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US removes visa bond requirement for African World Cup ticket holders
The visa bond policy, which required up to $15,000 deposits, applied to travellers from 50 countries flagged for visa overstay risks.
The administration of Donald Trump has suspended visa bond payments for 2026 FIFA World Cup fans from five African countries who meet ticketing requirements.
According to the United States Department of State, citizens of Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia who hold official FIFA tickets and are registered on the FIFA Pass system will no longer pay visa bonds of up to $15,000.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said: “The United States is excited to organize the biggest and best FIFA World Cup in history. We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets.”
The visa bond requirement, introduced in the previous year, applied to travellers from 50 countries identified as having higher visa overstay rates and security concerns, with deposits ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 and refundable if conditions were met.
The waiver is expected to ease travel arrangements for supporters heading to the tournament, which will kick off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Officials indicated that only a small number of fans were initially expected to be affected by the policy.
The decision followed a request from FIFA and was approved after discussions involving the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.
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