UEFA defines the necessary deadlines and the minimum criteria for the extraordinary application of the club licensing system as specified in Paragraph 17.01 and communicates them to the licensors at the latest by the 31 August of the year preceding the licence season.
Licensors must notify UEFA of any extraordinary application requests in writing, stating the name of the club concerned, by the deadline communicated by UEFA.
The licensor is responsible for submitting the criteria to the club concerned for its assessment of the extraordinary application request. They must also take immediate action with the club concerned to prepare for the extraordinary application procedure.
The club concerned must provide the necessary documentary proof to the licensor that will assess the club against the fixed minimum standards and forward the following documentation in one of UEFA’s official languages to UEFA by the deadline communicated by the latter:
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Written request for special permission to enter the corresponding UEFA club competition;
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Recommendation by the licensor based on its assessment (including the dates and names of the persons having assessed the club);
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All documentary evidence provided by the club and the licensor as requested by UEFA;
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Any other documents requested by UEFA during the extraordinary application procedure.
UEFA bases its decision on the documentation received and grants special permission to enter UEFA club competitions if all the criteria are fulfilled and if the club ultimately qualifies on sporting merit. The decision will be communicated to the licensor, which must forward it to the club concerned.
If such a club is eliminated on sporting merit during the extraordinary application procedure, the licensor concerned has to notify UEFA immediately and the procedure is immediately terminated, without further decision. Such a terminated procedure cannot be restarted at a later stage.
Appeals can be lodged against final decisions made by UEFA in writing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in accordance with the relevant provisions of the UEFA Statutes.