With the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicking off across North America, China’s embassies and consulates in the United States, Canada and Mexico have jointly released a 4,000-word advisory covering ticket scams, EVUS registration, border formalities and personal safety. The notice, carried by Beijing’s Foreign Affairs Office on 11 June, urges fans to apply early for B1/B2 or Canadian visitor visas, watch out for phishing links masquerading as FIFA sales platforms, and complete the mandatory Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) update if they hold a 10-year US visa. The consulates remind travellers that US interview wait-times lengthen around major events and that Mexico’s hurricane season overlaps with the tournament’s final rounds. Visitors are also warned not to carry restricted items such as selfie sticks or liquids over 100 ml into stadia, and to buy international health insurance that covers high-cost North-American medical care. For business-immigration managers the advisory is a timely briefing: companies sending clients or staff on hospitality programmes must factor in longer visa lead-times, ensure EVUS compliance, and brief travellers on customs rules to avoid on-arrival delays that could jeopardise corporate-ticket allocations. Travel-risk providers say the document’s granular guidance on local crime hotspots and emergency contacts will feed directly into updated city-by-city risk maps. The embassies have opened temporary hotline numbers and encouraged Chinese citizens to register their itineraries via the “China Consular” WeChat mini-programme. Fans are also advised to keep digital and paper copies of their passports and visas, and to respect FIFA stadium codes banning political banners and pyrotechnics.
