Named tickets and checking spectators at events: a passport at purchase, a ticket and a document at the entrance

Q: How do you check the passport of a named-ticket buyer?

The buyer photographs their passport in the basket, and NeuroVision recognises the surname, first name and date of birth without manual entry and checks the image for forgery. The data goes into the ticket exactly as it is in the document.

Q: Is selling named tickets mandatory?

No. Performing arts organisations and museums are entitled to sell them. But if a ticket is named, a spectator is admitted only with a document, and if the data does not match they do not get in.

Q: How do you stop scalpers?

Take the data from a photo of the passport, not from a form field, and limit the number of tickets per document: NeuroVision returns the series and number as a separate field, and your ticketing system sets the limit.

Q: Can spectators be admitted by biometrics?

Automatically — only through the Unified Biometric System, if the venue is connected to it. Without the EBS the steward decides at the entrance: they see the photo from the buyer’s document and compare it with the person themselves.

Q: Does a spectator have to hand over biometrics?

No. Entry is by ticket and document. Liveness at purchase is a one-off check that the ticket is placed by a live passport holder, not a bot.

Q: Does NeuroVision replace the fan card?

No. Tickets to matches on the Government’s list are sold only with a valid fan card issued through Gosuslugi. NeuroVision helps at a stadium’s other events: concerts, VIP boxes, accreditation.

Q: Do we need to change the entry system?

No. The buyer’s data and the photo from the document arrive in your ticketing system through the API, and how to show them to the steward when a ticket is scanned is configured there.

Q: How do you check age at an 18+ show?

At purchase — by the date of birth from the document or by telecom operator data. At the entrance a cashier or steward may require a document: the organiser must not admit anyone under 18.

Q: How do you reissue a named ticket?

The new spectator photographs their passport, and the surname and photo from the document change in the ticket. The reissue procedure is approved by the organiser under the Government’s rules.

Q: Where are spectators’ passports stored?

In the NeuroVision cloud in Russia or on the venue’s servers with an installation in your perimeter. The storage period is set in the scenario.

A named ticket admits a person only with a document, and a typo in the surname costs a concertgoer their seat. NeuroVision carries the surname from the passport into the ticket without manual entry, checks the age and that a live person is buying the ticket, and gives the gate steward the photo from the document.

Try it for free The buyer’s journey

Checking the buyer of a named ticket: passport, surname on the ticket, age and Liveness

from 16 ₽ the buyer’s passport without manual entry

< 1 s document recognition in the basket

195+ countries and territories — documents of foreign spectators

18+ age threshold in the sales scenario

Passport without entry Surname on the ticket Age 18+ Liveness Photo for the steward Your own environment

Cloud in Russia or your perimeter · Russian software registry no. 19972 · Federal Law 152‑FZ

A named ticket, a fan card and the 18+ age limit: what the law requires of an event organiser

A public event has three entry rules: a named ticket admits by document, football — by fan card, and 18+ shows — adults only. Each has its own law and its own liability.

A named ticket

Fundamentals of Legislation on Culture, Art. 52.1 (193‑FZ of 18.07.2019); Government Decree no. 1491 of 18.09.2020

The buyer’s journey
Who sells
- Performing arts organisations and museums and their authorised persons
- Named tickets are sold subject to the personal data law
How people are admitted
- Only on presentation of an identity document
- If the data does not match or the ticket has corrections, the spectator is not admitted
Resale and refunds
- A ticket may not be sold above its price
- A citizen may resell once a ticket bought for themselves, at no more than face value
- Refunds and reissue — under the Government’s rules
Football and the fan card

329‑FZ, parts 1.5, 2.1, 2.2 of Art. 20, Art. 20.5, 20.6; order no. 2601‑r of 22.09.2026

Who is responsible for what
Where a card is needed
- Tickets to competitions on the Government’s list are sold only with a valid card
- From 1 October 2026 — all Russian Cup matches and Russian Premier League stadiums
- Application — through Gosuslugi
What the organiser does
- Sets the requirements for selling tickets together with the stadium owner
- No later than three hours before the start it is checked against the list of persons banned from attending competitions
Where NeuroVision fits in
- Does not replace the fan card
- Helps at events outside the list: stadium concerts, VIP boxes, accreditation
18+ shows and biometrics at the entrance

436‑FZ, parts 7.1, 7.2 of Art. 11; 572‑FZ, para. 2 of part 2 of Art. 1, part 1 of Art. 15; 152‑FZ, part 1 of Art. 9

Entry with a steward
An 18+ show
- The organiser must not admit anyone under 18
- A cashier or steward may require a document
- The procedure for children’s attendance is set in the organiser’s local act
The match is made by a person
- The biometrics law does not apply to a match made by an authorised person rather than automatically
- The steward compares the spectator with the photo and decides themselves
Automatically — only through the EBS
- Organisations do not store biometrics for identification outside the Unified Biometric System
- Biometric authentication — against EBS vectors

Theatres, concert halls, stadiums, festivals and forums: where the ticket buyer is checked

A named ticket starts in the basket and ends at the entrance. A check is needed where the ticket is expensive, seats are few or a document is required at the gate.

Theatres and concert halls
- First name and surname on the ticket — from the passport, without typos
- Premieres and tours — the series and number for a per-document limit
- Reissue to another spectator — by the new person’s document
Ticket operators and platforms
- Checking the buyer is built into the basket with one script
- Repeat orders on one document are visible in your system before payment
- The data goes to the organiser in their format
Stadiums and clubs
- Concerts and events outside the fan card list — a named ticket by document
- VIP boxes and season tickets — checking the holder
- At matches on the list the fan card applies
18+ shows and festivals
- Age — at purchase, not at the gate
- A ticket or wristband — in the name from the document
- The steward sees the date of birth and the photo from the document
Conferences, exhibitions and forums
- Registration and accreditation by passport without manual entry
- Press and speakers — watchlists and sanctions before a badge is issued
- A badge with the photo from the document

Who is responsible for what at the entrance: the organiser, the ticket operator, the steward, Gosuslugi and NeuroVision

There are five parties at the entrance to an event, and each is responsible for their own part. The role map shows what can be automated and what stays with people and state systems.
NeuroVision does not sell tickets, does not replace the fan card and does not decide whom to admit: it gives the organiser the buyer’s verified data and the photo from the document for the steward.

The organiser and the venue

Decides whether to sell named tickets and how many per person. Approves the refund and reissue procedure. For 18+ shows — a local admission act.
- Art. 52.1 of the Fundamentals, Art. 11 of 436‑FZ
The ticket operator

Sells tickets under a contract with the organiser. Receives the buyer’s data and consent to processing. Answers to the organiser for the sale.
- parts 4–6 of Art. 52.1
The steward at the entrance

Matches the document and photo with the ticket and the person. Does not admit on a mismatch or corrections. At an 18+ show may require a document.
- part 8 of Art. 52.1, part 7.1 of Art. 11 of 436‑FZ
Gosuslugi and the fan card

Accept applications for the fan card. A ticket to a match on the list is sold only with a valid card. Authentication at the entrance is through the fan identification system.
- Art. 20.5, 20.6 of 329‑FZ
The spectator

Buys a ticket in their own name. Consents to data processing. Shows a document at the entrance.
- Art. 9 of 152‑FZ
NeuroVision

Passport and documents from 195+ countries and territories without manual entry, anti-fraud. Age, watchlists and sanctions. Liveness and a selfie-to-document photo match at purchase.
- KYC · AML

From basket to steward: how the buyer of a named ticket is checked

A scenario for a ticket operator and venue: the buyer photographs their passport in the basket, the data goes into the ticket, and at the entrance the steward matches the person to the document and photo.

Step 1

Passport in the basket

The buyer photographs their passport with a phone. The surname, first name and date of birth arrive in the order without manual entry, and anti-fraud flags a photo of a screen and a printout.

Step 2

Age, limit and a live buyer

The scenario compares the age with the event’s threshold, and your system matches the series and number against orders already placed. Liveness and a selfie-to-passport-photo match show that a live person — the document holder — is buying the ticket.

Checking age, the number of orders per document and a live buyer

Step 3

Entry to the venue

The spectator shows the ticket and passport. The steward sees the surname, date of birth and the photo from the document and decides themselves whether to admit.

The steward’s screen: the passport photo, ticket data and the entry decision

Scalpers, bots and other people’s surnames: why selling by passport alone is not enough

A “passport” field in a form checks nothing

A scalper types in other people’s numbers, a bot types in generated ones, and at the entrance the steward sees only what is printed on the ticket. The check works when the data is taken from a real document.

01
Numbers from the internet

A series and number from a leaked database or made up are typed into the form. Recognition takes the data from a photo of the document, and anti-fraud flags a screenshot.
02
Dozens of orders on one document

A scalper places tickets under one series and number with different surnames. The series and number as a separate field let your system see this before payment.
03
A typo that blocks entry

An operator typed “Kupriyanov” by hand instead of “Kupriyanova”. A spectator with a genuine ticket argues at the gate while the queue stands.
04
A teenager at an 18+ show

An adult bought the ticket, but a minor turned up. The date of birth from the document at purchase and the document shown to the steward close the gap.

Once a citizen may resell a named ticket bought for themselves at no more than face value
< 10 % cap on ancillary services as a share of the ticket price
3 hours no later than this before the start of a match the organiser checks the list of persons banned from attending

A named-ticket sales checklist: eight steps from order to entry to the venue

The order in which the organiser and ticket operator check the buyer and the spectator. Each row shows who performs the step.

Which tickets are named, how many per document, whether there is an age threshold The organiser
The buyer’s consent to data processing — as a separate document The organiser

A Russian passport or a foreigner's document — fields without manual entry NeuroVision
Anti-fraud: a photo of a screen, a printout, a pasted-in photo, traces of editing NeuroVision
Validity of a Russian passport against the Ministry of the Interior database — for expensive tickets NeuroVision

The series and number as a separate field for matching against orders already placed NeuroVision
Over the limit — a refusal, a manual check or a waiting list The organiser

The date of birth against the event’s threshold or confirmation through a telecom operator NeuroVision
An 18+ show — a local act on admitting children and the category mark in the poster The organiser

A match from the Government’s list — a ticket only with a valid fan card Government system
The list of persons banned from attending — no later than three hours before the start Government system

Liveness at purchase — the ticket is placed by a person, not a bot NeuroVision
A one-off selfie-to-document photo match — the buyer is the passport holder NeuroVision
Automatic biometric entry — only through UBS, if the venue is connected Government system

VIP boxes, press and speaker accreditation — the Rosfinmonitoring list and sanctions NeuroVision

The steward matches the ticket, the document and the photo from the document and decides themselves The organiser
Refunds and reissue — by the new spectator’s document NeuroVision
The data storage period — set in the scenario NeuroVision

NeuroVision — a step closed by NeuroVision: document recognition, anti-fraud, age, Liveness and database checks
The organiser — a step of the organiser or ticket operator: sales rules, the limit, the steward’s decision
Government system — a step of a state system: the fan card, the list of persons banned from attending, the EBS

The buyer’s photo at the steward: entry by ticket, the decision is made by a person

A stranger with someone else’s document

Risk. The ticket and passport are genuine, but their holder did not come — the steward compares the passport photo with the person by eye and in a hurry.

NeuroVision — at purchase passes on the photo from the document together with the surname and date of birth.

The organiser — shows this photo to the steward when the ticket is scanned — configured in your ticket control system.
The ticket was bought by a bot

Risk. A script buys up tickets on fake data within minutes of the start of sales.

NeuroVision — Liveness at purchase: a live person is in front of the camera, not a photo, a screen or a deepfake.

The organiser — turns on Liveness for expensive tickets and premieres so as not to slow down ordinary sales.
The decision at the turnstile

Risk. An automatic gate opens on a match — and a mistake is left with no one responsible.

NeuroVision — does not open the entrance itself: the steward sees the ticket, document and photo and admits the spectator by their own decision.

The organiser — appoints stewards and the procedure for disputed cases.
Biometrics at the entrance

Risk. An organisation may store spectators’ face templates and admit people by them automatically only through the Unified Biometric System.

NeuroVision — a one-off selfie-to-document photo match at purchase; integration with the EBS — for venues connected to it.

The organiser — decides whether biometrics are needed at the entrance at all; for most events a ticket and a document are enough.

The biometrics law does not apply to a match made by an authorised person (para. 2 of part 2 of Art. 1 of 572‑FZ), and organisations may not store biometrics for identification outside the EBS (para. 1 of part 1 of Art. 15). That is why the steward decides at the entrance. What the EBS is — a blog article.

How scalpers get round named tickets: five schemes and what stops them

A document farm

Other people’s passports in the form

A scalper enters numbers from leaked databases. A photo of a genuine document and anti-fraud do not let a ticket be bought on a made-up passport.

One passport — many surnames

A repeated series and number

Orders are placed on one document with different surnames. The series and number as a separate field — and the limit in your system stops the scheme before payment.

Reissue for money

A ticket “handed over” at a higher price

A scalper offers to reissue a ticket to a buyer. Reissue is only through the organiser and by the new spectator’s document.

A passport photo from a screen

A scan from someone else’s correspondence

A screenshot or an edited scan is uploaded to the basket. Anti-fraud flags a photo of a screen, a printout and traces of editing.

A bot buyout

Hundreds of orders a minute

A script places tickets on fake data. Liveness and a selfie-to-document photo match require a live passport holder.

Full name

A ticket tied to a document

Refunds, reissue, a VIP box and accreditation: when to check the spectator again

The check at purchase is not the last one. Repeat it when a ticket changes owner, money is refunded or entry gives more than a seat in the hall.

Reissue to another spectator

The new spectator photographs their own passport — the surname and photo from the document change in the ticket without letters or scans.
A refund

A refund — under the Government’s rules and the organiser’s procedure. Data from the document helps confirm who the money goes back to.
A VIP box and a corporate season ticket

Expensive seats and restricted areas — a document, Liveness and checks against watchlists and sanctions before access is granted.
Press and speaker accreditation

Journalists, speakers and forum contractors — a passport without manual entry and watchlists before a badge with the photo from the document is issued.

Ticket buyer and spectator checks: catalogue and prices

Each check is switched on separately: an ordinary ticket needs only the document, while a VIP box and accreditation need the full set. You pay for the checks performed. All database checks — in the general catalogue.

The buyer in the basket

A passport without manual entry, anti-fraud and age.

OCR · anti-fraud

Russian passport recognition

A Russian passport is recognised from a photo: the surname, first name, date of birth, series and number arrive in the order without manual entry.

from 16 ₽
Learn more
OCR · anti-fraud

Foreigners' documents: 195+ countries and territories

A foreign spectator’s document is recognised from a photo; the name in Latin letters is taken from the machine-readable zone.

from 16 ₽
Learn more
Police · SMEV

Validity of a Russian passport

The authenticity and validity of a Russian passport through the interagency interaction system. It catches expired, replaced, lost and invalid documents and verifies that the passport was issued to this particular person.

5 ₽ / check
Learn more
Mobile operator

Age confirmation

A person’s age from telecom operator data — without a passport scan.

5 ₽
Learn more

How much it costs to check the buyer of a named ticket

A fixed price per check, no subscription fee. An ordinary ticket, a premiere and a VIP box are checked differently — you pay for what you switch on.

Document

from 16 ₽ per session

Calculate

A Russian passport or a foreigner’s document without manual entry, anti-fraud, age from the date of birth, the photo from the document for the steward. An additional document — 10 ₽.
Most popular choice

Document + Liveness

from 29 ₽ per session

Enable

Everything in “Document”, plus Liveness and a selfie-to-document photo match, and protection against bots, masks and deepfakes. For premieres and expensive tickets.
Lists and databases

5 ₽ per check

Build a set

The Rosfinmonitoring list, sanctions, passport validity; the basic Russian-passport check package — 50 ₽, compliance screening with PEP — 36 ₽. For VIP boxes and accreditation.

One session — one person: tickets for a company are issued by each spectator’s document. At 10 000 checks a year — 18 ₽ per session by the calculator. Calculator on the pricing page.

Connecting to the ticketing system, box office and the venue’s app

The check is built in where the buyer already is: the website basket, the venue’s app and the box office. Steps are switched on by scenario rules — a document for everyone, Liveness for expensive tickets.

SDK and widget

The Web SDK is built into the ticket operator’s basket with one script, and the iOS and Android SDKs — into the venue’s app. At the box office the widget opens on a device with a camera. Documentation

Web SDK
iOS and Android
REST API
Docker
A cloud in Russia

Test scenario in the personal account

Payment for completed checks, the data retention period is set in the scenario, support through a ticket system.

Why ticket operators and venues choose NeuroVision

A venue needs a check that does not crash sales in the first minutes and does not build a queue at the gate on the day of the concert.

Document, age and watchlists — in one platform

A passport is recognised in under a second, anti-fraud flags a photo of a screen and a pasted-in photo, and the age is compared with the event’s threshold. Liveness tells a live buyer from a photo, a screen and a deepfake.

There is no need to assemble a solution from several vendors and reconcile their responses.

Passport Age Watchlists API

Your own environment

Docker installation: spectators’ data stays with the venue.

No typos

The surname goes into the ticket from the document.

A Russian developer

Russian software registry no. 19972, cloud in Russia.

Liveness 99,9 %

Protection against photos, screens, masks and video stream substitution.

An organiser’s glossary: a named ticket, reissue, the fan card, the age category

In brief, the terms that come up when selling named tickets and checking spectators.

A named ticket: A ticket carrying the spectator’s data, which admits a person only with an identity document.; Named ticket
Authorised person: A company or citizen who sells tickets under a contract with a performing arts organisation or a museum.; Authorised ticket seller
Reissue: Replacing the spectator on a named ticket under the Government’s rules and the organiser’s procedure.; Ticket transfer
Ancillary services: Paid services of the seller offered with a ticket — under 10 % of its price.; Ancillary services
The fan card: A personalised card for buying tickets and entering competitions on the Government’s list, issued through Gosuslugi.; Fan ID
Age category: A 0+…18+ mark on a public event; at 18+ the organiser does not admit anyone under 18.; Age rating
Unified Biometric System: The state system whose vectors organisations may use for biometric authentication.; Unified Biometric System
Liveness: A check that a live person is in front of the camera, and not a photo, a screen, a mask or a deepfake.; Liveness detection
Document anti-fraud: A check of an image for a photo of a screen, a printout, a pasted-in photo and traces of editing.; Document fraud check
Consent to data processing: A separate document in which the buyer permits the processing of their personal data.; Data processing consent

Frequently asked questions about named tickets and checking spectators