Shipping film to Europe and dealing with VAT

[mathieu Bauwens]

So, if you want to have some more personnal experience, I fly numerous time to Laos with B&W films; Kodak PX125, trix and TMax 3200 in 135mm, Fomapan 200 and TXP 320 in 4x5inch. Films passed Xray for hand luggage cabin in Brussels airport, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok and Luang Prabang, Bangkok and Abu Dhabi for the come back; never had any issues !

[MartinP]

At first I thought you were planning on shooting 1000 sheets of 8x10", which must be commercial use and you would certainly need a work-permit, or an exemption (do US citizens need a work-permit in the EU? If you have a dual-nationality with a Schengen Treaty country then travel on those documents). But then I saw that you were buying film in ten sheet boxes -- what is wrong with fifty sheet packs? It would reduce the size enormously, just four boxes would be easy to carry. Can you find some old, empty, fifty sheet boxes if they are no longer available to buy new, or even re-purpose a printing-paper box? If you can usually get them hand-checked leaving the US and the packs will have been opened before you return anyway (to use the film) then you are not in a worse position regarding the packaging and testing. Presumably you can carry empty film boxes in hold baggage, to simplify sending the film back in case you don't have an entire box of fifty ready to send.

Regarding VAT, I think you won't have a choice if you have to collect a parcel, and you will probably not get a refund of the import duty. I would be wary of being accused of working in the EU with that much film and equipment. Having the whole lot confiscated and then paying the costs for yourself to be deported would not be much fun!

[gary mulder]

Any artist can work for 4 weeks in the EU without work-permit

[MartinP]

Any artist can work for 4 weeks in the EU without work-permit

That is interesting news. I have confirmed that there is an option on a Schengen visa, when endorsed 'for work', for artistic and cultural performances and associated activities (roadies for a band, for example) for up to ninety days in any twelve month period. Some countries (eg. Germany) have a fifteen day allowance for unplanned artistic work, to cover such 'edge cases' as being unexpectedly asked and paid to be a film extra, or to be interviewed by a journalist, and so on. The references I have found are to support performances (which includes setting up an exhibition), rather than production of artwork.

Can you please let me know what paperwork and evidence is necessary to support an application for a visa like this in the EU? I have found no reference whatsoever, other than artists being deported from the UK (which has 'different' rules of course) and musicians being imprisoned in France.

[gary mulder]

If you are able to read (legal) Dutch
https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen...-2013-360.html

[MartinP]

Thank you for finding that documentation. So, if I read that correctly, a US citizen working as an artist can travel to the Schengen area (26 countries within Europe) for a stay of up to three months within any six month period without a visa, and work in Netherlands as an artist for not more than four to six consecutive weeks during that time period.

From reading the Schengen FAQs, it seems that the work-permit legislation is on a national basis while the visiting visa (or in the case of USA, agreement for visa-free visits) is Schengen-area wide. To check that each country where the OP will be photographing has similar exemption rules to NL would be time consuming, but I suppose it is one of those things that is the responsibility of the traveller. I had never heard that such dispensations existed!

[Two23]

Can you first go to a non-EU country and avoid the problem? There is NO WAY I'd pay some government 21% in taxes. I would simply go somewhere else. I find those kinds of tax rates astonishing.


Kent in SD

[soeren]

Can you first go to a non-EU country and avoid the problem? There is NO WAY I'd pay some government 21% in taxes. I would simply go somewhere else. I find those kinds of tax rates astonishing.


Kent in SD

Well if you don't like the smell of it..............

[Steven Tribe]

Can you first go to a non-EU country and avoid the problem? There is NO WAY I'd pay some government 21% in taxes. I would simply go somewhere else. I find those kinds of tax rates astonishing.


Kent in SD

This is not a solution. The VAT still becomes payable when you enter the EU from, for instance, Norway or Switzerland.
Note that 21% is not a standard rate but is fixed by national legislation: for Denmark it is 25%.

[soeren]

Kind of ironic. Whats the cost of airplane tickets and acommodation, food and transport on location etc? How much does VAT of a small number of 8X10" packs add to your total costs? Are the savings worth all this extra fuss?