2018 FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA

The 21st FIFA World Cup will take place in Russia fr om June 14 to July 15, 2018. The football matches will be held in Moscow (Luzhniki and Spartak stadiums), St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saransk and Volgograd.

For multiple entry into the Russian Federation and exit from the Russian Federation without a visa, all foreign spectators of the 2018 FIFA World Cup must have a FAN ID and present valid ID documents recognized as such by the Russian Federation. A FAN ID is valid during the period starting 10 days before the first 2018 FIFA World Cup match and ending 10 days after the day of the last 2018 FIFA World Cup match.

A FAN ID is mandatory document for all the 2018 FIFA World Cup spectators and issued only to the ticket holders. The citizens of foreign countries, which have bilateral agreements on visa-free entry to Russia, can receive a FAN ID at stationary distribution centers in the territory of the Russian Federation.

All spectator may apply for and find detailed information about a FAN ID on the web-site www.fan-id.ru. Also, useful data is available in materials presented below.

A foreign spectator in each city, wh ere he or she attends sports events, shall register with the police during one day after the arrival at the place of stay. If a foreign spectator plans to stay in the city of the sports events holding less than one day, it is allowed not to undergo the procedure of the registration with the police, despite the case of the stay at the providing hotel services organization. We strongly recommend all foreign spectators to get acquainted with migration regulations here.

From June 4 to July 25, 2018 foreign citizens and stateless persons can enter, leave, temporarily stay and transit through Belarus without visas on the basis of a personal spectator card (FAN ID) and a valid travel document (passport).

In order to cross the state border between Russia and Lithuania while travelling by train or motor vehicle to/from Kaliningrad spectators of the 2018 FIFA World Cup from a number of countries, including Nepal, have to obtain a Lithuanian transit visa or a Schengen visa. Direct air transportation between Moscow and Kaliningrad is available at air companies’ rates and recommended to the spectators who are not able or eligible to obtain a Lithuanian transit visa or a Schengen visa.

All necessary information for foreign spectators who are going to travel on railways during 2018 FIFA World CUP events is available here.

Visa-free entry for FAN ID holders

According to the law No. 331-FZ endorsed by President of Russia Vladimir Putin on 3 August 2018, foreign citizens obtaining FAN IDs of the 2018 Russia World Cup are free to enter and exit Russia without visa until December 31, 2018. The visitors’ passports must be valid at the moment of entry and for the duration of stay in Russia.

Close relatives of FAN ID holders (spouse, children, parents, grandparents) may also accompany them upon receiving a Russian visa. While applying for it, they should present documents confirming the relationship with FAN ID holders (i.e. birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.).

It is required that the relatives and the FAN ID holder enter Russia together.