- FIFA PASS provides prioritized U.S. visa appointments for 2026 World Cup ticket holders to bypass long wait times.
- The voluntary system requires a direct ticket purchase from FIFA and an opt-in to the program.
- All applicants must still undergo standard security vetting and meet regular U.S. visa eligibility requirements.
(UNITED STATES) — FIFA launched FIFA PASS in early 2026, giving FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket holders access to prioritized U.S. visa interview appointments ahead of the tournament in June-July 2026.
The voluntary system, formally called the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System, aims to help fans from countries with longer U.S. visa wait times secure interview slots faster as demand builds for travel to the tournament.
Ticket holders qualify if they bought tickets directly from FIFA and opt in to FIFA PASS. Current ticket holders receive notifications from the FIFA ticket office with opt-in instructions, while future buyers get the option at purchase.
U.S. officials introduced the program in November 2025 at the White House alongside President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the White House Task Force, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The program centers on a practical problem for international travelers: obtaining a U.S. visa interview in time for a global event spread across the United States, Mexico and Canada. FIFA PASS does not replace the standard visa process, but it offers a faster route to an interview for eligible ticket holders.
That matters because the World Cup 2026 will run across 11 U.S. cities and include 78 matches in the United States, with additional matches in cities in Mexico and Canada. For many fans, travel planning depends on whether they can complete the visa process before the first ball is kicked.
Rubio framed the system as a way to speed interviews while keeping the usual screening in place. “The United States is offering prioritized appointments so FIFA World Cup fans can complete their visa interviews and show they qualify. The kick-off is coming up, so now is the time to apply,” Rubio said.
Noem also stressed that faster access to interview slots would not reduce vetting requirements. “We’re making sure that people who come in on these tourist visas are coming in thoroughly vetted just like anyone who would travel here, and they would come and enjoy our country and then they would go home in a timely manner,” Noem said.
FIFA PASS applies only to a defined group of travelers. Fans must have purchased their tickets directly from FIFA, and they must choose to participate in the program through the opt-in process.
That opt-in can happen in two ways, depending on when the ticket was purchased. Existing ticket holders receive instructions from the FIFA ticket office, while people buying later get the chance to opt in during the purchase process.
Not every World Cup traveler needs the system. Fans from Visa Waiver Program countries using ESTA can apply directly without FIFA PASS, and so can travelers who already have open visa appointments.
For those who do need it, the process starts with the ticket purchase itself. A fan buys tickets directly from FIFA and opts in either during the sale or through a notification email sent afterward.
Next comes the standard visa paperwork. Applicants must complete the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application form and pay the fee.
After that, eligible fans can schedule a priority interview appointment through the FIFA PASS system. FIFA has set out that process in a three-step guide.
The design of the program makes clear that FIFA PASS is a scheduling tool, not a separate visa category. It gives access to prioritized U.S. visa appointments, but every applicant still must qualify under the same U.S. visa rules that apply to other travelers.
That limitation sits at the center of the official message around the program. Priority scheduling does not guarantee visa approval.
Instead, the system narrows one part of the process: the wait for an interview. The substantive review remains the same, with applicants required to meet standard U.S. visa requirements.
The timing helps explain why FIFA and U.S. officials rolled the system out when they did. FIFA PASS was unveiled in November 2025 and went live in early 2026, leaving a window before the World Cup in June-July 2026 for ticket holders to act.
Rubio’s statement pointed directly to that deadline pressure. “The kick-off is coming up, so now is the time to apply,” he said.
The launch also reflects the scale of World Cup 2026 in North America. With the tournament split across host cities in three countries, U.S. consular operations face the challenge of processing visitors traveling for one of the biggest events in international sport.
For fans in countries where appointment backlogs run longer, timing can determine whether a purchased ticket turns into an actual trip. FIFA PASS addresses that issue by concentrating on interview access rather than altering who qualifies for a visa.
Eligibility remains tied to a direct relationship between the traveler and FIFA’s ticketing system. Buying a ticket directly from FIFA and opting in are the conditions that open the door to the priority appointment channel.
That requirement also separates FIFA PASS users from other international visitors. A traveler who can use ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program, or who already holds an open appointment, does not need to enter the FIFA PASS queue to move ahead with travel planning.
The step-by-step process is straightforward, but it still depends on completing each stage in order. Ticket purchase and opt-in come first, the DS-160 and fee payment follow, and the priority interview appointment is booked through the FIFA PASS system after that.
For travelers still weighing whether to use the system, the official framing leaves little ambiguity about its purpose. FIFA PASS exists to help ticket holders reach a visa interview faster before World Cup 2026, particularly where ordinary wait times may make that difficult.
At the same time, Noem’s remarks made clear that the United States intends to pair that faster scheduling with standard screening. “We’re making sure that people who come in on these tourist visas are coming in thoroughly vetted just like anyone who would travel here,” she said.
Her statement also linked the program to the temporary nature of tournament travel. Visitors, she said, “would come and enjoy our country and then they would go home in a timely manner.”
FIFA’s approach places the ticket holder at the center of the system. Current holders receive direct communication from the FIFA ticket office, while future buyers encounter the opt-in choice at the moment they purchase.
That structure means access to FIFA PASS does not extend broadly to all potential travelers considering World Cup 2026. It is tied specifically to verified ticket purchases made directly through FIFA.
For applicants, the practical message is to move early. The program is live, the World Cup dates are fixed, and the interview process still requires the same application form and qualification review that apply in other U.S. visa cases.
Fans seeking broader travel guidance have been directed to FIFA’s information page and the U.S. Department of State site for visa and ESTA details. Travelers can also check country-specific wait times through official U.S. embassy resources.
Those pieces fit together as the tournament approaches: ticket purchase, opt-in, visa form, fee payment and interview scheduling. FIFA PASS does not remove the hurdles of U.S. immigration screening, but it creates a faster lane to the interview stage for eligible World Cup fans.
As World Cup 2026 draws closer, the program gives some ticket holders a clearer route through one of the biggest bottlenecks in international travel planning. “The kick-off is coming up, so now is the time to apply,” Rubio said.
