What is an international transfer certificate in football?
An international transfer certificate, or ITC, is the document a player's former national association issues so he can be registered in another country. The new association cannot register him without it. Under FIFA's rules the ITC must be issued free of charge, with no conditions or time limit, and is not needed for children under ten.
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What the rules say
FIFA's Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players set out the ITC in article 9:
- A player registered at one association may only be registered at a new one once it has received an ITC from the former association.
- The ITC is issued free of charge, without any conditions or time limit. Rules to the contrary are void.
- An association may not request an ITC to let a player play friendlies during a trial.
- No ITC is needed for a player under ten.
How it works in practice
Professional international transfers run through FIFA's Transfer Matching System. The new club enters the move, the new association requests the ITC, and the former association issues it. The registration still has to happen in a window unless an exception applies, such as a player whose contract has ended.
Why a signing can stall
- The move was entered late, after the window closed.
- The player's details do not match across the two associations.
- The former club disputes that the contract has ended.
- Documents for a minor are missing. International transfers of under 18s are only allowed in listed exceptions.
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Questions people also ask
Can a former club block an ITC?
It cannot attach conditions to it. Where a contract has expired, the former club's consent is never needed to register the player.
Does an amateur need an ITC?
Yes, if he is registered in one association and moves to another, unless he is under ten.