‘Fans’ Embassy’ hits the road in Russia

Appeals on wheels: the mobile consulate will help fans with visa questions and any other problem Фото предоставлено пресс-службой посольства Швейцарии в России

Any Swiss football fans who run into difficulties at the World Cup won’t have to deal with the problem on their own. The Swiss embassy in Russia is organising a “mobile consular service” – a minibus – to help them. 

The red-and-white minibus, known as a “Fans’ Embassy”, will travel to the three cities – Rostov-On-Don, Kaliningrad and Nizhny Novgorod – in which the Swiss team is playing its three group matchesExternal link. 

The two or three embassy staff and their boss will help Swiss supporters who have lost documents or have questions about their visas or other issues. The exact locationsExternal link (address and GPS coordinates) of the minibus can be found on the website of the Swiss embassy in Russia. Additional World Cup information is available in German, French and Italian. 

These locations have been agreed with the local authorities, whom the consul-general and his staff met as part of their World Cup preparations. The embassy is also in touch with the Swiss Supporters AssociationExternal link, which has spread the word about the Fans’ Embassy. 

The minibus shows where it will be and when Фото предоставлено пресс-службой посольства Швейцарии в России

The tournament kicked off in Moscow on Thursday, with the final being played on July 15. Switzerland’s first match is against Brazil in the Rostov Arena on Sunday. They then face Serbia in Kaliningrad on June 22 and Costa Rica in Nizhny Novgorod on June 27.

Adapted from French by Thomas Stephens