Since its introduction in 2022, the option of obtaining Sporting Nationality to be able to represent a country has been very popular, with over 230 applications approved. However, with the re-introduction of participant nationality checks for IFF events it has drawn our attention to the many occasions where a player has been representing a country without having one of the required documents – either a passport of the country they are representing or a certificate of Sporting Nationality. Although the process has been quite clear – that all applications should be finalised prior to a player being included to a team list – there has been a growing number of either late applications or even players arriving to events without the necessary documents.
To minimise the number of late and/or on-site applications at events, new regulations and applications costs have been approved by the IFF Central Board. They will come into effect immediately and apply to all international events.
- All players included to a team list for an international event must be eligible for the country they shall represent. Proof of eligibility must be in the form of a current passport of the country being represented or a certificate of Sporting Nationality issued by the IFF
- Sporting Nationality applications received prior to the team list due date shall be processed as normal, with the regular fee of 150CHF, and applications are processed within 7 days of receipt
- Sporting Nationality applications received after the team list due date shall be processed with the fee of 300CHF. Applications are processed within 7 days of receipt, or by the time of the start of the event if received within 7 days of the event start
- At an event, a player who cannot present either a valid passport for the country they shall represent or a Sporting Nationality Certificate, shall be permitted to submit an emergency Sporting Nationality Application, with the fee of 500CHF. The application will be processed immediately and finalised as quickly as possible by the IFF Administration. The player will not be eligible to participate in the event until the Sporting Nationality application is approved.
- All applications must include the required documentation as set in the Proof of Eligibility to Represent a Nation regulations. Applications received without all the necessary documentation may be denied
- It is the responsibility of each National Association to ensure the eligibility of their players, and therefore all costs related to late applications should be borne by the National Association
To find out more about what is required to apply for Sporting Nationality, please refer to the document ‘IFF Proof of Eligibility to Represent a Nation 2026’ and ‘IFF Sporting Nationality Application Form’, both of which can be found in the folder of all current IFF Competition Regulations: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1U4EGEMzi3bY8RWyNZCBOn99pnp0cYbVn