How to become a FIFA football agent: the licence, step by step

A player moving abroad, a coach joining a club in another country: as soon as a deal crosses a border, FIFA's rules apply, and so does its licence. Here is the whole path, from the eligibility rules to the exam and what FIFA expects from you every season, each point tied to the article that says it.

What the FIFA licence covers

The FIFA Football Agent Regulations (FFAR) in force today were approved by the FIFA Council on 10 December 2024 and apply since 1 January 2025 (art. 28). They govern representation agreements with an international dimension and any conduct connected to an international transfer (art. 2.1), including a coach moving to a club of another member association (art. 2.2).

Purely domestic deals follow the national football agent regulations of the country where the client is registered or domiciled (art. 2.3), which may be stricter than FIFA's (art. 3.3). The licence itself is issued to a natural person, for an indefinite period, is personal and non-transferable, and lets you work anywhere in the world (art. 8).

Four steps to the licence

Article 4.1 sets four cumulative conditions:

1. submit a complete application via the FIFA Agent Platform;
2. meet the eligibility requirements;
3. pass the exam conducted by FIFA;
4. pay the annual licence fee.

By applying, you agree to abide by the FFAR, the FIFA Statutes, the Code of Ethics, the Disciplinary Code and the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, the RSTP (art. 4.2).

The eligibility rules

Article 5 lists what the FIFA general secretariat checks. Among other things, you must:

• make no false or incomplete statement, and have no conviction for the listed offences (fraud, corruption, match manipulation and others);
• not be an official or employee of FIFA, a confederation, a member association, a league or a club, nor hold an interest in a club, academy or league (art. 5.1 a);
• not have worked as an agent without a licence in the 24 months before applying (art. 5.1 b);
• have no bankruptcy, personal or of a business you ran, in the past five years (art. 5.1 c);
• hold no interest in a sports betting business in the past 12 months (art. 5.1 d).

The exam

If you are eligible, FIFA invites you to sit the exam, whose format, frequency and dates are set by circular (art. 6). FIFA has held one edition a year since 2025, with a 45-day application window. Its official page describes 20 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, 75% to pass, on your own laptop and internet connection.

FIFA's January 2026 study materials add that the exam has been held online with remote invigilation since June 2025, in English, French, German or Spanish, and that it is open book, but only with the study materials inside the exam interface. Strategy is in How to pass the FIFA Football Agent Exam, dates in FIFA agent exam dates.

The licence fee: 90 days to pay

Once you pass, you have 90 days to pay the annual licence fee, or your application is automatically declared void (art. 7.3). The amount is set by circular each year (art. 7.2): circular no. 1827 set it at USD 600, due by 30 September every year. Check the current amount on the Agent Platform before paying.

Keeping the licence every season

• Continuing professional development (CPD), every year (art. 9). Circular no. 1827 sets 20 credits per CPD year, from 1 October to 30 September, each course passed with at least 80%.
• Minors. Representing a minor, or a club in a deal involving one, first requires the CPD course on minors (art. 13.2), an accreditation valid three years according to the same circular.
• Suspension. Failing eligibility, the fee, CPD or reporting means an automatic provisional suspension (art. 17.1). For the fee, CPD or reporting, the licence is withdrawn if you do not fix it within 60 days (art. 17.4).

Working as an agent: the core rules

• A written representation agreement comes first (art. 12.1): two years at most with a player or coach, automatic renewal clauses void (art. 12.3), no maximum with a club (art. 12.5).
• It needs five minimum terms: the parties' names, the duration if any, the service fee, the services and the signatures (art. 12.7).
• Dual representation is allowed only for the individual and the engaging entity, with the prior written consent of both (art. 12.8), never with the releasing entity (art. 12.9).
• Agreements and payments are uploaded to the Platform within 14 days (art. 16.2 j).
• International disputes with a client go to the Agents Chamber of the Football Tribunal, within two years (art. 20.1). See The FIFA Football Tribunal.

Service fees and the suspended rules

Article 15 caps service fees, for example at 5% of the player's remuneration up to USD 200,000 a year and 3% above. But after an injunction from the District Court of Dortmund, FIFA's circular no. 1873 of 30 December 2023 announced a worldwide temporary suspension of several provisions until the Court of Justice of the European Union rules: among them the fee cap, the client-pays rule, the ban on dual representation and payment through the Clearing House. For the 2026 exam, FIFA's study materials stated that the suspended provisions would not feature in the exam. Check their status on FIFA's website.

How to prepare

FIFA's study materials say it plainly: FIFA organises and endorses no preparatory course, ours included. Its study materials are the reference, and every question in our app is written from them. The method is in How to study for the FIFA agent exam, the classic mistakes in 5 multiple-choice traps. You can start with your free account, no card needed.

Sources

• FIFA Football Agent Regulations (PDF, fifa.com)
• FIFA Football Agent Exam Study Materials, January 2026, with circulars no. 1827 and 1873 (PDF)
• FIFA, How to become a licensed football agent (checked on 7 October 2026)

Frequently asked questions