Fan Card for entry into stadiums now available on 'Digital Citizen' app

The Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, and the Cyprus Sports Organisation (CSO), in the presence of the Minister of Justice, Marios Hartsiotis, have presented the new CSO software and the integration of the Fan Card into the 'Digital Citizen' government application.

This concerns both the issuance of the Card and the verification of its validity for the purposes of controlled and safe entry to the stadiums. Representatives of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, the Police, the Stadium Supervisors Committee and the involved Federations and Associations were also present at the 2 June event.

Regarding the issuance, Cypriot citizens over 18 years of age will be able to issue the Fan Card only through the 'Digital Citizen' application, while the holder's profile will be automatically created in the CSO Registry. An alternative method of issuance, namely issuance through the new CSO website fancard.cy, will apply to three cases, which were analysed by the Administrator of the Fan Card Holders Registry, Dr. Costas Solomou: a) individuals aged 14-18, b) foreign passport holders (visitors), and c) Residence Permit ( ARC ) holders.

Regardless of the above and based on the legislation, the CSO remains the Responsible Authority for the Creation, Storage and Management of the Central Fan Card Holders Registry.

Regarding the control for entry / access to sports matches, this will be done for all the above categories - with the sole exception of visitors - through the Digital Citizen application, and specifically by scanning the digital Fan Card's QR code.

In his speech, the President of the Cyprus Sports Organisation Yiannis Ioannou, noted that the new software solves problems that had arisen with the old Fan Card and emphasised that "as the Cyprus Sports Organisation, we believe that, with the upgraded capabilities of the Card, we are further contributing to the fight against violence in stadiums. We reiterate that the effective fight against this phenomenon requires the coordination and cooperation of all involved bodies." "We are taking a step further," he added, "with the integration of the Fan Card into the 'Digital Citizen' application. From now on, both old holders who will need to renew their cards, as well as new users who will issue Fan Cards, will need to do so through the 'Digital Citizen' application."

The Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Dr. Nicodimos Damianou, in his statement, underlined the importance of integrating the Fan Card into the 'Digital Citizen' application, within the framework of the broader strategy for the provision of secure digital services for citizens. As he stated, this development, in combination with other actions of the Government – such as the new bill to combat violence in stadiums – is part of a holistic approach to the formation of a safe and modern sports environment.

“Through the use of mechanisms such as CY Login and the interconnection with the Civil Registry, as well as the implementation of additional security controls during the check, such as the dynamic one-time password (OTP) and the possibility of biometric identification, the validity of the Fan Card and the identification of the card holder’s details are ensured. This prevents any case of forgery or use of the Card by unauthorised persons," he said.

"The addition of the Fan Card to the Digital Citizen is the first step in this direction. This allows us to proceed with additional actions, such as the integration of tickets and their interconnection with the Fan Card," Damianou continued, emphasising that, "Technology is the means to make the lives of citizens easier and the state more efficient. The Digital Citizen is a useful tool that allows us to implement our commitments, steadily building a state that operates with transparency and credibility."

It is recalled that a prerequisite for using the 'Digital Citizen' application is that the citizen has an identified profile in CY.Login , with two-factor authentication enabled authentication ). It is noted that there are currently 440,000 authenticated CY.Login profiles.

For the convenience of the public, a separate section has been created for the Fan Card with instructions for issuance and use, frequently asked questions, etc. on the website: www.digital-citizen.gov.cy