9.2 FENCERS' NATIONALITY
9.2.3 For official competitions of the F.I.E., competitors must be strictly of the nationality of the country which they are representing:
a) The fencer who enjoys multiple nationality must choose which country he wishes to represent. The fact that he has fenced for one of the countries implies that he has made a choice. If he wishes to represent another country of which he enjoys nationality, he must so advise the Office of the F.I.E. and he may only represent this other country after an interval of three years from when he advised the Central Office of the F.I.E., during which he can no longer represent the other country.
b) A fencer who has already represented a country and acquires a new nationality (from being stateless or through naturalisation) can only represent his new country after an interval of three years from his last participation in a competition for his previous country.
c) The fencer who acquires a new nationality as a result of marriage may fence for that new country immediately, without waiting three years.
d) The Executive Committee of the F.I.E., with the agreement of the member federations concerned, and only for just reasons, may reduce or dispense with the interval of three years.
e) The fencer who has never participated in an official competition of the F.I.E. or in a Regional Championships, is not constrained by these limitations concerning change of nationality and may fence for his new country immediately.
f) Any change in country which a fencer represents is definitive; no further change can be authorised.
9.2.4 In the case of other international competitions, the F.I.E., although still in favour of the same ruling, is more tolerant in the matter of countries represented as long as foreigners have actually been residing for five consecutive years in the country which they are invited to represent, and have not represented their own country for five years.
For these same competitions fencers who are legally stateless may compete as long as they are registered by the member federation of the country in which they live.
