All Football Agents To Sit For Examinations Says FIFA

The World Football governing body, the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has introduced new FIFA Football Agent Regulations (FFAR) aimed at streamlining the role of football agents.

The main objective behind the FFAR is to ensure football agents’ conduct is consistent and in line with the football transfer system, the integrity of football, and professional ethical standards.

Therefore, every football intermediary will be required to abide by the new regulations and a transition period has been set up between 9th January – 30th September 2023.

A new FIFA agent platform has been set and for one to qualify, they must sit for examinations.

According to FIFA, there will be two football agent exams this year, the first coming between the 19th of April – the 1st of May and then between the 31st of July -the 20th of September.

In Uganda, the Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) shall provide suitable examination rooms for successful candidates registered through the FIFA Agent Platform to sit for their examinations.

Here is how you can apply to sit for the Football Agents examinations.

Timelines

1. On 9th January 2023:

a) the FFAR partially entered into force allowing for a transition up to 30th September 2023.

b) the FIFA Agent Platform went live

c) the licensing application window for the first FIFA agent exam was opened.

2. There will be two FIFA football agent exams in 2023. The following application deadlines will apply:

a) From 9th January 2023 to 15th March 2023 for the first agent exam on the 19th of April 2023

b) From 1st May 2023 to 31st July 2023 for the second agent exam on the 20th of September 2023

3. FUFA shall provide a suitable examination room for the successful candidates registered through the FIFA Agent Platform.

4. Each candidate, while the designated exam venue, is expected to:

a) Carry a laptop with adequate internet coverage for the duration of the exam.

b) Pay FUFA enrolment fees of UGX 500,000 (Five hundred thousand only)

c) Switch off their mobile phones and hand them over to the Invigilator.

5. There is no formal educational requirement to take the exam nor are there exemptions based on a Candidate’s profession (e.g., for lawyers, accountants, former players, or coaches). The only exemption from the exam will be given to:

a) individuals formerly licensed as agents under the FIFA Players’ Agent Regulations (1991, 1995, 2001, or 2008 edition); and

b) individuals licensed by the national licensing systems governed by domestic national law of the territory of each member association, provided that such exemptions are approved by FIFA following a request by the relevant member association on the Agent Platform.

6. 30th September 2023

a) The deadline for legacy football agents to submit a request for a FIFA football agent license.

b) The last day on which intermediaries (under the FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries) may perform football agent services without a FIFA football agent license.

7. On 1st October 2023 the FFAR shall fully come into force and the obligation to use FIFA-licensed agents shall commence.

Procedure:

To obtain a license to act as a football agent, a natural person must:

a) submit a complete application via the FIFA Agent Platform on agents.fifa.com

b) comply with the eligibility requirements under art. 5 of the FFAR.

c) successfully pass the football agent exam conducted by FIFA under art. 6 of the FFAR

d) pay an annual fee to FIFA under art. 7 of the FFAR.

FUFA will, in the due course, issue the FUFA Football Agent Regulations to govern the occupation of Football Agents within Uganda and apply to all Representation Agreements that do not have an international dimension.

FUFA has appointed the FUFA Competitions Director Hajati Aisha Nalule (+256 772 419 180) as the Administrator for this Project under the supervision of the FUFA Legal Manager Mr. Denis Lukambi (+256 774 310 183).