Welcome to the Canada GAA Transfer Guide! Here, we provide you with an easy-to-understand overview of how transfers work for GAA (Men’s Football and Hurling), LGFA (Ladies Gaelic Football), and Camogie in Canada. Whether you’re planning a move or just curious, this guide has you covered. 

The Player Transfer System has now moved over to the Foireann system. Please refer to this link for detailed instructions on how to complete the application for GAA, LGFA and Camogie.

Player Transfers

All transfers and sanctions are now player initiated – this means that the player must start the process on Foireann. Once they submit all the required information on Foireann all the required parties will be notified to approve/reject the transfer. Club Secretaries and the Canada GAA Secretary can not do the transfer for players, nor can they provide technical support for individual transfer requests.

The deadlines for the various transfers and sanctions are summarized below:

• A GAA sanction entitles a player to play in Canada on a temporary basis from March 1 to October 31 in any given year.
• A LGFA permit entitles a player to play in Canada on a temporary basis from April 1 until September 30.
• A Camogie sanction entitles a player to play in Canada on a temporary basis from April 1 until September 30.
• If the player is in Canada on a GAA sanction and remains permanently afterwards, the player will need to apply for a transfer by March 31 the following year.
• If the player is in Canada on a LGFA Permit and remains permanently afterwards, the player needs to apply for a transfer by March 31 the following year.

Inter-County Transfers 

Inter-county transfers refer to players moving from a club in one county to a club in another county, such as moving from any county in Ireland to a club in Canada. This type of transfer is typically relevant for players who are relocating for reasons such as work, study, or personal circumstances and wish to continue playing Gaelic games in their new location, with Canada being treated as a single county. 

The process requires approval from the relevant counties to ensure the player meets the eligibility criteria for playing in a different county. The rules and deadlines for inter-county transfers can vary depending on the specific code (GAA, LGFA, Camogie) and the governing body’s regulations. 

The transfer period for inter-county players is specified below for each code. No transfer will be accepted after that date. Canada GAA has final approval on inter-county transfer and does reserve the right to confirm the eligibility of the transferee.  

Inter-County Transfers: GAA (Men’s Gaelic Football and Hurling) 

• Transfer Deadline: For GAA transfers, there’s no specific deadline. You can apply for a transfer at any time, as per recent clarifications of the GAA Official Guide Rule 6.5 T.O. (October 2023) which governs inter-county transfers.  
• Sanctioned Players:  A Sanction entitles a player to play in Canada on a temporary basis from March 1 to October 31 in any given year. A Sanction will not be granted after July 1. 
• Remaining permanently after a Sanction: If the player is in Canada on a GAA sanction and remains permanently afterwards, the player will need to apply for a transfer by March 31st.

Inter-County Transfers: LGFA (Ladies Gaelic Football) 

• Transfer Deadline: All transfers must be submitted and approved by March 31st.  
• Sanctioned / Permit Players:  A Permit entitles a player to play in Canada on a temporary basis from April 1st until September 30th . A Permit will not be granted after July 1. On the players return to Ireland, she will be entitled to resume playing with her club in Ireland if the player sends notification to the LGFA of her return. The player is not eligible to go and play again in Canada in the same year. 
• Remaining Permanently after a Permit:  If the player is in Canada on a LGFA Permit and remains permanently afterwards, the player needs to apply for a transfer by March 31st. 

Inter-County Transfers: Camogie 

• Sanctioned Players:  A Sanction entitles a player to play in Canada on a temporary basis from April 1st until September 30th . A Permit will not be granted after July 1. 
• Remaining Permanently after a Sanction: To Be Confirmed 

Intra-County Transfers 

Intra-county transfers occur when a player moves from one club to another within the same county. In the Canadian context, this means transfers between clubs within Canada, as the whole country is considered a single “county” for administrative purposes.  

This type of transfer is relevant for players, with a change in residence closer to another club or for personal preferences. Like inter-county transfers, intra-county transfers require approval, but the process is managed within the county’s governing structure. There is a transfer form that must be completed, and the transfer must be approved by the player’s current and prospective clubs and the County Secretary. Deadlines and specific procedures for intra-county transfers may also vary by each code and local regulations. 

Transfer Deadline: All transfers must be submitted and approved by July 1st. This applies for all codes including GAA, LGFA  and Camogie. 

Notes for Transfers and Sanctions/Permits 

Transfers: 

• Any  player transferring to a club in Canada must already be a resident of Canada.
• The CGAA has final approval on inter-county and intra-county transfers and reserves the right to confirm the transferee’s eligibility.
• A GAA transfer will be rejected if the player does not fill in his “Last Championship Match Played” information.  If the player never played a championship game, then they need to identify that on the application.
• Canada Executive Committee is responsible for approving transfers within Canada.
• Approval Process: Final approval lies with the respective boards, ensuring all transfers meet eligibility criteria. 

Sanctions/Permits: 

• A player who obtained a sanction or permit in the current year but returned to Ireland or another County will have to apply again for a sanction / permit if they intend to return to Canada the next year.

Sanction/Permit Insurance

Players on a sanction are required to purchase the GAA Sanction insurance regardless of provincial insurance/travel insurance. This is a requirement from GAA and all sanction approvals are dependent on this insurance being purchased. If a player is on a sanction, playing in Canada, they don’t need to purchase JustGo as they are essentially “on loan” from their home club while on the sanction.

GAA Sanctions and Permits:

We have reviewed our policy on insurance. Sanction requests will only be considered where such request is accompanied by a Certificate of (Travel) Insurance issued by our travel partner, AIG Europe S.A. and arranged directly with AIG via the dedicated GAA Phone Number 01 261 1419 – no other insurance will be accepted.

Full details of this insurance are contained in the following links:

GAA Sanctions Travel Insurance Scheme Policy Document – https://www.aig.ie/content/dam/aig/emea/ireland/documents/policy-documents/2025/affinity-travel-policy-wording-final.pdf

Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) – https://www.aig.ie/content/dam/aig/emea/ireland/documents/policy-documents/2025/affinity-travel-ipid.pdf

Please also see the following Frequently Asked Questions: link here

You have some questions :

please contact our registration officer assistanttreasurer.ca@gaa.ie