Is a visa required to enter Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup?

Everyday we receive the question from customers who are not Russian citizens if they need a visa to visit Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which is approaching soon.

Many soccer fans are making their travel plans to Russia in order to see for themselves all the excitement of the soccer games.

As you know the Russian Federation is not on the list of the free visa countries for the United States and Canadian citizens. So you must have a valid visa to travel there. However, the Russian officials made a decision to simplify the process for soccer fans. All foreign citizens planning to attend the 2018 FIFA World Cup do not need to obtain a visa. This will save you a lot of time and money.

The Russian embassy in the United States made an official statement about entering the Russian Federation during the World Cup 2018:

“According to the Russian Federation law foreign citizens and persons without citizenship coming to Russia as spectators of the games within the framework of the FIFA 2018 World Cup (will be held from June 14 to July 15, 2018 in the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Ekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saransk, Volgograd), may enter and exit Russia with a valid travel passport and a Fan ID (ID card with your personal information). In this case you do not need a Russian visa. You can find more information about getting a Fan ID from these websites: www.fan-id.ru и www.welcome2018.com”

What is a Fan ID? A Fan ID is required for each spectator without a visa to attend the soccer games during the FIFA World Cup in summer 2018. You will be able to apply for a Fan ID after you submit an order for purchasing tickets and you receive a confirmation from FIFA.

You can apply for a fan ID here: https://www.fan-id.ru

The following links may be helpful for you:

Travel Visa To Russia

How To Register Your Visa in Russia