Offical advice to help fans keepy-uppy
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Be on the Ball campaign is full of advice and information for fans going to Russia and aims to help reduce preventable problems.
A British Embassy representative will be at all of the cities in which England plays and British nationals needing help will be able to contact consular officers by telephone 24/7. PASSPORTS & FAN ID FAN ID acts as a multi-entry and exit visa to and from Russia and will only allow you to enter to attend the World Cup. Register at fan-id.ru. It also offers selected free public transport (see below). Your passport should be valid for a minimum of six months after the expiry date of your FAN ID.
If your FAN ID is lost, stolen or won’t work, you can get a new one from a host city distribution centre.
If you intend to carry out any other activities (e.g. work or study), you should apply for a visa through the Russian Embassy in London.
You must sign a migration card on arrival, which is produced electronically at passport control.
The card is in two identical parts one will be kept by the immigration officer. Keep the other part safe as you’ll need to hand it in at passport control when you leave Russia. REGISTRATION You’ll need to register in every host city you visit within 24 hours of arrival. This is usually done by your hotel or guest house but it’s up to you to make sure that it happens. RAIL TRAVEL Expect airport-style security; bags will be scanned, and passengers will go through metal detectors. Holders of an official match ticket and FAN ID can apply for free travel on some trains to host cities. See fan-id.ru ROAD TRAVEL big cities, and poor road conditions.
Road safety standards are poor. Traffic police regularly stop drivers for spot checks and there is zero tolerance of drink-driving.
The AA and the RAC offer advice on driving in Russia, including information on what compulsory documents and equipment you’ll need. See theaa.com and rac.co.uk HEALTH It is vital to have appropriate travel insurance, even if you only go for one match. The European Health Insurance Card is not valid in Russia. EMERGENCY NUMBERS