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Women’s World Cup 2023
June 30, 2023
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is heading Down Under, with teams from 32 countries gathering for matches across Australia and New Zealand. This is the first time in the tournament’s 32-year history it has been held in the southern hemisphere, and the first to include a field of 32 teams. With teams traveling from all parts of the world, getting entry requirements correct for the host countries is a top priority, and CIBT is here to help.
Visitor visa vs. Work permission
The World Cup will be bringing players, coaches, trainers, managers, and, of course, fans to Australia and New Zealand. So, which is the right visa or entry document for you?
For Australia, Subclass 408 is the endorsed visa for sports personnel, coaches, trainers, medics and other non-sports personnel traveling with the teams, along with reporters and other media professionals.
For New Zealand, team members from countries with visa waivers do not need to apply for any specialized documents. For members from countries requiring a visa, they will need to apply for a Sports Event Visitor visa if they are staying less than 3 months.
Fans can travel according to the tourist and visitor requirements for their country as long as they are staying less than 90 days.
Visa waiver: Electronic authorization
When travelling as a Visitor, both Australia and New Zealand extend visa waivers to a broad list of countries around the world. But even if your country has a visa waiver agreement with Australia or New Zealand, you are still required to apply for an electronic entry document; an ETA for Australia, and a NZeTA for New Zealand. Both can be applied for online, with entry decisions typically made within 72 hours. Once received, the ETA or NZeTA is electronically linked to your passport.
For passport holders from other countries, you will need to apply for a visa from Australia and/or New Zealand. Currently, Australia is citing visa processing times of between 1 and 16 days, depending on visa type; while New Zealand states visa processing can take up to 20-24 days, though most visas are processed in seven working days or less. Both countries have dropped their COVID entry requirements and restrictions.
Citizens of Australia and New Zealand enjoy visa-free travel with each country.
And, although they are sharing World Cup hosting duties, keep in mind Australia and New Zealand are separate countries with separate entry requirements. With this in mind, if you will be travelling between both countries to attend multiple matches, you will need to ensure you obtain a multiple entry visa.
This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.
