A Guide To Work Permits

Never really understood work permits in the game? This guide explains it all. Work permits are only needed for players playing as clubs in the UK & Ireland. There are also certain criteria to be filled set by FIFA in order to obtain one.

Criteria

The player must have high attributes in each area (Physical, Technical and Mental). It also helps if the player concerned has a high PA (Generally 165 or more).

A player must have played for his country in at least 75% of its competitive 'A' team matches he was available for selection, during the 2 years before the application is made.

The player's country must be at or above 70th place in the official FIFA world rankings when averaged over the two years before the application is made.

‘A’ Team matches can be described as:

• World Cup Finals game
• World Cup Qualifying group game
• The FIFA Confederations Cup;
• The UEFA European Championships and Qualifiers;
• The African Cup of Nations and Qualifiers;
• The Asia Nations Cup and Qualifiers;
• The CONCACAF Gold Cup;
• The CONCACAF The Copa Caribe;
• The CONMEBOL Copa America;
• The OFC Nations Cup and
• The UNCAF Nations Cup

U21 Games, U19 Games and Friendlies will no be counted towards the Percentage.

Injuries

Injuries or Suspensions will be taken into consideration when the application is made and will be deducted from the games that are taken into view for the percentage of games played over the 2 years.

Length of Issue

The work permit will be issued for the period of the player's contract and up to a maximum of five years.

If you wish to buy a player from a club within the UK who has already acquired a work permit a Re-Application must take place before the player can sign for you, It doesn't matter whether they are already playing for a UK club already.

You can still apply for a work permit for a player even though the transfer window has closed. The player will either sign at the end of there current contract or when the transfer window is re-opened unless of course if the player is on a free transfer.

Nationalities of Players That do not Require Work Permits

Here is the list of the countries whose players will not require a work permit:

• Andorra
• Austria
• Belgium
• Cyprus
• Denmark
• England
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Guadeloupe
• French Guiana
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Martinique
• Monaco
• Norway
• Northern Ireland
• New Caledonia
• Poland
• Portugal
• Czech republic
• San Marino
• Scotland
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Wales

Appealing

Obviously, when a player does not meet all the Criteria there will be a chance of being declined a work permit. If so, appeal because more often than not you only need around 50% of the criteria to be accepted upon appeal. If the work permit is declined upon appeal, the player concerned may be eligible to move, but will not be able to play any competitive matches for your team. If that happens, you have 2 options:

• Place the player in the reserves of your team, and wait for him to gain the criteria needed for a Work Permit.
• Send him to a feeder club for 3-4 years so he gains EU nationality. (Belgian feeder clubs recommended).

Number of years taken to gain EU Nationality in European Countries[/

3 years
-------
Belgium
Poland

4 years
-------
Spain

5 years
-------
Austria
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Finland
France
French Guyana
Germany
Guadeloupe
Holland
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Martinique
Portugal
Reunion
Slovakia
Sweden
Switzerland

7 years
-------
Denmark
Norway

10 years
--------
Greece
Slovenia

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