country-by-country detail, and the passport and visa checklist covers passport tests.
How do you schedule the trip?
| Stage | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before booking | Write the questions the recce must answer, shortlist locations and contact the local film commission or fixer |
| As soon as dates are set | Check entry and work rules per traveller, book flights with change terms, and ask for written permission to visit private sites |
| Before departure | Share a day-by-day plan with travel times, agree who holds the notes, and confirm insurance covers the trip and the activities |
| On the ground | Visit at the time of day you will shoot, photograph and log each site in the same format, and note permit contacts |
| After the trip | Circulate findings, update the risk assessment and flag open permit questions with owners and dates |
Allow generous travel time between sites. Roads, parking and finding the right access point take longer than a map suggests. Use the trip timeline builder to work back from the shoot date.
Can you fly a drone on a recce?
Only after checking the local rules. The CAA says UK Flyer IDs and Operator IDs are not valid outside the UK, and EASA says non-EU residents register in the first EU country they fly in and complete EU training. Some countries restrict drones at the border. See taking a drone abroad for filming. If the rules are unclear, use ground photography or hire a local operator.
How Roamly can help
Roamly Travel plans logistics and group flights for production crews, including flexible flights, accommodation near locations and ground transport between sites. Use the free travel document checklist, or contact us with your locations and recce dates.
Sources
- CNC: Filming in France (Film France)
- GOV.UK: Travel to France for work
- GOV.UK: Travel to Germany for work
- GOV.UK: Travel to Spain for work
- GOV.UK: Travel to Italy for work
- CAA: Flying drones abroad
- NHS: Apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)
General guidance only, checked against the sources above on 30 October 2026. Entry rules, airline policies and official advice change, so confirm the current position with the linked source before you travel.