More than a million foreigners are expected to visit Russia throughout the 2018 World Cup.
To help fans out and ensure a good time is had by all,... the host nation is giving match-going fans a special ID that comes with a bunch of added bonuses and benefits.
Our Won Jung-hwan explains.

The FAN-ID, also known as "the second passport" in Russia, is a document you are required to show along with your ticket when you attend a match at the World Cup.
It's the first time such a service has been used at a World Cup,… and Russia is proud to say the FAN-ID technology will become standard procedure for use in future World Cups as well.
According to the Russian Ministry of Communications and Mass Media,… about 90-percent of ticket holders obtained Fan-IDs in advance in their home countries, while the rest picked them up at special tents located outside the stadiums.
Indeed, at this center issuing Fan-IDs, people are lined up to get their "second Russian passport".
As for the benefits,… the FAN-ID grants visa-free admission to the country for the duration of the World Cup.


"I am from China, and normally we need visa to go to Russia,… with FAN-ID you don't have to waste time in visa, we can use FAN-ID getting into Russia."

The FAN-ID also allows holders to use public transportation for free, such as buses and metros, in each of the host cities.


"Benefit is that we can ride for free during the match day, and if we have our tickets, we can ride two days before the match day."

And free transportation isn't limited within the various cities either.
More than 700 extra trains have been laid on during the World Cup to provide free travel for fans between host cities, as long as they have their FAN IDs.


"If you have a ticket to the match in the city where the train is headed and have your corresponding FAN ID,… you can take advantage of free travel between all 11 cities hosting World Cup matches."

But while the benefits of having a FAN-ID are obvious,... some fans complained about the trouble they had getting one.


"Yeah maybe I think it's good for the country that organizes the World Cup for more security,… but for us, it's like trouble to get it, you have to fill a form and go and pick it up, and I don't know it is that useful, because if you have your ticket, it's the same, and you need a ticket to get FAN-ID so it's a problem to organize it."

Russia might not be known around the world for its technological prowess, but the FAN-ID system introduced here looks here to stay for World Cups to come.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News. Moscow.