UEFA say no need for visa for Champions League final

Fans travelling to Moscow for the Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea on May 21 will be able to use match tickets as entry visas, UEFA announced on Monday.

European football’s ruling body made the announcement on their website after holding discussions with the Russian authorities. In recent days it was reported that tickets could not be used as travel visas.

UEFA underlined that fans will have to show a valid match ticket, a valid passport and a completed immigration form upon entry to Russia.

” … following high level discussions involving the UEFA President, Michel Platini, the Russian Government and UEFA are pleased to confirm that all supporters will be able to use their match ticket as a visa entry to the Russian Federation for a period of 72 hours,” said the statement.

“The visa exemption applies to all ticket holders coming to Russia for the final in the period between 19 and 23 May 2008.

“Supporters will need to present a valid match ticket, a valid passport and a completed immigration form upon entrance to the Russian Federation.”

UEFA added that supporters travelling to Russia without visas will be “asked to keep their ticket up to departure from Moscow”.

“Anyone overstaying the 72-hour entry period will then have to pay the fee for a regular visa when leaving the country.”

Platini said: “This is great news for football fans travelling to watch this year’s UEFA Champions League final in Moscow. Our job is to make sure that they are able to get to and from Moscow as easily as possible.

“I am therefore extremely pleased that at my request, all fans travelling with a valid match ticket can use this to enter Russian territory.

“For this I must thank wholeheartedly the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, the Russian Government, the City of Moscow and the Football Union of Russia for this exceptional and unprecedented gesture.”