There is no single filming permit for Sicily. Who you need to ask depends on where you shoot and what you need to do there. This guide explains the main offices and approvals a production meets in Sicily, so you know what to plan for before you arrive.
It is a general guide, not legal advice. Rules, fees and timing change from one municipality to the next and from year to year, so always confirm the current requirements for your specific locations.
It starts with the municipality
Most requests start with the Comune, the municipality where the location is. A shoot on public land normally needs the municipality’s authorisation, and this applies whenever the unit occupies public space: a base camp, parked trucks, lighting stands, a dolly on a pavement. Some Italian cities also ask for authorisation when a shoot does not occupy public land at all.
In Sicily every municipality has its own office, its own timing and its own way of working. On Livatino we dealt with several Comuni at the same time. Read what that involved.
Traffic, parking and the municipal police
When a shoot affects traffic or parking, the municipal police are involved. Palermo shows how it works in practice. For a film shot in October 2025, the traffic and mobility office of the municipal police issued a traffic order. It set the dates and hours for each street, no-parking zones with vehicle removal around the production base, and pedestrian stops that last only for the length of each take, 10 minutes at most. The request had been sent by the Palermo Film Commission. Other municipalities have their own procedures.
State roads: ANAS
Roads managed by ANAS, the company that runs Italy’s national road network, need ANAS’s approval on top of the local one. On Livatino, filming on the SS640 meant planning closures, diversions and safety measures with ANAS and the local authorities.
Archaeological sites, museums and protected areas
Archaeological parks, monuments, museums and nature reserves are managed by their own bodies, often together with the Soprintendenza for cultural heritage. Access for filming is a separate approval, with its own conditions. The Sicilia Film Commission works with these bodies to make sites available to productions.
Drones
Drone filming is regulated separately. It requires a licensed operator and special authorisations, so plan it as its own item on your permit list.
Sicilia Film Commission and regional support
The Sicilia Film Commission is the regional agency for audiovisual productions. It publishes the Sicily location guide and production guide, and runs the public calls that co-finance productions shot on the island. For 2025–2027 the Region published a call worth 15 million euros in non-repayable co-financing, funded by the Development and Cohesion Fund. Eligibility, categories and deadlines are set by each call, so check the Film Commission’s website for the current one.
Tax credit for foreign productions
Italy also has a national tax credit for foreign productions, run by the Ministry of Culture’s Directorate-General for Cinema and Audiovisual. Rates, caps and conditions change with each budget law and decree, so we do not quote figures here. In practice the credit is claimed through an Italian production company working with the foreign producer. It is worth involving your Italian partner before the budget is locked, and checking the current conditions with the Ministry.
A practical checklist
- A list of locations with addresses, and the days and hours you need each one.
- The size of the unit, and the number of vehicles and trucks that need to park.
- Any road closure, traffic stop or diversion.
- Drone use, and the licence of the operator.
- Any location that is a monument, archaeological site, reserve or private property.
- A contact person on the ground for each municipality.
Start early. Every extra location is an extra office, with its own timing.
How FixerSicily can help
Filming permits are one of our services. We deal with public authorities, institutions and private owners, and we scout and coordinate the locations during filming. See all our services.
FixerSicily is the production service division of Polarys, a production company based in Agrigento, Rome and Valencia. Polarys has won two Sicilia Film Commission calls.
Official sources
- Sicilia Film Commission
- Regione Siciliana: 15 million euros for audiovisual productions, 2025–2027 (in Italian)
- Ministry of Culture: Cinema and Audiovisual (in Italian)
FAQ
Do I need a permit to film in Sicily?
Usually yes, as soon as the shoot occupies public land, affects traffic or parking, takes place at a monument, archaeological site or reserve, or involves a drone. The exact requirements depend on the location.
Who issues filming permits in Sicily?
There is no single office. Depending on the location: the municipality, the municipal police for traffic and parking, ANAS for state roads, and the managing body or the Soprintendenza for heritage sites and reserves.
Does FixerSicily handle the permits?
Yes. It is one of our services. We deal with public authorities, institutions and private owners, and we coordinate the locations during filming.
Is there regional funding for productions shot in Sicily?
Yes. The Sicilia Film Commission publishes public calls that co-finance productions shot on the island. For 2025–2027 the call is worth 15 million euros. The conditions are set by each call.
Planning a shoot in Sicily? Tell us about your project at info@fixersicily.com or through our contact page.