Free e-Visa Initiative for AFCON 2025
On 11 November, the Local Organising Committee for TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, working closely with Moroccan authorities and CAF, declared that electronic visas obtained through the Yalla mobile application will cost supporters nothing during the tournament period, lifting a potential financial hurdle.
According to statements shared through media in Brazzaville and Rabat, the initiative is designed to streamline stadium access and border formalities, enabling fans from every African Union member state to focus on football rather than paperwork, security officials explained.
Morocco previously tested the system during last year’s Club World Cup, but this is the first time the kingdom waives the visa fee entirely for a continental championship, Moroccan Foreign Affairs sources confirmed, underscoring the government’s commitment to hosting a festival of African unity.
The fee holiday applies to single-entry tourist visas valid for thirty days. Fans planning to stay longer for sightseeing can still upgrade to a multi-entry permit on arrival, subject to standard rates, but officials expect most visitors will depart within a week of their team’s last game.
Yalla App Simplifies Visa and FAN ID
The Yalla application, available on Android and iOS stores, allows users to apply simultaneously for the e-visa and the mandatory FAN ID, the digital pass required for entering any of the six tournament venues from Tangier to Agadir, according to the Local Organising Committee.
Applicants create a secure profile, upload a passport scan, a recent photograph and basic travel information, then pay only the platform’s symbolic processing charge, which organisers say remains below one US dollar to cover server maintenance while keeping the document itself free.
Once approved, both credentials are delivered in QR-code format directly to the app wallet and by e-mail, allowing travellers to present them at airline check-in and again at Moroccan immigration desks, saving time in transit and avoiding physical documentation that could be lost.
Multilingual Helpdesk Enhances Fan Journey
To ensure no supporter feels left behind, organisers opened a round-the-clock help centre staffed in Arabic, English and French, reachable by phone, live chat and WhatsApp; the service already fields hundreds of questions daily about children’s entries, group bookings and passport validity.
“Our priority is to make travel as simple as buying a match ticket,” said Abdelaziz El Amri, spokesman for the committee, during a briefing streamed from Casablanca, adding that staff will escalate complex cases to Moroccan consular officers positioned in major African capitals.
The multilingual centre also collaborates with national supporters’ associations to circulate step-by-step video tutorials on social networks, a strategy praised by CAF General Secretary Véron Mosengo-Omba, who described it as digital solidarity that mirrors the spirit of African football.
Tourism and Business Gain From Fee Waiver
Tourism analysts in Casablanca predict the fee waiver could attract an additional 120,000 visitors beyond the expected 1.2 million ticket holders, injecting spending into hotels, transport and cultural sites during the January-February tournament window, traditionally a quieter period for the sector.
Congolese travel agencies welcome the decision. “Removing the visa cost makes group packages more attractive for young fans,” observed Josiane Bemba of Pointe-Noire-based Horizon Voyages, noting that an average supporter previously budgeted about CFA 40,000 for Moroccan entry fees alone.
The Confederation of African Football believes simpler mobility will brighten the atmosphere inside stadiums. Past competitions in Egypt and Cameroon showed that loud neutral sections raise television ratings and sponsorship value, benefits that CAF marketing director Abi Ibe hopes to replicate on Moroccan soil.
Hotels in host cities have already begun advertising “Yalla Deals” that bundle accommodation with in-app visa assistance codes. In Rabat, the National Federation of Hoteliers reported a 15 percent spike in early reservations during the first 48 hours after the announcement circulated.
Practical Tips for Congolese Travellers
With eight months to kick-off, Congolese supporters are advised to renew passports that expire before August 2025, as Morocco requires six months’ validity beyond the date of entry; local police stations in Brazzaville and Dolisie report standard issuance times of ten working days.
Airlines servicing the Pointe-Noire–Casablanca and Brazzaville–Marrakesh routes confirm they will integrate the QR verification into mobile check-in before December, reducing boarding time. Royal Air Maroc says passengers without smartphones can print the code at airport kiosks free of charge.
The Local Organising Committee promises further digital upgrades, including real-time transport schedules and cashless stadium payments within the same Yalla ecosystem, features that, if delivered, could set a new benchmark for African sporting events and leave a positive legacy beyond the final whistle.
Supporter groups in Brazzaville plan information sessions next month at municipal stadiums, where volunteers will guide fans through the Yalla interface live on giant screens. Organisers say the workshops, supported by the Ministry of Sports, aim to reduce last-minute congestion at cybercafés.