Nigeria just unveiled their soccer jersey for Russia 2018 and we love everything about it!!! It’s official, the countdown to Russia 2018 has begun. Did you know that visas are not required for the attendees of the World Cup? All that is required something called a “FAN ID”. 

A FAN ID IS A DOCUMENT THAT ALL THE SPECTATORS OF 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP™ MATCHES MUST HAVE TO GET ACCESS TO STADIUMS. COMFORT AND SAFETY AT THE STADIUM. VISA-FREE ENTRY TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION WITH A FAN ID AND FREE USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

Visa-Free Russia sounds so attractive and at this point we do not mind being spectators. Anything for ease of entry into a country. There will never be a time like this again, ie Visa-Free Russia for Nigerians, so this is such a huge deal! When we got a wind of this, we got curious and wanted to know how the “no visa” deal is/was going to work. We checked out the FAN ID website which contains all the details you need to know about getting yourself one. It’s a pretty simple process. Additionally, our good friends, Irin Ajo, have put together 3 packages for fans interested in the 2018 FIFA world cup. They take care of everything from obtaining your FAN ID, to your flight tickets, accommodation and select tours.
 

Irin Ajo is a tour company out of Nigeria set out to inform Nigerians and the global community on where to go in Nigeria, how to get there, what they will derive from their tourism experience. They also explore other destinations outside Nigeria.
 

HOW IT WORKS

FROM IRIN AJO…

It sounds to good to be true but its true, you do not require a visa to attend the 2018 World Cup. Kudos to Russia for making the process 10 times easier. For the FIFIA world cup in Russia, a FIFA fan ID is sufficient to gain entry to Russia during the World Cup.

The FIFA Fan ID is valid for multiple entry into Russia commencing 10 days prior to the start of the tournament till 10 days after the Final. (Valid from 4 June to 25 July). The Fan ID can only be obtained after you must have bought or applied for your match tickets. The next phase of ticket sales opens on 13th March and this will be sold on a first come first serve basis. 

A FAN ID IS REQUIRED FOR THE 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP™ SPECTATORS IN ORDER TO ACCESS THE STADIUM AND ENSURE A COMFORTABLE STAY AT THE MATCH VENUE. A FAN ID ENTITLES ITS HOLDER TO FREE TRAVEL IN THE HOST CITIES ON MATCH DAYS.FOREIGN CITIZENS COMING TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AS THE 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP™ SPECTATORS CAN USE A FAN ID FOR MULTIPLE ENTRY INTO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND EXIT FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION WITHOUT A VISA UPON PRESENTATION OF VALID ID DOCUMENTS RECOGNIZED AS SUCH BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. 

A FAN ID IS VALID DURING THE PERIOD STARTING 10 DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP™ MATCH AND ENDING 10 DAYS AFTER THE DAY OF THE LAST 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP™ MATCH.

PACKAGES AVAILABLE FOR RUSSIA 2018 FROM IRIN AJO

11 NIGHTS IN RUSSIA WITH COST OF FLIGHT: ₦1,150,000

3 NIGERIA LIVE MATCH TICKETS (GROUP STAGE MATCHES)

• FIFA fan ID (Visa)
• Return ticket to Russia
• Accommodation for 11 nights
• Travel Insurance
• Airport Transfer
• Stadium Transfer
• A day City tour of St. Petersburg
• A day City tour of Kaliningrad
• Travel to Volgograd

7 NIGHTS IN RUSSIA WITH COST OF FLIGHT: ₦990,000 

2 NIGERIA LIVE MATCH TICKETS (GROUP STAGE MATCH)

• FIFA fan ID (Visa)
• Return ticket to Russia
• Accommodation for 7 nights
• Travel Insurance
• Airport Transfer
• Stadium Transfer
• A day City tour of St. Petersburg

5 NIGHTS IN RUSSIA WITH COST OF FLIGHT: ₦810,000

1 NIGERIA LIVE MATCH TICKETS (GROUP STAGE MATCH)

• FIFA fan ID (Visa)
• Return ticket to Russia
• Accommodation for 5 nights
• Travel Insurance
• Airport Transfer
• Stadium Transfer
• A day City tour of Kaliningrad

 THINGS TO DO IN RUSSIA

June – August are just the best months to travel to Russia and coincidentally, the World Cup is around the same time. Ignore those memes we saw making rounds on the internet when Nigeria qualified for the world cup, Russia gets pretty warm too. Expect temperatures of about 23C- 30c(during the heat waves). So you can easily combine your trip to Russia with your summer vacation (hopefully the Super Eagles don’t break your heart into a million pieces and ruin your mood).

For spectators looking to do more than watch the matches, there’s a wide range of opportunity waiting for tourists who want to visit Russia. For now, Nigeria is scheduled to play in three major cities, Kaliningrad, St.Petersburg and Volgograd. When we make the finals, we are adding Moscow to the list. The final match is will be hosted at the The Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The beautiful country is filled with activities that dare you and different fun activities for different kinds of explorers. Here are a few highlights of activities per city:
 

THINGS TO DO IN KALININGRAD

• Visit the Kaliningrad zoo
• Submarine and Bunker Museum
• The curonian spit
• Trip to Berlin, Poland or Lithuania (this will require an additional visa)

ermakovasve / Pixabay

THINGS TO DO IN ST. PETERSBURG (THE VENICE OF RUSSIA)

• St Petersburg Hermitage Museum tour
• Watch a Russian folklore show
• Trip to St. Petersburg Dolphinarium
• River boat trip of the city
• Try a Russian buffet dinner
• Fishing with local experts
• Attend the White nights balllet and opera festival

 

 

THINGS TO DO IN VOLGOGRAD

• Mamayev Hill Monuments
• Take the speed tram
• Trip to Pavlov’s House
• Visit to the Hall of Military glory

Finally, if you are up for an adventure and take the Trans-Siberian railway. It is the most iconic railway experience in the world.
 

IT’S THE JOURNEY NEARLY EVERYONE WANTS TO DO, PERHAPS BECAUSE IT’S COMMONLY SAID TO BE THE LONGEST YOU CAN MAKE ON A SINGLE TRAIN. THE LONGEST OF THE THREE TRANS-SIBERIAN ROUTES, BETWEEN MOSCOW AND VLADIVOSTOK, COVERS 9,258KM (6,152 MILES) AND TAKES SEVEN DAYS. THERE IS A LONGER ONE, FROM THE UKRAINE TO VLADIVOSTOK, BUT AS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE IMMENSITY OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST COUNTRY AND ITS LANDSCAPES, THE TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPERIENCE IS UNRIVALLED. – THE TELEGRAPH UK.

P.S For things to do in Moscow, check out this guide.