U.S. Embassy in Nairobi Explains FIFA Pass Rules for Kenyans Ahead of 2026 World Cup

(NAIROBI, KENYA) — Officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico told Kenyan fans on Thursday to start visa applications immediately for the 2026 World Cup, as embassies in Nairobi set out how a new FIFA PASS system will give some ticket holders faster access to U.S. visitor visa interviews.

The program, formally called the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System, is a voluntary, opt-in tool for B1/B2 visa applicants who have already bought World Cup match tickets. It is designed to speed interview scheduling, not to waive ordinary screening. Applicants still face standard security checks and must show ties to Kenya and an intention to return home after travel.

Officials at the briefing said Kenyan fans should apply “with immediate effect” as global demand rises ahead of the tournament, which the United States, Canada and Mexico will host in 2026. The priority window aims to make appointments available within 60 days for registered ticket holders, a shorter timeline than the monthslong backlogs seen in earlier periods.

That process begins with the ticket, not the visa form. Only fans who bought tickets directly through FIFA’s official ticket and travel information page or through On Location can use FIFA PASS, and they must opt in through the official FIFA ticket portal before looking for an interview slot.

Applicants must then complete the standard DS-160 application and pay the required fees. When they move to the interview scheduling stage, those who opted in should see a FIFA PASS option that opens access to priority appointments.

The system does not guarantee approval. U.S. officials have framed it as a scheduling tool for legitimate ticket holders, while keeping the usual vetting in place for tourist visas.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio introduced the program at the White House on November 17, 2025. “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.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem gave the administration’s security message at the same event. “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. they can come and enjoy our country and then they would go home in a timely manner,” Noem said.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino later described the travel system as a way to connect ticket sales and consular access. “With this FIFA Pass, we can make sure that those who buy a ticket that are legitimate football fans. can come and attend the World Cup in the best conditions,” Infantino said on January 22, 2026.

Officials said the program became operational in early 2026. Its rollout comes as demand for U.S. visitor visas has intensified across countries hoping to attend a tournament expected to draw large numbers of international fans.

Costs have also risen for travelers seeking visas this year. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed on July 4, 2025, the standard MRV fee is $185, and a new Visa Integrity Fee adds $250 for nonimmigrant visas issued in 2026.

That puts the total estimated visa cost at $435 per person. The Visa Integrity Fee is mandatory for all nonimmigrant visas issued in 2026 and is potentially refundable if the traveler leaves the United States on time.

The Kenya-specific picture is more favorable than in several nearby countries. Presidential Proclamation 10998 took effect on January 1, 2026 and suspended or limited entry for 39 countries, but Kenya is not on that restricted list.

Kenyan citizens remain eligible for regular B1/B2 processing and for FIFA PASS if they meet the ticket and opt-in rules. That distinction matters in East Africa, where travel planning for the tournament has become uneven across borders.

Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and Nigeria face either partial bans or added bond requirements ranging from $5,000 to $15,000. Those restrictions make the path to travel more complex for residents of those countries, even before ordinary visa eligibility questions come into play.

At the [U.S. Embassy in Nairobi](https://ke.usembassy.gov/), Kenyan applicants are still expected to follow the same core visa steps used in other visitor cases. FIFA PASS changes the order and speed of appointment access for some fans; it does not remove the need for the form, the fee payment, the interview and the proof that the trip is temporary.

The embassy’s message also reflects a practical problem for football supporters who wait too long. Ticket holders without visas can find themselves competing for shrinking interview availability as the tournament draws closer, especially if demand surges after group-stage schedules become clearer and travel plans firm up.

That is why the joint Nairobi briefing focused on timing. Officials urged those with tickets to begin the visa process now rather than assume that a major sporting event will bring automatic travel clearance.

The United States has set out the broader travel framework on its [World Cup 2026 visa page](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/fifa-world-cup-2026.html), while FIFA directs fans to its own travel portal for the opt-in step tied to ticket purchases. The two tracks work together: FIFA confirms the ticket-linked participation, and the consular system handles the visa case.

Kenyan applicants therefore face a sequence that is simple on paper but unforgiving if handled in the wrong order. They must first secure an eligible purchase through FIFA tickets or On Location, opt in through the FIFA portal, complete DS-160, pay the fees, and then look for the FIFA PASS interview option.

Any applicant who bought through unofficial channels falls outside the priority system. The same applies to travelers who hold no qualifying ticket purchase, even if they plan to visit the United States during the tournament period.

Embassy officials in Nairobi presented the system as a way to sort serious spectators from last-minute applicants with no event documentation. That approach also gives consular officers a narrower pool for priority scheduling, centered on fans whose travel plans already connect to a specific purchase.

The emphasis on vetting has remained constant from the White House launch to the Nairobi briefing. U.S. officials have paired the promise of faster appointments with repeated reminders that a visa interview still tests the applicant’s purpose of travel and reasons to return home.

For Kenya, the absence of restrictions under Proclamation 10998 keeps the door open to ordinary tourist processing at a time when regional neighbors face more hurdles. That leaves Kenyan ticket holders in a stronger position if they move early, pay the $435 total cost, and secure one of the priority interview slots the FIFA PASS system sets aside within 60 days.

The message from Nairobi on Thursday was direct: the tournament may still be months away, but the visa clock is already running.