Playing abroad is work, and most countries outside the artist's own want permission on file before anyone is paid for it.
Inside the EU and EEA
Citizens of an EU or EEA country need no permit to perform in another one. Freedom of movement covers the show. Tax is a separate question and does not go away with the permit.
Outside it
- The UK: artists from elsewhere use the Permitted Paid Engagement route for short visits, or a Creative Worker visa for longer ones, sponsored by the promoter.
- The United States: P-1 or O-1 petitions, filed months ahead, at real cost.
- Switzerland, Japan and Australia each run their own scheme.
What to plan for
Lead times, not fees, are the problem. A US petition takes months unless it is filed with premium processing. Have the promoter confirm in writing which permit they arrange and which one the artist arranges itself, before flights are booked. Border officers ask for the paperwork on arrival, and claiming to be on holiday has ended tours at passport control. Pair the permit question with withholding tax in the same conversation.