For Croatia travellers, Dutch visa refusals show each Schengen state decides visas

Three leading Russian gymnasts have been refused visas by the Dutch authorities and will not travel to Rotterdam for the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships that start on Saturday. Former Olympic champions Angelina Melnikova and Viktoria Listunova, together with teammate Anna Kalmykova, were stopped from making the trip, the Russian team has said.

World Gymnastics said it regrets the disruption and the "confusion" surrounding the week-long event, which serves as a team qualifying competition for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Key facts

• Who is affected: Russian gymnasts Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova, who were refused visas to enter the Netherlands.
• Where: Rotterdam, Netherlands, for the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships starting Saturday.
• Who decides: World Gymnastics says visas for participants are determined solely by the Dutch authorities.
• Other team members: The rest of the Russian team received visas and can travel.
• Olympic impact: The championships are a team qualifying event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

What happened?

The three gymnasts were not allowed to travel to the Netherlands for the championships, the Russian team said. Other members of the Russian squad were issued visas, so the refusals affected only part of the delegation.

World Gymnastics said it "is not in a position to explain" why a limited number of visa applications were rejected, and stressed that the decision on visas lies with the Dutch authorities alone. The governing body said it is in continuing dialogue with the Dutch authorities, the local organising committee and the Russian Gymnastics Federation.

What did the sport's governing bodies say?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it had supported World Gymnastics in efforts to ensure all athletes could take part. According to the IOC, the vast majority of athletes received their visas, and the international federation informed it that athletes will have other chances to qualify for the Olympic Games over the next two years.

Russia's sports minister, Mikhail Degtyaryov, wrote on social media on Tuesday that Russia planned to demand that the championships be stripped of their Olympic qualifier status over the issue. World Gymnastics did not mention that demand in its statement and did not respond to a question about it, while the IOC also did not address it and said it could not comment on individual cases.

Russian gymnasts were cleared of restrictions on competing internationally by World Gymnastics in May, after years of bans or vetting for neutral status.

What happened in Croatia?

The case echoes an earlier visa episode involving the same athletes. Melnikova won the European all-around title in August in Croatia after being issued a visa following an initial refusal, the Russian team said at the time. Listunova was refused a visa on that occasion.

It is not the first time host-country visa decisions have shaped a gymnastics world championships: the previous edition went ahead in Indonesia without the Israeli team after the host country's authorities refused to issue visas.

What this means for travellers

The decisions underline that permission to take part in an event does not by itself guarantee a visa or entry. Host authorities decide each application, and outcomes can differ between members of the same group travelling for the same competition.

Anyone travelling to the Netherlands or Croatia for a competition or event should confirm their own visa position well before departure rather than relying on an invitation or accreditation alone.

The world championships begin on Saturday in Rotterdam. No further decisions on the refused applications have been announced.