BONA FIDE RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS

Players, who are not citizens of the country they wish to represent in international bridge cham­pion­ships, may be allowed to rely on the Bona Fide Residence Requirement if they are able to satisfy the sponsoring organisation of the legitimacy of their residence. The proviso is incorporated within the sponsoring organisation’s conditions of participation to facilitate the opportunity for those players who have relocated to a country, that is not the country of their birth and, who genuinely and continuously reside in the country that they now wish to represent.  Bona Fide Residence is one's actual or true residence, maintained in good faith, and does not include a temporary res­i­dence or superficial res­i­dence established for convenience or for the purpose of circumventing the conditions of representative participation.

It is for the player who seeks to rely upon this requirement to satisfy the European Bridge League and demonstrate the genuineness of their residence.  It is not to allow the transfer of a player’s allegiance for any reason other than their genuine relocation to a country that is not the country of their birth. Those players who are unable to demonstrate to the absolute satisfaction of the EBL’s Credentials Committee will not be allowed to represent the chosen country in international championships.

The following criteria will apply for those players seeking reliance upon the Bona Fide Residency Re­quire­ment:

1. the player must establish bona fide residence in the country that they seek to represent for at least two years prior to the start of the year within which they wish to participate; and
2. the player must have a visa or permit that allows them to remain in that country for a period of at least one year; or
3. the laws of that country allow the player to remain in that country for a period of at least one year.

Residence may be established and supported by the production documents from at least three of the following categories:

1. Voter’s registration
2. Driver's licence
3. Local or national tax records
4. Homeowner or tenant records
5. Medical records
6. Utility bills (gas, electric, water, telephone, mobile phone, waste disposal)
7. Financial records (loan, credit, investments, etc)
8. Welfare records
9. Vehicle records
10. Such other documents that may demostrate residence

In addition, players who seek to rely upon the Bona Fide Residence Requirement must submit a written application that contains the following information:

1. Details of their previous country of residence and the date on which they relocated to the pre­sent residence;
2. If they represented their previous country in any international championships, the dates and detail of any such representation;
3. A signed statement that they are a Bona Fide Resident of the country which they now seek to represent

If the Credential’s Committee is not satisfied with the documents submitted it may require further proof and/or information.

A player who has represented a country two or more times during the previous five years shall con­tin­ue to be treated as being eligible to represent that country.

Players should be fully aware that by competing for a country other than that of their nationality (i.e. for which they hold or are entitled to hold a passport), they may jeopardise their eligibility to par­tic­i­pate in a subsequent Olympic Bridge Event or Olympic Qualifier.