Visas just the ticket

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:IRISH SOCCER fans travelling to Moscow for the Champions League final this month will not require a visa if they possess a ticket for the game, the Russian embassy confirmed yesterday.

Under a special decree that is currently passing through the Russian State Duma, and which is expected to be signed by president Dmitry Medvedev next week, holders of valid match tickets who travel to Moscow from May 19th-23rd will be exempt from the visa requirement.

The two competing clubs, Manchester United and Chelsea, have been allocated 21,000 tickets each for the final, which takes place at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on May 21st.

According to a spokesman for the Russian embassy, the visa requirement was being waived for holders of valid match tickets with a valid passport. "The Russian president is to sign a special decree waiving any visa requirements for Irish citizens who are holders of the original football match ticket," he said.

There was some confusion in recent days over visa requirements for Irish citizens, with the Russian embassy initially insisting that anyone travelling to Moscow would need one. Asked yesterday whether those who had paid for a visa would be reimbursed the €100 fee, the embassy spokesman said: "I don't think we can play backwards."

The Department of Foreign Affairs cited the Russian authorities' commitment that Irish citizens travelling to the match would not be required to hold a visa, and advised anyone with queries to contact the Russian embassy.

It appears that fans planning to collect their tickets on arrival in Moscow will not be allowed visa-free entry, so the Department of Foreign Affairs said it hoped travel agents would issue tickets to customers before they left Ireland.

With tens of thousands of English fans expected to travel to the match, there have been concerns that demand for hotel rooms in the city might exceed supply. The Department of Foreign Affairs said that Irish citizens proposing to travel should be aware that, in addition to being extremely expensive, accommodation in Moscow will be very difficult to find during this event, so citizens are also strongly advised to secure accommodation before travelling".