Sweden, Following Finland And Norway, Will Ban Russian Athletes From Entering The Country

15.11.2026, 16:39

Until the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine

The Swedish government does not intend to allow Russian athletes to participate in international competitions within the kingdom as long as the war in Ukraine continues. Authorities are developing a mechanism that will allow them to deny entry to Russian athletes, even if they hold visas from other Schengen Zone countries, stated Sweden’s Minister of Sports Jakob Forssmed in an interview with AFP. “Our principled position is that we do not want to see Russian athletes on Swedish soil during international competitions, as this gives Russia and Putin the opportunity to exploit the situation for propaganda purposes and contributes to the normalization of the war,” he said.

According to Forssmed, the mechanism should be in place before the start of the World Ski Championships, which will take place in February–March 2027 in the Swedish city of Falun. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete provided they meet a number of conditions, including competing without national symbols. The Swedish Ski Association previously stated that it disagrees with this decision but will comply with it. Earlier in November, Finland and Norway announced their intention to ban Russian athletes from entering their countries. In Finland, the restrictions will take effect on November 16. Specifically, Finland will stop issuing short-term work visas valid for up to 90 days, which athletes were previously eligible to receive. This will also affect those who have been permitted to compete under neutral status. On November 12, Norway announced that it would not allow Russian professional athletes or their support staff to enter its territory. The decision states that these athletes are closely linked to their country’s authorities and government agencies, and therefore their participation in international competitions cannot be viewed in isolation from the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Prior to this, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow Russian national teams to compete in the 2026–27 season. The hockey federations of Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Finland, Denmark, and the Czech Republic have stated that they do not intend to play against teams from the Russian Federation. Germany has accepted the possibility of withdrawing as host of the 2027 World Championship, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Russian hockey players will not be issued visas for the World Junior Championship in late December.

The IIHF has appealed the court’s decision, citing a potential conflict of interest and undisclosed business ties to Russia on the part of two of the three CAS arbitrators who ruled in favor of the country’s return to international competition.

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