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Some 330,000 Fan-IDs issued in Russia this year, says minister

Fan-ID registration on the Gosuslugi web-portal is obligatory for everyone wishing to buy a ticket to attend any football match of the Russian Premier League

MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. Some 330,000 Fan-ID cards have been issued as of today and about 280,000 tickets were sold to Fan-ID holders, Russia’s digital development minister said on Tuesday.

"As of today we have issued about 330,000 Fan-IDs," Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maksut Shadayev stated, adding that about 280,000 tickets were sold with the use of the registered Fan-IDs as well.

Gosuslugi, Russia’s state-run web-portal providing various state services, began accepting applications for Fan-IDs on July 4. Gosuslugi has the final say in approving the issuance of a Fan-ID for everyone wishing to attend football matches in Russia. The document will be required for the purchase of either a one-match ticket or a multiple-entry ticket for the season.

Fan-ID registration on the Gosuslugi web-portal is obligatory for everyone wishing to buy a ticket to attend any football match of the Russian Premier League (RPL). It has also been 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.

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