Filming Permits and Locations in China: What Foreign Teams Should Know
For corporate and commercial video in China, most filming happens on private property — offices, factories, hotels, event venues — where the permission you need comes from the property owner or venue, not a government film office. Public landmarks, city streets beyond casual b-roll, drones, and anything journalistic are different stories, each with its own process. The reliable rule: confirm the specific requirements for your specific locations before the crew is booked, which is precisely what a local production partner is for.
This guide describes how location access works in practice for foreign companies shooting corporate content in China. It is general orientation, not legal advice — rules differ by city, venue and project type, and your production partner should confirm specifics for each shoot.
The most important distinction: corporate vs. journalistic
China treats journalism and commercial production differently. Foreign media work — news, current affairs, editorial documentary — runs through its own accreditation and permission system, and that track is stricter and slower. Corporate video (brand films, executive interviews, factory tours, event coverage, training content) is normal commercial activity conducted with the cooperation of the businesses and venues being filmed.
Practical consequences:
- Be accurate about what your project is. Booking an editorial project as a "corporate shoot" creates problems for everyone, including your crew.
- If your project sits in a gray zone — say, a brand documentary with man-on-the-street interviews — raise it explicitly with your local partner and plan the shoot around what is actually permitted.
How access works, location by location
Offices, factories, private venues. The property owner's written permission is the core requirement. For factories, coordinate restricted areas and NDAs in advance — the process is described in our factory video production service. Straightforward, routine, done every day.
Hotels and event venues. Filming your own event at a venue you have contracted is normal; tell the venue in advance and confirm any house rules (load-in times, where cameras and cabling can go, fire-lane rules). Filming in a hotel's public areas beyond your event space needs the hotel's separate consent.
Trade shows and exhibitions. Governed by organizer and venue rules — exhibitor badges usually cover your own booth, and media passes may be needed for floor filming. Details vary by show.
Streets and public areas. Handheld b-roll and walking shots are generally unremarkable. Larger setups — tripods, lighting, directed talent, anything that occupies space — can require permission from district authorities or property management depending on the location, and practices differ between cities. Your local team will know what works where.
Landmarks and scenic sites. Famous sites typically have their own filming rules and commercial-filming procedures, sometimes with fees. Never assume; always ask the site.
Sensitive areas. Government buildings, military facilities, border areas, airports and some infrastructure are off-limits or tightly restricted for filming. A local crew treats these as hard stops, and so should your shot list.
Drones: possible, but plan around the rules
Aerial filming in China is regulated and location-dependent: operator licensing requirements, registration, and airspace restrictions that vary by city and district, with many urban centers and sensitive zones closed to drone flight entirely. Some locations that look open on a map are not. The workable pattern is the one we use: a licensed local drone operator (from US$300/day through our camera crew and fixer service) who verifies the specific site and date in advance, and a plan B on the ground for locations that turn out to be no-fly.
What a fixer actually does for you here
"Fixer" undersells it. On the permissions front, a good local producer or fixer will: identify what each location on your list actually requires, obtain venue permissions in Chinese, arrange media or exhibitor passes where relevant, brief the crew on site-specific rules, and quietly resolve the on-the-day questions ("who are you, do you have permission?") that stall foreign crews. For visiting productions, this — plus equipment, crew and scheduling — is the difference between a two-day shoot and a five-day one. Filming in the capital, with its density of landmark and government-adjacent locations, is a particular case where local knowledge pays for itself; see our Beijing video production page.
People on camera: releases and consent
Location permission and personal consent are separate questions. For corporate work, get signed appearance releases from everyone featured on camera — employees, executives, customers — in a language they actually read; bilingual release forms are standard practice and cost nothing extra to prepare. Incidental passersby in public b-roll are generally treated pragmatically, but anyone identifiable and featured should sign. Factories add a layer: workers on the line are usually covered by the factory's own consent to the shoot, but confirm this with management rather than assuming it, and honor any individual who asks not to appear. Your production partner should carry blank releases as a matter of routine.
A pre-shoot location checklist
- List every location and what you will film there
- Classify each: private property / venue / public space / landmark / aerial
- Obtain written permission for each private location
- Check drone feasibility per site — never assume
- Confirm the project type is described accurately to all parties
- Carry copies of permissions and contact numbers on shoot day
- Have a fallback location for anything uncertain
Where BTVS fits in
BTVS Production handles location coordination and permissions as part of every shoot we run — a registered Beijing production company with bilingual producers who arrange access in Chinese and keep you informed in English, across corporate video, events and factory work nationwide. Our crews have cleared and filmed at demanding public scale, including the 5G + 8K opening-ceremony broadcast of the World Police & Fire Games in Chengdu. Send your location list through our contact page and we will tell you what each one realistically requires.