Over 30,000 Foreigners Visited Russia Using Fan ID After 2018 World Cup - Moscow

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – More than 30,000 foreigners visited Russia after the 2018 FIFA World Cup using the FAN IDs that were given out to match ticket holders, and which allowed them to enter the country without visas, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov told Sputnik in an interview.

"According to our information, within four months after the president decided to extend the visa-free entry to our country for Fan ID holders, this opportunity was used by more than 30,000 foreigners," Ivanov said.

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Given this positive experience, the Russian Foreign Ministry is studying the possibility of using a similar system for participants of major international events, including those relating to business, science, culture and athletics, he added.

"However, such Fan IDs in their existing form still mean certain costs for us as they need to be designed, printed, and sent. Therefore, we propose to make them electronic. It will be easier and more convenient," Ivanov noted.

In August, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law permitting holders of FIFA World Cup FAN IDs to visit Russia without a visa until the end of 2018.

Russia hosted its first FIFA World Cup from June 14 to July 15. The matches took place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Saransk, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg and Sochi.