Between June 11 and July 19, 2026, Canada will be hosting 13 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in Toronto and Vancouver.
Whether you’re planning to cheer your team on at the FIFA World Cup 2026 or attend as a volunteer or worker, it’s best to check early on whether you need authorization to enter Canada.
Non-citizens of Canada may require a visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA) as well as a work permit to enter and attend the FIFA World Cup. What you require and the time needed to attain it depend on your nationality, how you plan to travel to Canada (by air, land, or water), and your purpose of travel.
To help facilitate the process, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has created a dedicated webpage for foreign nationals looking to visit or work in Canada temporarily for the event.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Attending the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada as a fan: what visitors need to know
If you are travelling to Canada as a fan, you may need a visitor visa (also known as a temporary resident visa) or an eTA to travel to Canada.
What you require depends on your citizenship and your method of travel to Canada (by land, air or sea).
A visitor visa is an official document stamped in a traveller’s passport that allows foreign nationals from visa-required countries to travel to Canada for a temporary stay.
An eTA is an electronic entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air, digitally linked to the traveller’s passport.
It generally takes longer for a visitor visa application to be processed, compared to an eTA—weeks or months, compared to minutes or days. In either case, IRCC recommends applying early to ensure you get your authorization before the event.
If you’re a US citizen or green card holder, or a French national residing in and arriving directly from St. Pierre and Miquelon, you can enter Canada without a visitor visa or eTA—you just need to have proper documentation, such as a valid passport (US residents must also show a valid green card or equivalent proof of status).
Note: A FIFA match ticket is not required to apply for a visitor visa or an eTA, and holding a ticket does not guarantee approval of an application.
Indicating FIFA travel in an application
Applicants travelling to Canada specifically to attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 are encouraged to note the information below in their application.
eTA applicants can include “FIFA World Cup 26” as an additional detail in the “Background Questions” section.
Visitor visa applicants can include the same wording in the “Tell us more about what you’ll do in Canada” section.
This information is collected for tracking purposes only and does not affect outcome of the application. In other words, it does not provide any form of priority processing or exemption from standard entry requirements).
Working or volunteering at the FIFA World Cup 2026?
There are some groups that are exempt from requiring a work permit to enter Canada.
This includes
- Players and match staff: This encompasses FIFA players, team personnel, referees, and match staff.
- Media and broadcast personnel covering the event: This encompasses any media or broadcast staff who have been invited to work at the FIFA World Cup.
- FIFA-invited volunteers: This encompasses volunteers who have been invited by FIFA to volunteer at a FIFA-organized event. You must have received information directly from FIFA.
- FIFA-invited workers: This includes anyone who has been invited by FIFA to work at an official FIFA-organized event. You must have received information directly from FIFA.While these groups may be exempt from a work permit, a visitor visa or an eTA may still be required to enter Canada, depending on citizenship and method of travel. It’s best to check in advance.
Those applying are encouraged to flag that they are coming for the FIFA World Cup by following the instructions in their invitation letter.
Workers who may still need a work permit
Those who haven’t been invited by FIFA to work at an official FIFA-organized event may need to apply for a work permit. Whether you need one is dependent on the type of work being done at the event.
Such workers, even if they don’t require a work permit, may still be required to obtain a visitor visa or an eTA.
You can check if you need a work permit here.
Travelling to Canada with a criminal record
All travellers should be aware that Canada has strict admissibility rules. Foreign nationals may be denied entry if they are considered criminally inadmissible under Canadian law, even if the offence occurred outside Canada or is considered minor in another country.
Canadian authorities assess offences based on their Canadian legal equivalent, and inadmissibility can arise from past convictions, charges (including those still pending), or having committed an offence.
Depending on the circumstances, some individuals may be able to overcome inadmissibility through options such as:
*TRPs are only issued if an officer deems you to have a compelling reason to enter Canada, and that need outweighs any potential risks you pose to public safety. Whether you are issued a TRP for temporary entry is at the discretion of the reviewing immigration officer—meaning they may decide a football match does not constitute a compelling reason for entry.
Those looking into criminal rehabilitation or a TRP should remember that processing of such applications can take considerable time, so they should review their situation well in advance. More details can be found in our dedicated article on the topic.
Schedule a Free Legal Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
Other things to consider
There are a few additional things you may want to keep in mind if you’re considering attending a FIFA match in Canada:
- Processing times for visitor visas, eTAs and work permits can vary according to country.
- There are some items that need to be declared when entering Canada, such as certain animals, tobacco or alcohol quantities, and currency in excess of $10,000—in addition to others.
- Whether entering Canada as a fan, worker, or volunteer, you must have a valid travel document.
- Early planning is strongly advised to increase your chances of getting the necessary documentation on time.
You can find out more details by visiting IRCC’s dedicated webpage on the FIFA World Cup 2026.