Filming Permits & Licenses Ireland

Here is how this works in practice. Permitting an Irish shoot demands ease across two jurisdictions and four governance tiers — sometimes inside the same shooting day if your script crosses the Republic-Northern Ireland border. Our permit team begins at Screen Ireland (Bord Scannán na hÉireann), the national film board that gatekeeps the Section 481 tax credit. A 32% rebate on Irish and EEA-resident crew costs with a 40% regional uplift outside Dublin and Cork that has anchored Vikings (Ashford Studios, six seasons plus Vikings: Valhalla Netflix). Foundation (Troy Studios Limerick).

Here is the short of it. The Tudors and Penny Dreadful (Ardmore Studios Bray since 1958), Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi at Skellig Michael, The Wonder, Banshees of Inisherin on Achill Island and Inishmore, and The Quiet Girl, the first Irish-language Best International Feature Oscar nominee in 2022. From there we descend into the Screen Ireland regional commission network. Galway Film Centre, Cork Film Office for Munster, Kerry Film Office for the Wild Atlantic Way, Limerick Film Office, Donegal Film Office. And file dossiers through county councils for street closures.

IAA (Irish Aviation Authority) authorizations for drone work, Revenue Commissioners ATA carnet packages for inbound camera kit, ComReg for range coordination, and DETE work permits for non-EEA crew.

Here is the breakdown. Our process maps every location against the governing authority before paperwork goes out the door. Dublin's Trinity College, Temple Bar, Grafton Street, Phoenix Park, Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin Castle. The Custom House, and the Ha'penny Bridge each route through Dublin City Council on top of Office of Public Works clearances for state heritage properties. Cork's English Market, Cobh (the last port of call for the Titanic), and Blarney Castle move through Cork City and County Councils. Wicklow's Glendalough monastery ruins and the Powerscourt Estate carry National Monuments overlays.

Here is what that looks like on the ground. The Cliffs of Moher (Princess Bride, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Skellig Michael UNESCO (Star Wars sequel trilogy). The Aran Islands Gaeltacht. Connemara. The Burren limestone karst, and the Killarney National Park each demand An Bord Pleanála planning consultation and four-to-six-week heritage lead times. When productions cross into Northern Ireland — Game of Thrones turf at Titanic Studios Belfast, the Paint Hall, Tollymore Forest, Castle Ward (Winterfell). Downhill Beach (Dragonstone). Cushendun Caves, and Carnlough Harbour.

Here is how the picture comes together. Plus Derry Girls in Derry/Londonderry and the Giant's Causeway UNESCO Antrim Coast — we shift jurisdiction to Northern Ireland Screen and the DfC (Department for Communities), handling customs paperwork under the NI Protocol, GBP/EUR rate running, and bilingual permit packages. Standard council permits clear in five to ten days; OPW and UNESCO heritage approvals run two to four weeks; expedited filings land emergency permits inside seventy-two hours.