Fans and players from five African World Cup countries face $15,000 bond to enter US

A newly expanded policy from the Trump administration could require travelers from five World Cup-qualified countries to front a bond of up to $15,000 in order to enter the United States for the tournament.

Visa bonds operate like security deposits: A one-time payment meant to be refunded after a traveler exits the US under the terms of their visa. The amounts generally run between $5,000 and $15,000, and are required for passport holders from certain countries to enter the USs legally under B-1 or B-2 visas, the type required for business travelers or tourists.

The US state department has required these bonds since launching a pilot program in late 2025, targeted at many of the same countries affected by the Trump travel ban along with others – largely countries from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and some parts of Asia. Last week, the state department announced an expansion of the program, with visitors from 50 countries required to submit the deposits if asked by the US consulate.

Of those 50 countries, five have qualified for the World Cup, all from Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Tunisia. Though refundable, the cost of the bonds alone are enough to make travel to the US prohibitive for most fans from those countries, which have average annual income levels of about $5,000 per year or less. Tunisia are scheduled to play one group stage game in the US with the other two in Mexico. Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire will play twice in the US and once in Canada. Algeria and Cape Verde will play their three group-stage games in Mexico.

Even if affordable for some fans, the multi-thousand dollar requirement will be another headache to add to the list of potential complications for fans from those countries, including high ticket prices for the games themselves, hotel prices that are far above average, plus other visa processing delays and potential safety issues created by the presence of federal immigration officers from ICE and other agencies in US cities.

It is unclear which entities, if any, will be exempt from the visa bonds. While Trump’s travel bans contains exemptions for athletes and officials participating in major sporting events like the World Cup, the visa bonds program contains no such exemption.

The 2026 World Cup kicks off on 11 June, with the final taking place on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.