Business permits, approvals & tenders

Apply for a filming or photography permit

You need to request permission before your shoot begins in the City of Sydney area.

What you need to do

  1. Check what approvals you need

    Approval is required to film or photograph on public land. Our government landowners map shows which areas require permission from the City of Sydney and other authorities.

    If you’re filming on private property, with no activity on City of Sydney public land and have no parking permit requirements, you don’t need to apply for our consent.

    Talk with a film liaison officer

    We encourage you to contact us at the earliest time before applying on 02 9265 9333 or openspacebookings@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au. We can advise the best process to follow, and provide guidance on who you need to notify, as well as any further requirements like parking and insurance.

  1. Determine your application category

    Fees and lead times are determined by the size of your production.

    Ultra-low impact
    • No application fee
    • Less than 10 crew
    • Maximum of one camera, one light, one piece of sound equipment and one tripod – no other equipment is permitted
    • Must be purely a piece to camera located in a park, open public space or footpath
    • No activities on any open roadways, including laneways or other areas with no useable footpath
    • Production should not require parking, traffic control or road closures and should not affect people walking, businesses or residents
    Low impact
    11 to 25 crew, no more than 4 trucks and vans, minimal equipment and lighting, small unit base, usually one to 2 locations.
    Medium impact
    26 to 50 crew, maximum 10 trucks, some equipment (including dolly, jibs), unit base, maximum 4 locations.
    High impact
    More than 50 crew, more than 10 trucks, significant construction, extensive equipment, large unit base.
    Parking only
    When filming on private property and parking is required.

  2. Refer to the fees and charges

  3. Prepare your supporting information

    Information you provide must be clear, detailed and honest to help us make an informed decision. It must include a specific equipment list, an accurate assessment of the number of vehicles and crew and realistic descriptions of activities and timeframes.

    Read our guide for more information.

  4. Complete the application form

    • Ultra-low impact applications: require a lead time of at least 2 full business days.

    Apply now for ultra-low impact filming and photography

    • Low-high impact applications: require a lead time of at least 5 full business days
    • Low-high impact applications requiring road closures: require a lead time of at least 15 full business days
    • Parking-only applications: require a lead time of at least 5 full business days

    Apply now for all other filming and photography permits

    Note, photography applications are currently not permitted in Paddington Reservoir Gardens.

    As a minimum, you must include the following:

    • complete and detailed information, which is not subject to change
    • your public liability insurance certificate of currency
    • location plan specific to your shoot.

    Applications with missing or incomplete details will be declined.

    Further details such as traffic control plans, pedestrian management plans and risk assessments may be required. If you need to send further supporting documentation, there will be an opportunity to do this on the last page of the online form.

  5. Pay the application fee

    Once your application is submitted the associated fee is payable and non-refundable once submitted whether the application is approved or declined. You will receive an invoice from a filming liaison officer.

Before you start

Application fees

Valid from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.

There is no application fee for an ultra-low impact filming application.

Fees are GST exempt unless specified.

Apply for subsidised filming fees

You may be eligible for subsidised filming fees if you can demonstrate that one or more of the following conditions will be met in full:

  • the production and application is by a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation where the main purpose is for the improvement/benefit to City of Sydney community (registered Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission details must be provided)
  • the production and application is by an educational institution relating directly to a course or curriculum based assignment, and solely for a non-commercial purpose
  • the production's primary purpose is to highlight the city as a tourist destination.

To apply for subsidised filming fees, download and complete the application form.

Land ownership

Our area includes some precincts that require applications and permits from other authorities.

The government landowners map will help you determine the authority for the area of your production.

Contacts for other authorities

Centennial Park, Queens Park, Moore Park, Driver Avenue and other roads within

Inside train stations

Royal Botanic Garden, The Domain, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, Hospital Road and other roads within

Circular Quay, The Rocks, Darling Harbour, Pymont wharves, Pyrmont Point and other areas of Pyrmont/Ultimo

Sydney Opera House including forecourt areas

All state roads such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Anzac Bridge, Cahill Expressway, Western Distributor and Botany Road

Barangaroo

Filming on private property

If you’re filming on private property, you don’t need to apply for our consent but you’ll need to lodge a filming management plan.

The management plan needs to include:

  • your company details
  • a description of the filming to take place
  • the proposed location
  • start and end dates
  • crew size
  • details of temporary structures
  • equipment to be used such as handheld or mounted cameras
  • parking arrangements
  • any expected disruption to the surrounding area such as noise, vibrations, release of smells and the use of lighting or special effects
  • copies of approvals that you need from other public authorities such as the police.

You must also follow the state government’s planning restrictions in relation to the property.

Report local film and photography crew concerns