Morocco Adds Temporary E-Travel Pass for AFCON 2025 Fans

Morocco will require a temporary electronic travel authorization for select African fans visiting for the Africa Cup of Nations in early 2026. The measure is linked to the new Yalla app that manages Fan ID and ticketing.

Key Takeaways

  • Electronic Travel Authorization applies from 25 September 2025 to 25 January 2026
  • Eight African nationalities affected, including Tunisia and Algeria
  • Applications run through the Yalla platform, tied to Fan ID and tickets
  • Carriers will check the pass at departure and authorities again on arrival

Starting 25 September 2025, Morocco is introducing a temporary Electronic Travel Authorization, known locally as AEVM, for supporters from eight African countries who plan to attend AFCON 2025 matches in the kingdom. The measure, which runs until 25 January 2026, covers travelers from Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Gabon, Niger, Senegal, Togo, and Tunisia. Royal Air Maroc and airport authorities will verify the pass alongside passports.

Fans will apply online via the Yalla platform, the official digital hub for the tournament. Beyond the entry authorization itself, Yalla integrates Fan ID issuance and links with match tickets and fan zone access, which should reduce duplicate checks at venues and airports.

While the authorization targets AFCON travel, it also reflects a wider trend of electronic pre-clearance across the region. Morocco has simultaneously pursued visa facilitation with other partners, for example when it scrapped visas for Albanian citizens this year, a change that signaled a more open stance for specific markets.

See our coverage on Morocco removing visa requirements for Albanians for context.

Who needs the pass

Nationals of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Gabon, Niger, Senegal, Togo, and Tunisia fall under the scheme for the AFCON period. Ordinary visa rules remain for all other travelers. After AFCON concludes, Morocco says entry procedures will revert to standard policy.

How to apply and what to expect

Applications are submitted digitally through Yalla, and travelers should complete the process well before flight check-in. The authorization must be presented at the boarding gate and again upon arrival. Airlines have been briefed to confirm compliance during departure formalities to avoid last-minute denials at the border.

What Yalla Does

At its core, Yalla centralizes the fan journey. Inside a single app, supporters link valid match tickets, apply for the travel pass if needed, and receive a digital Fan ID for stadium turnstiles and official fan-zone gates. After AFCON ends, Morocco is expected to revert to pre-event visa policies for most African countries.

Because Yalla consolidates ticketing, registration, and entry authorization, it eliminates duplicate ID checks at venues and airports.

Why this is happening now

The AFCON tournament will bring large, time-compressed flows of supporters into host cities. A pre-travel screening step, paired with a Fan ID system, helps authorities manage security and stadium access while keeping airport lines moving.

Similar approaches are spreading across Africa as governments adopt ETA-style tools and trial them around major events.

For a broader view of how governments in the region are modernizing entry systems, see our explainer on South Africa’s planned visa scheme and recent bilateral openings like Kazakhstan and Morocco implementing visa free travel.

As with any new process, there may be a short bedding-in period. Travelers are advised to keep their Fan ID, ticket confirmations, and AEVM approval easily accessible, both digitally and in print, to speed up checks at stadium gates and border controls.

What changes after AFCON

The AEVM is explicitly temporary. Once the tournament wraps, Morocco intends to restore pre event entry arrangements for the affected nationalities. That means supporters planning trips beyond January should follow updates from airlines and official channels as the suspension window closes.

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