Filenews 2 June 2025
Through the "Digital Citizen", the issuance of the Fan Card and the verification of its validity for the purposes of controlled and safe entry to the stadiums will now take place.
In a joint Press Conference held today, Monday, June 2, 2025, by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, and the Cyprus Sports Organization (CSO), in the presence of the Minister of Justice, Marios Hartsiotis, the new software of the CSO and the integration of the Fan Card into the government application "Digital Citizen" was presented. Representatives of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, the Police, the Stadium Supervisors Committee and the Federations and Associations involved were also present.
As far as issuance is concerned, Cypriot citizens over the age of 18 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 CMO Registry. An alternative way of issuance, namely issuance through the new website of the CSO fancard.cy, will apply to three cases, which were analyzed by the Administrator of the Register of Fan Card Holders, Dr. Kostas Solomou: a) persons aged 14-18 years, b) holders of foreign passports (visitors), and c) holders of Residence Permits (ARC). Notwithstanding the above and based on the legislation, the CMO remains the Responsible Authority for the Creation, Safekeeping and Management of the Central Register of Fan Card Holders.
As far as the control for entry/access to sports matches is concerned, 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 QR code of the digital Fan Card.
In his address, the President of the CMO, Mr. Yiannis Ioannou, noted that the new software solves problems that had arisen with the old Fan Card and stressed that "as CMO, we believe that, with the upgraded capabilities of the Card, we further contribute to the fight against violence in the stadiums. We reiterate that in order to effectively deal with the phenomenon, the coordination and cooperation of all involved bodies is required". "We are going one step further," he added, "with the integration of the Fan Card into the 'Digital Citizen' application. From now on, both old cardholders who will have to renew their cards, as well as new users who will issue Fan Cards, will have to do so through the "Digital Citizen" application.
The Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Dr. Nikodimos Damianou, in his statement, underlined the importance of the integration of the Fan Card into the "Digital Citizen" application, in the context of the broader strategy for the provision of secure digital services for citizens. As he said, this development, in combination with other actions of the Government – such as the new bill on combating violence in stadiums – is part of a holistic approach to shaping a safe and modern sports environment. "Through the use of mechanisms such as CY Login and the interface with the Population Archive, as well as the application of additional security safeguards during control, such as the dynamic one-time code (OTP) and the possibility of biometric identification, the validity of the fan card and the identification of the cardholder's details are ensured. This prevents any case of forgery or use of the Card by unauthorized persons".
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. Dr. Damianou stressed that: "Technology is the means to make citizens' lives 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 reminded that a prerequisite for the use of the "Digital Citizen" application is that the citizen has an identified profile in CY Login, with two-factor authentication activated. It is noted that today there are 440,000 identified 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.
