MOSCOW, November 8. /TASS/. Some 1.5 million Fan-ID cards have been issued as of today in Russia with the use of the state-run service agency Gosuslugi, Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maksut Shadayev said on Wednesday.

"Some 1.5 million people have registered their [Fan-IDs] papers using Gosusligi," the minister told journalists speaking on the sidelines of the Finopolis forum.

Fan-ID registration with Gosuslugi, Russia’s state-run web-portal providing various state services, is obligatory for everyone wishing to buy a ticket to attend any football match of the Russian Premier League (RPL).

It has been also stated previously that Fan-IDs must be issued to everyone wishing to be present at stadiums during matches, including football fans, organizers, participants of the tournaments and media representatives.

On December 30, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a draft on the introduction of Fan-ID documents, which will be required for fans to attend sports tournaments in the country starting on June 1, 2022.

Russia’s Fan-ID was successfully tested during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, as well as during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and earned high marks from the world’s governing football body - FIFA. The Fan-ID system was also in place during matches of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup in St. Petersburg.

A Fan-ID holder is allowed to enter the country without having a Russian visa and stay for the duration of global football tournaments. Fan-IDs are obligatory, in addition to purchased tickets, in order to attend football matches.