Visa-free entry to Russia for FIFA-2018 Fan ID holders

Great news for FIFA 2018 Fan ID holders! Holders of FIFA fan ID will be granted visa-free entry to Russia until the end of this year.

Furthermore, family members and friends of the cardholders travelling with them may also be exempted from the requirement of visa to enter the country. This was declared by the Russian President, Putin at a meeting with World Cup volunteers, as reported by the Russian news agency TASS.

The bill is now with the Federal Assembly for their consideration.

The legislation comes as part of Russia’s desire to increase tourist inflow, said Olga Golodets, Deputy Prime Minister of Social Affairs in a state meeting last week.

As per statistics, more than 3 million foreigners visited Russia during the World Cup. Out of them 806,000 are cardholders. Discussions are on with the officials in applying Fan ID technology to other cultural events in Russia.

The FAN ID is an identification document required for those who wanted to witness the world cup matches in Russia. All ticket holders need to hold a FAN ID together with a valid match ticket in order to enter the stadiums were the matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup taken place. Fans could apply for a FAN ID after obtaining a ticket or receiving a ticket confirmation for a ticket to a 2018 FIFA World Cup match.

Fan ID holders also had free access to public and long-distance transport and various interactive activities during the World Cup.