Football fans who hold the ‘fan ID’ card are given visa-free entry to Russia all year long until the end of 2018. This was announced by the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Following the awards ceremony of the World Cup tournament, Putin told reporters, “I think that we will provide a visa-free entrance to Russia for foreign fans, who currently have fan IDs, until the end of 2018. This will be a multiple entry visa-free regime.”

The Fan IDs were earlier set to be valid only from June 4^th  to July 25^th .

According to Sputnik, the Russian news agency, the Russian President had expressed his hopes in which the fans will take complete advantage of this opportunity and will make sure to come to Russia more than once with their close friends or their family members.

The President of Russia also took part in the closing of the ceremony of the championship as well as in the closing of awarding the winner.