How to Become Miss World

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 8, 2023 References Approved

Requirements

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Becoming a Representative

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Winning

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Q&A

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Tips

From elegant makeup to glimmering dresses, competing in beauty pageants is the closest a girl can come to feeling like royalty. One of the most prestigious beauty pageants in the bunch is the Miss World competition. Not only does the pageant focus on the staples of beauty and talent, Miss World encourages girls to become well-rounded by encouraging world involvement and global activism.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Requirements

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Ensure you meet gender requirements. While men have the option to compete in the Mister World pageant, you must be legally identify as a woman in order to compete in Miss World. Transgender or cisgender women can compete.^{[1]
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- The rules on who can compete vary from country to country. Some countries specifically require applicants to be a cisgender woman. Be sure to thoroughly check the rules that apply to you.^{[2]
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Verify your citizenship in the country you wish to represent. While it is not necessary to have been born in the country you are representing, you must possess legal documentation of citizenship. Citizenship can be obtained through permanent residency or via naturalization.^{[3]
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Apply for the Miss World competition between the ages of 17 and 27. Be sure to verify cut-off dates, which can vary country by country. Some countries will allow you to participate in preliminary competitions as long as you will be the appropriate age by the date of international show.
- Specific age requirements also vary by country. The United States requires its applicants to be between 18 and 26 years old.
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Ensure your title as a “Miss” by being unmarried and childless. Most countries define being single as unmarried in any capacity, including religious, tribal or civil. Ireland also regards legally unrecognizable ceremonies as a disqualifying factor.^{[4]
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Prove yourself as an upstanding citizen by having a clean legal record. Miss World requires its applicants to have had no legal troubles or criminal record in the past. Countries are also strict on reputation and general presence, requiring that individuals not bring shame upon themselves, their country, or the competition at large.^{[5]
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- Countries like Canada also define that a candidate cannot have produced explicit photos of any capacity at any point in their life.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Becoming a Representative

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Familiarize yourself with pageantry by watching competitions. Whether you watch on television or observe in person, be sure to study how a pageant works. This will help you understand what tends to work out well in a show, and what can cause problems.
- Don’t just focus on the competitions that make headlines. Check for pageants in your local area and visit them. If possible, talk to some of the competitors and see if you can get any advice on how to develop your own routine.
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Put your knowledge to the test by competing in a local pageant. Now that you have an idea of what to expect from a pageant, learn by doing and put yourself on the stage. There’s no better way to learn your personal limits than by testing them.
- Not everyone has a coach or parent that’s enthusiastic about pageantry. If you have questions about how to enter a competition or what to bring to the table, do some research on how to enter a beauty pageant.
- You can also turn to other girls with similar aspirations. Combine your knowledge and work together to establish a path to your goals.
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Apply for your position as a national representative. Some applications are as simple as putting in your contact information, age, and photo. Other applications require more explicit details such as street address and current occupation.
- Always be sure to check the specific requirements for your country or region. If they aren’t immediately obvious, reach out to the pageant organizers for your country and see if they can point you in the right direction.
- Some countries may require you to pay a fee in order to apply. The United States requires $250 to apply, plus a $10 filing fee.
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Prepare to define just what you'll bring to the competition. During your qualifying interview, you will be establishing what you can bring to the table as both a national and international representative of Miss World. While some interviews may come as part of the pageant itself, other countries like the United States skip the pageantry altogether. Countries like these will use applicant photos and their video interviews to select their Miss World candidates.
- Activism and worldliness is practically a requirement for Miss World. Be prepared to detail how you’ve been involved in the world and what you've done for the local or global community. You will be expected to present an activism project if you qualify for the Miss World competition.^{[6]
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Ready up for several more pageants. Where the United States judges based solely off of interviews, other countries have national, even regional competitions in order to decide their representative for Miss World.^{[7]
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- Not every pageant is explicitly for Miss World. Miss South Africa is a competition that simultaneously decides both Miss Universe and Miss World. The runner-up of Miss South Africa will go on to represent the country in Miss World. Be sure you know what you’re getting into and what your country’s expectations are.
- Expect to be tested just as you would at the national level. This may include being judged on talent, fitness and worldliness.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Winning

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Prove your beauty inside and out. “Beauty with a Purpose” is the summation of the Miss World competition’s activism. The women participating in Miss World assemble projects to raise money and awareness for disadvantaged people throughout the world. Topics have ranged between clean water initiatives, fundraising after natural disasters and providing utilities for communities without them. Finalists in the beauty with a purpose competition automatically advance to the final round.^{[8]
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Engage with the digital world around you. The women in Miss World are encouraged to be active on social media, and can even net themselves a spot in the finals depending on their quality of content. Be sure to keep your accounts not just active, but engaged with people and the environment you live in.^{[9]
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Blow the judges away with your impressive talents. If you have a unique ability or hobby, you might be able to dance your way into another fast track award. Be sure you stand out from the crowd by doing something only you can do.
- Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. While competitors have presented talents as common as singing and dancing, others have carved out more unique paths by presenting abilities in categories like sand art.^{[10]
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Strut your stuff in the modeling competition. Contestants are judged on their glamour and stage presence while wearing ball gowns. Try to put together something that uniquely represents not just you, but the background you come from.^{[11]
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- If you don’t love the way you look when you’re out on the beach, there’s no need to worry. Miss World has completely done away with the swimsuit competition.
5
Prepare to sweat in a physical fitness examination. Competitors from every country are put through a vigorous exercise routine in order to establish their level of physical fitness. The winner of this competition will be able to sprint ahead of the pack by earning a berth in the finals.
- It’s not all about personal fitness though. The winner of the sports competition is selected from the victors in a team competition. Never forget to support your fellow competitors.^{[12]
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Advance through the head to head competition by showing your inner beauty. Whether or not you win during a fast track event, there’s still a chance to move on. During the head to head challenges, competitors are asked a variety of questions about their backgrounds. Expect to answer questions about what you’ve done for your home country, and how you’ll take that to a global scale. Viewers from around the world can then vote, with a select number moving on to the final competition.
- Like with other categories, the amount of competitors that move to the next level of competition varies by the amount of people competing.
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Impress the judges in the final. Now that you’ve made it all the way, you’ll be judged on your overall performance. Here is where all of the aspects of the competition come into play. Everything you have displayed so far, from talents to fitness and everything in between, will put you in consideration for the title.
- You do not have to have won a fast track competition to win the title of Miss World. In 2016, Miss Puerto Rico was crowned Miss World, though she had not won any previous fast track events.^{[13]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can I participate if I have acne?

Community Answer

Yes, of course! Don't let others' standards of beauty define you. Show the world that you can be beautiful and have acne at the same time.
Question

Can I win Miss Universe even if I'm black?

Community Answer

Yes, of course! People of all races and ethnicities are beautiful, and there are no racial restrictions in the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants.
Question

If i fail in the Miss World competition, can I participate again in that competition?

HumanBeing

Top Answerer

No. Information on the official website states that "...contestants may only compete in national pageants once."