# Membership of Kosovo in international sports federations

Kosovo was a part of several international sports federations in the 1990s, and has applied to become a member of many more after its 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia.

## Background

Kosovo is a full member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the European Olympic Committees (EOC); membership by the former was granted to Kosovo's Olympic Committee on 9 December 2014. The country has participated in both the Winter and Summer Olympics. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Kosovo won a gold medal, and in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, it won two.
Prior to IOC and IPC recognition, Kosovar athletes took part in the Special Olympics starting in 2003. A body known as the Special Olympics Kosovo was established to provide support for Kosovan special olympics athletes. The Paralympic Committee of Kosovo won granted provisional membership status by the International Paralympic Committee on 16 July 2022. Full membership was granted at the following IPC General Assembly in Manama, Bahrain on 28 September 2023. Kosovo made its Paralympic début at 2024 Summer Paralympics.
Kosovo participated in a wide multi-sport event for the first time at the 2015 European Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan.The first participation from athletes from the country were at the fourth 'World Dwarf Games' in Rambouillet, France in 2005, Kosovo also participated at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, and in 2015 IHF Emerging Nations Championship, among others.

## Membership in sport federations

The following sports federations have either admitted or have received an application from Kosovo for membership:

### International federations and associations membership

| Entity | Notes | Status | Date |
| Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) | FAI admitted Kosovo as a full member. | Member | 25 September 2015 |
| Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) | FIFA admitted the Football Federation of Kosovo as its 210th member at its 66th Congress in Mexico City. | Member | 13 May 2016 |
| Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) | FIA admitted the Federation of Auto Sport of Kosovo as a member at its annual assembly in 2015. | Member | 4 December 2015 |
| Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) | The Volleyball Federation of Kosovo is a full member of the FIVB. | Member | 10 October 2016 |
| International Archery Federation (FITA) | FITA admitted Kosovo as a full member. | Member | 1 July 2011 |
| International Tennis Federation (ITF) | ITF admitted the Tennis Federation of Kosovo as a full member. | Member | 25 September 2015 |
| International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) | The IAAF admitted the Kosovo Athletic Federation as a provisional member "with full rights and obligations" on 15 April 2015 On 19 August 2015, full membership was granted to Kosovo after a vote, with 187 in favour and 13 against. | Member | 19 August 2015 |
| International Basketball Federation (FIBA) | FIBA admitted the Basketball Federation of Kosovo as a full member. | Member | 13 March 2015 |
| International Boxing Association (AIBA) | Kosovo became AIBA's 195th federation in July 2012 (provisional). Full membership was granted to Kosovo on 14 November 2014. | Member | 14 November 2014 |
| International Chess Federation (FIDE) | The Kosovo Chess Federation became a full member of FIDE in 2016. | Member | 2016 |
| International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG) | ICMG admitted the Kosovo Olympic Committee as a full member on 30 October 2015 during its Extraordinary General Assembly in Washington D.C. | Member | 30 October 2015 |
| International Committee of Sports for the Deaf | Kosovo became a member in July 2017. | Member | 18 July 2017 |
| International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) | FILA admitted Kosovo as an associated federation, but not as a full member. | Associate | 9 June 2008 |
| International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG) | The FIG admitted the Kosovo Gymnastics Federation at its 80th Congress held in Uzbekistan on 29–30 October 2014. | Member | 30 October 2014 |
| International Handball Federation (IHF) | IHM admitted the Handball Federation of Kosovo as a full member at the IHF Congress held in Sochi, Russia. | Member | 7 November 2015 |
| International Judo Federation (IJF) | IJF admitted the Kosovo Judo Federation as a full member. | Member | 10 April 2012 |
| International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) | IKF admitted the Kickboxing Federation of Kosovo as a full member. | Member | 18 March 2015 |
| International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) | The Kosovo Mixed Martial Federation became a member of the IMMAF in June 2020. | Member | 12 June 2020 |
| International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) | The UIPM admitted the Kosovo Pentathlon Union as a full member at its 2013 Annual Congress in Cyprus. | Member | 29 November 2013 |
| International Olympic Committee (IOC) | The IOC admitted the Kosovo Olympic Committee as a full member on 9 December 2014 during its 127th IOC session in Monaco. | Member | 9 December 2014 |
| International Paralympic Committee (IPC) | The IPC admitted the Paralympic Committee of Kosovo as a provisional member on 16 July 2022 and as a full member on 28 September 2023 allowing athletes from Kosovo to participate in the Paralympic Games. | Member | 16 July 2022 (provisional) 28 September 2023 (full) |
| International Sailing Federation (ISAF) | ISAF admitted Kosovo as a full member. | Member | 8 May 2012 |
| International Ski Federation (FIS) | The Kosovo Ski Federation was granted full membership on 7 November 2015. | Member | 7 November 2015 |
| International Softball Federation (ISF) | ISF admitted Kosovo as a full member. | Member | 12 August 2008 |
| International Swimming Federation (FINA) | FINA admitted the Kosovo Swimming Federation as a full member. | Member | 17 February 2015 |
| International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) | The Table Tennis Federation of Kosovo became a full member in 2003, prior to its declaration of independence. | Member | 21 May 2003 |
| International University Sports Federation (FISU) | The Kosovo University Sports Federation (FUSK) became a member of FISU in 2017. | Member | 2017 |
| Jeux de la Francophonie | As an associate member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Kosovo has participated in the Jeux de la Francophonie since 2017 | Associate | 2014 |
| Special Olympics | Special Olympics Kosovo was founded in 2002 and athletes representing Kosovo have participated at the Special Olympics World Games since 2003. | Member | 2002 |
| International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) | IWF admitted Kosovo as a full member. | Member | 18 June 2008 |
| Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) | The UCI admitted Kosovo as a full member. Prior to this, the ICU gave Kosovo temporary membership in February 2015 enabling Kosovo to participate in ICU affiliated competitions. | Member | 25 September 2015 |
| United World Wrestling (UWW) | The UWW admitted Kosovo under associate membership on 16 January 2015 with full membership yet to be finalised. | Associate | 16 January 2015 |
| World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) | The Kosovo Baseball and Softball Federation became a member of the WBSC in 2016. | Member | August 2016 |
| World Curling Federation (WFC) | The WFC admitted the Kosovo Curling Federation as a provisional member at its 2012 annual general assembly in Scotland. | Provisional | 21 October 2012 |
| World Karate Federation (WKF) | The WKF admitted the National Karate Federation of Kosovo to provisional membership on 13 December 2014. | Provisional | 13 December 2014 |
| World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) | The WTF admitted the Kosovo Taekwondo Federation (KTF) at its 2013 Annual Congress. From 14 July 2013 to 12 May 2015 the KTF was a provisional member of WTF. The KTF was granted full WTF membership at the WTF assembly on 12 May 2015. | Member | 12 May 2015 |
| World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) | Kosovo is a full member of WMF. | Member | |

### European federations and associations membership

| Entity | Notes | Status | Date |
| European Athletics Association (EAA) | Kosovo became a full member of the EAA on 16 October 2015. | Member | 16 October 2015 |
| European Handball Federation (EHF) | Kosovo became a full member of the EHF on 20 September 2014. | Member | 20 September 2014 |
| European Minigolf Sport Federation (EMF) | Kosovo became a member of the EMF in April 2012. | Member | 20 April 2012 |
| European Olympic Committees (EOC) | The EOI automatically admitted the Kosovo Olympic Committee as a full member after Kosovo received full membership in the International Olympic Committee on 9 December 2014. | Member | 9 December 2014 |
| European Paralympic Committee (EPC) | The Paralympic Committee of Kosovo became a member of the EPC when the International Paralympic Committee admitted Kosovo as a provisional member in July 2022 and a full member in September 2023. | Full | 28 September 2023 |
| Tennis Europe | Tennis Europe admitted Kosovo as a full member. | Member | 28 March 2015 |
| Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) | Kosovo became a full member of UEFA on 3 May 2016. | Member | 3 May 2016 |
| European Karate Federation (EFK) | Kosovo is a full member of EFK. | Member | 25 October 2016 |
| European Judo Union (EJU) | Kosovo is a full member of EJU. | Member | |
| European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) | Kosovo is a provisional member of EPBF. | Provisional | |
| European Union of Gymnastics (EUG) | Kosovo is a full member of EUG. | Member | 24 November 2015 |
| European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) | Kosovo is a full member of CEV. | Member | 21 January 2017 |
| European Shooting Confederation (ESC) | Kosovo is a full member of ESC. | Member | |
| Ligue européenne de natation (LEN) | Kosovo is a full member of LEN. | Member | |
| European Chess Union (ECU) | Kosovo is a full member of ECU. | Member | |
| Rugby Europe | The Kosovo Rugby Federation became a member of Rugby Europe on 3 December 2021. | Member | 3 December 2021 |