Mexico to Deploy Mobile Consulates in Russia During 2018 FIFA World Cup

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Mexico will deploy four mobile consulates in Russia to provide the necessary assistance to its citizens, attending the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup, the country’s Deputy Foreign Secretary Carlos de Icaza said.

“We will have four mobile consular groups, which will work in the cities, where the Mexican team plays, ” De Icaza said at a press conference late on Monday.

The consulates will operate in Moscow on June 17, in Rostov-on-Don on June 23 and in Yekaterinburg on June 27, according to the official.

Depending on Mexico’s performance in the tournament, the mobile groups may also be launched in Samara or in St. Petersburg in July, De Icaza added.

Almost 29,000 Mexican football fans have already obtained FAN IDs, the official added and noted that fans will be accompanied by families and friends but only card owners are eligible for visa-free entry to Russia.

The FAN ID is a personalized card which is part of an identification system for football fans. Everyone who buys a ticket for any World Cup game has to obtain a FAN ID. The card owners enjoy a number of benefits such as visa-free entry to Russia during the World Cup and 10 days prior and after the event as well as free railway tickets.

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