Modeling agencies in United Kingdom: 42 verified agencies (2026)

The model market in the UK

London is one of the four big fashion capitals, alongside New York, Milan and Paris. The British Fashion Council holds London Fashion Week here twice a year, in February and September, showing womenswear and menswear together. Our catalogue lists 30 London agencies, including some of the oldest: Models 1 has operated since 1968, Ugly Models since 1969 and Nevs since 1971. We cover agency districts, fashion week dates, transport and housing costs on the page Modeling agencies in London.

Outside the capital the work is mostly commercial: adverts, catalogues and e-commerce. Manchester has four catalogue agencies, and besides women and men all of them represent children, commercial or mature models. Glasgow has two, both BFMA members. We list one agency each in Sheffield, Nottingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Belfast and Berkhamsted near London.

How agencies work and what the law bans

The UK has no specific model-agency licence: licensing of employment agencies was abolished from 3 January 1995. Agencies are governed by the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, which apply in England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland has its own 2005 regulations with the same rules for models.

• Commission only. Under regulation 26 and Schedule 3, an agency may charge a fashion or photographic model only a commission on the fees for work it found. The rate must be agreed in advance. The glossary explains agency commission.
• No upfront fees. Since 1 October 2010 it has been expressly banned to charge a model for inclusion in a publication or on a website. Such a fee may only be charged once work has been found for you.
• Other services are separate. Photos or showreels may only be offered under a separate contract, cannot be a condition of finding you work, and you can cancel them within the first 30 days without paying anything.
• Terms in writing. Before charging anything, the agency must agree with you in writing what services it provides, whether it may act and receive money on your behalf, what commission it charges, how that is paid and refunded, and how much notice each side must give to end the contract.

Since 7 April 2026 these rules have been enforced by the Fair Work Agency, which replaced the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and regulates employment agencies in England, Scotland and Wales. We cover what else to check in a contract in our guide to the modeling contract.

Boards and requirements

UK agencies divide their models into boards. Of the 42 agencies in our catalogue, 36 have a women's board, 34 a men's board, 23 new faces, 20 talent (creators and public figures), 10 mature models, 9 children, 8 curve, and 3 each sport and commercial. London is dominated by fashion and talent boards, while agencies in Manchester, Glasgow and other cities more often represent children and commercial models. Each agency publishes its height and measurement requirements on its own website.

You can filter the catalogue by board: women, men, new faces, talent, senior, kids, curve, sport, commercial. We compare the fields of work in types of modeling and runway requirements in runway model.

How to choose an agency

We do not rank agencies. The catalogue includes only those that meet one of two conditions:

• BFMA members. The association, founded in 1974 as the AMA and officially affiliated with the British Fashion Council, admits agencies that have traded for at least two years, earn only commission on bookings, have no link with model schools or any other business that makes money from would-be models, keep a client account and pay models within 10 days of being paid by the client. Staff who deal with under-age models must have a DBS (criminal record) check.
• Other professional agencies. Companies that are active on the Companies House register, show a live board, have model management as their core business and are cited by at least two independent sources.

Before you sign, check:

• that the company number is on the website and Companies House shows the company as "Active";
• that the agency has a board that suits you;
• that the contract sets out the commission, exclusivity, length and notice periods;
• how many days it takes to pay you and how you will see your statement;
• that nobody asks you to pay before work has been found.

More questions are in our guide on how to choose a modeling agency.

Under-age models

Under section 37 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963, a child may not work as a model for payment without a licence from the local council. GOV.UK says a licence is needed for children under school leaving age. The person running the job applies to the council where the child lives. If the child does not live in Great Britain, the licence is issued by the council where the applicant lives or has its place of business, so for a child coming from Lithuania the UK client usually applies.

• If the child is not with a parent, teacher or home tutor, they must be supervised by a council-approved chaperone.
• Detailed conditions (hours, breaks, education, earnings) are set in England by the Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014; Scotland has its own 2014 and Wales its own 2015 regulations.
• A Permitted Paid Engagement is only open to those aged 18 or over.

Taxes

The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. If you spend 183 days or more in the UK in a tax year you are usually resident; if you spend fewer than 16 days (or 46 days if you were not resident in the previous three tax years) you are usually non-resident. A non-resident pays UK tax only on UK income.

Models are on HMRC's list of foreign entertainers. Once a client's payments to a non-resident in the tax year exceed the Personal Allowance (£12,570 in 2026 to 2027), it withholds basic-rate tax of 20% from fees for TV or online adverts and for catwalk shows at events with paid entry. Withholding does not apply to still photo shoots, to shows closed to the public (even if streamed) or to cancellation fees. For every deduction you should receive an FEU2 certificate, which you need when declaring your income.

If you become UK resident and work for yourself, you must register for Self Assessment: for your first year, tell HMRC by 5 October after the end of the tax year. The UK and Lithuania have a 2001 double taxation convention, in force since 2002. We explain how to declare foreign income in Lithuania in our guide to model taxes.

Visas after Brexit: how a Lithuanian model can work in the UK

Since 2 April 2025, Lithuanian citizens without status under the EU Settlement Scheme need an ETA to travel. It costs £20, lasts two years or until your passport expires and allows visits of up to 6 months, but as a visitor you cannot do paid or unpaid work. A model has three lawful routes:

GOV.UK states expressly that fashion models count as professional artists who can use a PPE. On the Creative Worker route, models are exempt from the union-set minimum pay, but pay must be at least the minimum wage. A CoS is valid for 3 months, you can apply for the visa no earlier than 3 months before the job starts, and a decision from outside the UK usually takes up to 3 weeks. If you arrive to work under the concession, see a Border Force officer: if you use the ePassport gates you will get no stamp and will not be allowed to work.

Scams and warning signs

A genuine UK agency earns only from commission, so any upfront fee is a clear warning sign. Warning signs:

• you are asked to pay for registration, a place on the website, a "portfolio" or a compulsory photo shoot;
• there is no company name or number, or Companies House shows the company as dissolved or being struck off;
• you are promised work in the UK with no permission to work, or told to come "as a tourist";
• you are offered an ETA or visa through an intermediary website at a higher price than GOV.UK;
• you are invited to a "casting" in a hotel room or private flat, or asked to come without your parents;
• you are pressed to sign on the spot and not allowed to take the contract home.

You can complain about pay and work rights to the Fair Work Agency through GOV.UK. More signs are listed in the glossary entry modeling scams.

How to apply

Most Lithuanian models reach the UK through a mother agency: it sends UK agencies digitals, measurements and a video, and a UK agency that decides to represent you arranges the right permission to work. If you apply directly:

1. Choose agencies by board and city: you can filter the catalogue above.
2. Take photos in daylight without make-up: face from the front and in profile, and full length. Measure your height, bust, waist and hips accurately.
3. If you are under 18, include your parents' contact details.
4. When you get an offer, ask in writing for the contract, the commission, details of the apartment and advances, and the route you will work under: PPE, the Creative Worker concession or a visa.
5. Prepare for castings with our guide model castings: how to prepare.