Women’s GBE calculator · 2026/27
Want to play in the WSL or WSL 2? Find out what you need to qualify and how your playing record measures up.
Check my profileCheck the sporting criteria for your move to England.
Before you check your points
GBE stands for Governing Body Endorsement: the sporting endorsement issued by The FA for a move to England. It is an important step for many overseas players joining the top two tiers of English women’s football: the Women’s Super League (WSL) and the second-tier WSL 2.
The FA assesses six areas: senior international appearances, domestic league minutes, continental club minutes, your club’s league position, its continental progression and the quality of your league. You need at least 24 points on this route.
A sufficient share of senior international appearances for a national team in the relevant ranking group can meet the sporting criteria directly. The FA calls this an Auto Pass; it does not require a total of 24 points.
A GBE and a visa are separate requirements. The FA decides on the GBE. The UK Home Office / UKVI then handles the visa; player registration and eligibility to play must also be resolved. This calculator provides initial guidance and does not verify evidence. Official sources & rules version ↗
01 / Your GBE points check
Three steps to an initial assessment: your move, your club and additional matches. Then see your total, the breakdown and what your next step could be.
For a first GBE under The FA’s women’s criteria for 2026/27. The calculator covers players who have been at one club, with no loan, throughout the past 12 months. Transfers and other non-standard cases need an individual assessment. Calculator scope
02 / Your route to England
A good offer is the starting point. Sporting endorsement, immigration permission and player registration all need to be in place.
The English club applies to The FA for your GBE. It must be eligible to do so and provide evidence of your playing record.
Decision: The FAThe club assigns an electronic Certificate of Sponsorship. This supports the application for the appropriate visa.
Decision: Home Office / UKVIThe associations must grant international clearance. Your registration and the competition’s rules must also be satisfied before you can play.
Club, associations & competitionIllustrative standard case
Band 1 league: 9 points. 60% of eligible league minutes: 9 points. Top-half league finish: 6 points. Total: 24, even without senior international appearances.
Same profile, fewer minutes
With 50% of league minutes, the minutes category earns 8 rather than 9 points. Total: 23. This alone is not enough for an Exceptions Panel: the club would also need to provide evidence of exceptional circumstances.
Both examples assume that the relevant squad / appearance requirements are met. They do not assess a real player.
03 / Good to know
For players and parents, even if England is only an idea for now.
Under The FA’s women’s criteria for 2026/27, the standard points route requires at least 24 points. An Auto Pass through sufficient senior international appearances is a separate route. 20–23 points alone are not enough. Even with 24 or more points, The FA checks your information and evidence; a calculator result is not a guarantee of a GBE or visa.
The usual route into English professional football involves The FA’s Governing Body Endorsement followed by an International Sportsperson visa. Since Brexit, German nationality alone does not replace these steps. British or Irish nationality, or certain existing immigration permissions, may mean a different route applies. Your individual status needs a separate assessment.
Yes. You can also reach the points threshold through league quality, playing time, your club’s league position and continental competitions. The six categories contribute to the total. Sufficient senior international appearances can instead provide an Auto Pass, without needing a total of 24 points.
Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga is in Band 1. The 2. Frauen-Bundesliga is not listed in Band 1 or 2, so falls under Band 3. This classification is specific to these criteria. League points also have squad or appearance requirements; simply being registered with a club is not enough.
20–23 points alone are not enough. For an Exceptions Panel to be considered, the club must demonstrate exceptional circumstances that prevented the player from reaching 24 points. Other access routes concern unavailability throughout the International Reference Period and Youth Players, as defined by The FA’s cutoff, with proven elite potential. For 2026/27, that cutoff is birth on or after 1 January 2005. A positive decision is not guaranteed.
For domestic and continental minutes, The FA generally considers the 12 months before the application. For senior international appearances, the period is 24 months for players aged 22 or over and 12 months for players aged 21 or under. League position and continental progression normally relate to the last completed season, with an additional provision for continental competitions that started later. The FA rounds percentages to the nearest whole number, with 0.5 rounded up.
The FA defines when a player is “Unavailable for Selection”. Recognised periods can change the available minutes or matches and must be supported by evidence. Being an unused substitute does not normally qualify. Please do not enter health information in this calculator or the contact form; unresolved adjustments need a separate assessment.
No. A GBE is one part of the process. It is followed by a Certificate of Sponsorship from the eligible club and the visa or appropriate immigration permission. Applications for more than 12 months also involve English-language requirements. Registration and international clearance must be resolved separately. A contract or points total alone does not make you eligible to play.
Yes, for a general question about this resource. An enquiry does not change your agent or establish a representation agreement. Please tell us if you are already represented; existing agreements and the applicable agent regulations must be respected.
Your next step
Some questions need a table. Others need a conversation. Leave your email for a personal response about your next sporting steps.
An enquiry does not appoint us as your agent. Please let us know if you are already represented. Under 18? Complete the enquiry with your parents. Personal legal and visa advice requires appropriately authorised professionals.
04 / Rules & sources
Based on the England whitepaper by Nicolai Vollmer, rocketSPORTS. The content has been checked against the primary sources linked below. The applicable official rules take precedence.
FA criteria: 2026/27 · effective from 15 June 2026
Rules research & calculator baseline: 1 November 2026
This independent rocketSPORTS resource is not an official FA application and is not affiliated with The FA or UK authorities. It provides general guidance and does not replace individual legal, immigration or tax advice.
We research carefully, but do not guarantee that the information and calculations are error-free, complete or up to date at all times. Rules, their interpretation and the facts of a case may change. The applicable official rules and the assessment by the competent authorities take precedence. Mandatory statutory liability remains unaffected.
Only The FA decides on a GBE. The Home Office / UK Visas and Immigration decides on visas and immigration permission. The relevant associations and competition bodies decide on registration and eligibility to play. A points result creates no entitlement, application or guarantee.
The calculator implements the six points tables and the Auto Pass in The FA’s women’s criteria for 2026/27 for the stated standard case. It does not verify documents, actual appearance records, nationality, immigration status, sanctions or personal suitability. It assumes that your inputs are accurate and complete and that the eligible reference figures have been established.
Transfers, loans, periods without a club, existing GBEs, unresolved periods of unavailability and non-standard league or competition formats require a separate assessment. The same applies to youth-player and exceptional-circumstances decisions. No forecast is provided for later rules periods. A low points total is not a binding refusal.
For individual UK immigration questions, consult an appropriately regulated immigration adviser or authorised solicitor. The official GOV.UK directory can help you find one. An informal enquiry to us does not replace this advice.
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