One World Cup, three borders. The final 2026 World Cup lineup is now complete, with 48 teams split into 12 groups following the last playoff matches on March 31.
For fans, one reality is already clear: attending the tournament in North America will not involve a single travel formality, but three separate entry regimes depending on whether they are traveling to the United States, Canada, or Mexico. And from one country to the next, the rules can change dramatically, even within the same travel itinerary.
As bookings begin to take shape and some fans are already planning to follow their national team across several cities, or even several countries, the question of travel documents is becoming very real. ESTA, eTA, visa exemption, e-Visa, or electronic authorization: despite the image of a co-hosted World Cup, entry rules remain strictly national.
Here is what supporters of the qualified teams will need to anticipate when preparing their trip to the 2026 World Cup.
The stage is set for the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup!
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) April 1, 2026
The line-up for the @FIFAWorldCup 2026™ has been completed with six teams clinching the remaining places among the 48 that will make the upcoming tournament in North America the most inclusive ever.
United States: ESTA for some qualified countries, B1/B2 visas for the others
For the United States, the simplest entry option remains ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which is reserved for nationals of countries in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Among the nations qualified for the 2026 World Cup, this includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, as well as the United Kingdom, covering, in particular, fans from England and Scotland. In Curaçao’s case, the situation depends on the Dutch passport used for travel.
ESTA must be obtained before boarding and allows a stay of 90 days or less for tourism or business purposes. The official portal, esta.cbp.dhs.gov, now lists a fee of $40.27. However, travelers eligible under the VWP who have been in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, or North Korea since March 1, 2011, or in Cuba since January 12, 2021, generally can no longer use this program and must instead apply for a visa.
For all other qualified nationalities, from Brazil to Argentina, from Morocco to Senegal, from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Uzbekistan, the B1/B2 visitor visa is therefore required.
There is also a recent development worth watching closely: starting April 2, 2026, Washington is expanding its bond program for certain B1/B2 visas to 50 countries. The State Department says that an otherwise eligible applicant may then be required to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. Among the countries already qualified for the World Cup, five are directly affected by this expansion: Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Tunisia.
Supporters who need a visa may also turn to the FIFA PASS program, launched by U.S. authorities in coordination with FIFA. Reserved for individuals who purchased their tickets directly through FIFA and chose to enroll in the program, it provides access to a priority appointment for a B1/B2 visa interview before the start of the tournament. That said, the program does not change eligibility requirements or how the application is reviewed: it helps secure a consular interview slot, but it does not guarantee visa issuance. It is therefore mainly intended for supporters who cannot travel on an ESTA.
Canada: eTA for visa-exempt travelers, with an intermediate category that should not be overlooked
Canada will host its matches in Toronto and Vancouver. Toronto is set to host six matches, including the first men’s World Cup match ever played on Canadian soil, when Canada opens its tournament on June 12, 2026, while Vancouver will host seven.
From an entry-requirements standpoint, the electronic travel authorization (eTA) remains the rule for visa-exempt travelers arriving by air. Among the qualified teams, this directly applies to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, as well as holders of a British passport, therefore including, in particular, supporters from England and Scotland. Here again, travelers from Curaçao using a Dutch passport fall into that category. The eTA costs 7 Canadian dollars, is valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, and generally allows for multiple entries for short stays.
Canada’s case is more nuanced than that of the United States, however, because some countries that normally require a visa may still apply for an eTA, but only under very specific conditions. Among the countries qualified for the World Cup, this applies to Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, and Uruguay, provided the traveler has held a Canadian visitor visa within the past 10 years or currently holds a valid U.S. nonimmigrant visa, and arrives by air. If they arrive by car, bus, train, or boat, however, those travelers must still obtain a visitor visa.
For the other qualified nationalities, a Canadian visa remains the standard route.
Mexico: broad visa exemption, targeted electronic authorizations, and an e-Visa for Brazilians
Mexico, which will kick off the tournament in Mexico City on June 11, applies a generally more flexible regime for short stays without paid activity, allowing visits of up to 180 days.
According to the official list published by Mexican immigration authorities, among the teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup, nationals of the following countries are currently exempt from a visa to travel to Mexico: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Curaçao, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, the United States, and the United Kingdom, which therefore includes, in particular, supporters from England and Scotland.
Mexico has also reintroduced, since February 5, 2026, an electronic visa for Brazilian nationals traveling by air for tourism or business. It is valid for a single entry and for stays of up to 180 days.
Russian, Ukrainian, and Turkish nationals may also use an electronic authorization to travel to Mexico by air, again for a single entry and for stays of up to 180 days.
For other nationalities not included on the exemption list, a consular visa remains necessary, unless the traveler holds a valid visa or permanent resident status in countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, or the Schengen Area. Mexican authorities also remind travelers that the passport must remain valid for the entire duration of the stay, and that these authorizations do not guarantee admission at the border.
The real trap for fans: changing countries often means changing documents
This is probably the most important point for fans hoping to follow the tournament from one country to another.
A traveler who is visa-exempt for the United States may return from short side trips to Canada or Mexico within the limits of their original 90-day VWP period.
By contrast, in Canada, the eTA applies to air travel: travelers from countries with conditional eligibility will therefore need a visa if they cross the border by land or sea.
And in Mexico, the electronic solutions available to Brazilians, Russians, Ukrainians, and Turks apply only to arrivals by air: entering by land or sea means falling back on the regular visa requirement.
Put simply, an itinerary such as “Los Angeles – Toronto – Mexico City” may require three completely different readings of the rules, even when it is all part of one and the same World Cup trip.
