Football fans jetting over to the US for the 2026 World Cup could see their visa appointment fast-tracked thanks to a newly announced initiative.
Speaking at the White House this week, POTUS Donald Trump revealed that US embassies will give priority for visa appointment to those who have purchased tickets to official matches.
Dubbed the FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System, millions of ticket-holders will be able to bypass long wait times to ensure they have the proper documentation to enter the country.
Trump says the move is part of efforts to make the 2026 World Cup - which runs from 11 June to 19 July next year - an “unprecedented success.”
The ‘FIFA pass’
FIFA president Gianni Infantino told reporters that between five and 10 million football fans will be heading to the US to enjoy the World Cup, where most of the matches will be hosted.
He argues the FIFA pass will allow “legitimate football fans” to attend the World Cup in the “best condition” - starting by getting their visa and entering the country.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says more than 400 additional consular officers have been deployed to handle World Cup-related visa requests, stating that in “about 80 per cent of the world” you can get an appointment within 60 days.
However, some countries are subject to much longer US visa wait times. For example, data published by the US State Department says travellers from Colombia are currently waiting around 11 months for an interview appointment.
Which countries can use the ‘FIFA Pass’?
Officials have yet to confirm whether the FIFA Pass can be obtained by citizens who live in countries recently banned or partially restricted from entering the US, following Trump’s sweeping travel bansearlier this year.
The 12 countries targeted include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela are partially restricted.
Not all football fans will need a visa to visit the US next year. The US waiver programme permits 42 countries to travel to the US for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. These are:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Chile
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom (British citizens must have the unrestricted right of permanent abode in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man).
‘Doesn’t guarantee admission to the US’
Rubio warned potential travellers that a ticket to the World Cup is “not a visa”.
“It doesn’t guarantee admission to the US,” he adds. “We’re going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get. The only difference here is we’re moving them up in the queue.”