Table of contents
- Mandatory documents within the transfer instruction for professional players
- Engage permanently without transfer agreement (out of contract)
- Engage/release permanently with transfer agreement
- Engage an amateur permanently
- Engage/release on loan
- Other regulatory documents to be uploaded in the transfer
- Uploading documents after the transfer has been confirmed
- Document guidelines and visibility
All documents uploaded into TMS must be in PDF format and cannot exceed 10 MB. The section “The essentials of uploading documents in TMS” outlines the technical guidelines that apply to documents in the system and provides information on how to resolve any technical issues with uploading documents.
Mandatory documents within the transfer instruction for professional players
When entering a transfer in TMS, the clubs must upload certain mandatory documents to support the information disclosed in the instruction.
The list of mandatory documents varies depending on the transfer type:
Engage permanently without transfer agreement (out of contract)
The new club must upload the following mandatory documents:
- Player’s proof of nationality and date of birth
- Proof of last contract end date and reason for termination (if applicable)
- Player’s employment contract with new club
As the former club is not involved in this transfer type, it does not need to upload any documents.
Engage/release permanently with transfer agreement
The new club must upload the following mandatory documents:
- Player’s proof of nationality and date of birth
- Transfer agreement
- Player’s employment contract with new club
The former club must upload the following document, if applicable:
- Third-party ownership (TPO) agreement
Engage an amateur permanently
The engaging party must upload the following mandatory documents:
- Player’s proof of identity
For more information on this topic, see “Engage an amateur player permanently”.
Engage/release on loan
The new club must upload the following mandatory documents:
- Player’s proof of nationality and date of birth
- Loan agreement
- Player’s employment contract with new club
The former club must upload the following document, if applicable:
- Third-party ownership (TPO) agreement
- Proof of club-trained player
If explicitly requested, a document not available in one of the three official FIFA languages (English, French and Spanish) or a specifically defined excerpt of it must be uploaded in TMS together with its respective translation in one of the three official languages. Failure to do so may result in the document in question being disregarded.
Although most of the mandatory documents are uploaded by the new club, the former club is responsible for providing some of the documents to the new club, more specifically the “Proof of last contract end date” (“POLCED”). The former club must therefore cooperate by providing the relevant documents to avoid delaying the transfer. A template of the POLCED is available in the Document library for download and completion.
The POLCED must clearly specify (a) the date of termination of the player’s last employment contract with the former club, and (b) the reason for termination of the player’s last employment contract with the former club. This document can be signed by either the former club or the former association. When the reason for termination is “mutual agreement”, the document should also include the signature of the player. The POLCED is not required if the player was registered as an amateur (cf. art. 2. par. 2 of the Regulations) with the former club.
The TPO agreement is mandatory if the former club responds with “Yes” to the declaration on third-party ownership (see “Third-party ownership”). A copy of this document will also automatically be saved in the TPO library of the respective player (see “Third-party agreement library”) once it has been uploaded in the transfer by the former club.
Clubs must upload the relevant mandatory documents in the transfer instruction before confirming the transfer. Upon confirming the transfer, the clubs must certify that the information is true and correct. Once the transfer has been confirmed, the clubs can no longer remove the uploaded documents. It is therefore important that the uploaded documents are duly completed and signed before proceeding with the transfer.
Other regulatory documents to be uploaded in the transfer
After the transfer has been confirmed, there are additional documents that must be uploaded in the transfer.
During the ITC delivery in an international transfer, the former association must upload a copy of any relevant documentation pertaining to sporting (disciplinary) sanctions imposed on the player and, if applicable, their extension to have worldwide effect. For more information on this topic, see the section “Response to an ITC request”.
If the transfer is against payment, the new club must upload the relevant proof of payment for all payments. For more information on this topic, see “Uploading a proof of payment for club-to-club payments”.
Uploading documents after the transfer has been confirmed
Mandatory documents should be uploaded in the complete and correct form before confirming the transfer. However, clubs can also upload new copies of the mandatory documents as well as additional documents in the transfer instruction even after the transfer has been confirmed.
To do so, search for the respective transfer and click on “Upload documents”, then scroll to the bottom of the transfer summary and click on “Add documents”. Select the appropriate category from the drop-down list, then choose the document before clicking on “Upload document”.
Ensure that the appropriate category and document have been selected before completing the upload. Once a document has been saved in the transfer instruction, it is not possible to remove it.
All uploaded documents will appear under the “Documents” section of the transfer summary.
Document guidelines and visibility
The guidelines below help Member Associations and clubs fulfil their obligations under Annexe 3 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. The chart lists the minimum requirements that the Regulatory Governance & Compliance Department will consider when determining whether a Member Association or club has fulfilled its obligations. For information on mandatory documents for minor applications, see the “Guide to submitting a Minor Application” document.
The chart below also outlines the visibility of each document category. Special care must be taken when selecting a document category, as a document cannot be removed once it has been uploaded to the transfer. Thus, it is important to use the relevant document category to preserve the confidentiality of the document.
| Document category | Pertinent facts | Uploaded by | Accessible to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player’s employment contract | Club name Club address Full name of player Job description Remuneration details Employment start and end dates General terms and conditions Signature of club representative Signature of player Date of signature All annexes and/or amendments to which the contract refers | New club | New club New association FIFA |
| Proof of identity, nationality and date of birth of player | A valid official government document with: Photograph of player Full name of player Country of nationality Date of birth Signature of player | New club | All parties involved in the transfer FIFA |
| Transfer/loan agreement | Name and registered address of all parties Full name of player Effective date of agreement Payment details Signatures of all parties involved Date of signature | New club | All parties involved in the transfer FIFA |
| Proof of club-trained player | The document shall include evidence that the player is club-trained with the former club according to the definition in the RSTP – for example, a copy of the player passport. | Former club | All parties involved in the transfer FIFA |
| Proof of payment | Transfer receipt from the payer’s bank specifying: Payer’s account number or IBAN, name of bank or bank code, bank address, account holder Beneficiary’s account number or IBAN, name of bank or bank code, bank address, account holder Amount Currency Date of payment | New club | All parties involved in the transfer FIFA |
| Proof of sporting sanction(s) | All relevant documentation (including copies of any judgments, ratifications, decisions or otherwise) pertaining to disciplinary “sporting sanctions” imposed on the player and, if applicable, their extension to have worldwide effect | Former association | All parties involved in the transfer FIFA |
| Proof of last contract end date | Full name of player Name of former club Day, month and year of end date of player’s last employment contract with former club Reason for former contract termination (i.e. expiry, termination by mutual agreement, unilateral termination) Signature of representative(s) of former club or former association, as appropriate Signature of the player if the reason for termination is “mutual agreement” | New club | All parties involved in the transfer FIFA |
Note: documents uploaded under the additional document categories will be visible to all parties involved in the transfer, except those uploaded under Employment Contract, Work Permit, and Medical Report, which are only visible to the uploading club, its affiliated Member Association and FIFA. Documents uploaded as confidential correspondence are visible only to the uploading organisation and FIFA.
For questions about these guidelines, contact the TMS Helpdesk.