English football fans try to enter Russia using visa policy loophole
Updated 18:55, 30-Jun-2018
Li Xiang
["europe"]
In order to support their country at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, England fans have been racking their brains for ways to enter Russia and some were even considering taking advantage of loopholes in the tournament's host country's visa policies, according to the Guardian.
Before this year’s World Cup started, England football fans were not passionate about going to Russia as, on one hand, they did not expect much from their country, and on the other hand, they were worried about Russian football hooligans. Before their first match against Tunisia on June 18, only about 2,000 fans were at the Volgograd Arena, reported by Daily Mirror.
The Kaliningrad Stadium where England will meet Belgium on Thursday, is in an interesting location. /VCG Photo

The Kaliningrad Stadium where England will meet Belgium on Thursday, is in an interesting location. /VCG Photo

However, the two wins with eight goals have changed all that and made more England football fans want to get to Russia to support their team. Since they did not buy tickets, it will be hard for them to apply for Fan ID, thus making it more difficult to enter Russia.
England will meet Belgium in their third match on Thursday at the Kaliningrad Stadium, a very interesting location. Kaliningrad is an exclave of Russia surrounded by Poland and Lithuania. Hundreds of England fans were already gathering in the two countries, trying to take advantage of flaws in security and ticket policies so they could enter Russia.
According to the Guardian, some England fans have already managed to get extra Fan IDs through one ticket and a Fan ID could help simplify the entry procedures for Russia. Once England fans are in the country, they will try to get tickets in other ways, such as buying tickets from scalpers.
A Fan ID can help simplify entry procedures of Russia, but it's just the first step. /VCG Photo

A Fan ID can help simplify entry procedures of Russia, but it's just the first step. /VCG Photo

Nonetheless, entering Russia would only be the first step. Tickets for the 2018 FIFA World Cup have become extremely hard to get. Even journalists registered at FIFA need to apply in advance and would not be promised access to the stadium. A Chinese tourist group paid ten times as the regular price for tickets for the match between Argentina and Croatia, according to Global Times.
Moreover, in order to improve efficiency, stadium staff would only check ticket and Fan ID, leaving chances for scalpers, some of whom even sold fake tickets. Russia’s Sputnik reported that two Chinese travel agencies have lost millions of dollars to fake ticket sellers. England football fans still have a lot to watch out for before they can enter the arena and cheer for their country.