Football supporters from five African countries have been granted partial relief after the United States announced it would remove the visa deposit requirement for eligible travellers attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026, although several conditions remain in place.
The decision applies to fans from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia, all of which qualified for the 2026 tournament and had previously been included among 50 nations affected by a U.S. visa bond policy requiring deposits ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 before entry into the country.
The waiver only covers supporters who have already secured match tickets and completed registration through FIFA’s dedicated visa facilitation platform.
According to the BBC, U.S. assistant secretary of state for consular affairs Mora Namdar stated: “We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets.”
She added, however, that strict eligibility requirements would still apply.
African ticket holders face conditional relief
The Trump administration confirmed the revised policy late Wednesday, announcing that supporters who had purchased World Cup tickets would no longer need to pay the visa bond.
Nonetheless, only applicants who registered through FIFA’s online “FIFA Pass” system before April 15 will qualify for the exemption.
The platform, launched last year, was created to accelerate visa processing for verified ticket holders ahead of the tournament, which will take place across the United States, Canada and Mexico between June 11 and July 19.
FIFA described the measure as part of its cooperation with U.S. authorities aimed at ensuring a successful and memorable global sporting event.
Still, many African supporters say the relief remains limited.
Conditional access and lingering barriers
Despite the waiver announcement, fans from Ivory Coast and Senegal continue to face some restrictions linked to the U.S. travel ban framework, meaning certain applicants who missed earlier visa deadlines may still be denied entry.
Supporters across Africa are also dealing with additional obstacles including lengthy visa processing times, expensive flights and rising accommodation costs.
The tournament format presents another challenge, as African national teams are distributed across all three host countries. Only Algeria, Cape Verde and Morocco will play all of their group-stage fixtures within the United States, while other teams will require supporters to obtain extra visas for Canada or Mexico.
A historic 10 African nations are expected to participate in the finals, yet travelling fans continue to face substantial financial burdens in attending matches.
Ticket prices have also increased dramatically, with resale listings showing some Category 3 seats exceeding $30,000, sparking concerns over affordability and accessibility for African supporters.
Analysts say that despite the visa bond exemption, high travel expenses and mobility restrictions remain major challenges for fans hoping to follow a record number of African teams at the 2026 World Cup.