US waives visa bonds of up to $15,000 for FIFA World Cup ticket holders

The Trump administration's visa bond programme had raised concerns about soaring costs for World Cup travellers to the US.Washington, DC – The United States has said it will waive costly visa bonds imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump for World Cup ticket holders.The announcement on Wednesday followed concerns that some international travellers to the 2026 FIFA-world-cup" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="1741" data-entity-type="event">FIFA World Cup would face bonds ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, adding to the already sky-high price of attending the football spectacle.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran says it will play at 2026 World Cup if hosts address ‘concerns’list 2 of 3Football on ruins: Gaza’s orphans find refuge on the pitchlist 3 of 3One month to the World Cup: Five trending topics among football fansend of listUnder a policy launched in August of last year, citizens of 50 countries had been required to post bonds to obtain a temporary US visa. The money is returned after a visitor leaves the US.In a statement to Al Jazeera, US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said the administration is “waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets and opted in to FIFA PASS as of April 15, 2026”.She referred to a previously announced programme to fast-track visa processing for the World Cup. The administration had also previously waived the bond requirements for “qualifying team members, including players, coaches, and support staff who otherwise meet all requirements for entry into the US”, Namdar added.“We remain committed to strengthening US national security priorities while facilitating legitimate travel for the upcoming World Cup tournament,” she said.The US Department of State added that visitors with tickets would still be subject to regular visa vetting.At least five countries competing in the World Cup – Algeria, Cabo Verde, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia – are subject to the visa bond policy.