ARBITER STIPEND REGULATIONS

Approved by FIDE Council on 29/03/2024

Applied from 29/03/2024

1.       Scope & Definitions

1.1     These regulations apply to FIDE tournaments under the aegis of the Events Commission (EVE) and Global Strategy Commission (GSC).

1.2     For the purpose of these regulations, a continent is defined as the territory covered by one of the four Continental Associations which are FIDE Affiliated Organisations.

1.3     For the purpose of these regulations, local arbiters are arbiters who are appointed by the local organiser to EVE tournaments or by FIDE to GSC tournaments, who do not stay in the official hotel and who commute to the venue each day for the tournament.

2.       Travel Reimbursement

2.1     For tournaments under the aegis of EVE, arbiters will be paid up to

2.1.1           500 Euro if travelling from the same continent and the distance of the journey is 2,000 km or less.

2.1.2           1,200 Euro otherwise.

2.2     For tournaments under the aegis of GSC, arbiters will be paid up to

2.2.1           700 Euro if travelling from the same continent and the distance of the journey is 2,000 km or less.

2.2.2           1,200 Euro otherwise.

2.3     The FIDE Treasurer reserves the right to increase the amounts in Articles 2.1 and 2.2.

2.4     Local arbiters will have their full travel expenses covered by the Organiser, on the basis of the cost of the journeys being made on public transport using standard fare tickets.

2.5     The organiser will provide, at their own cost, transport for all non-local arbiters from:

2.5.1           The closest international airport to the hotel upon their arrival

2.5.2           The hotel to the closest international airport for their departure

2.5.3               To and from the playing venue each day

2.6     The following expenses must be borne by the arbiter:

2.6.1           Visa, if required

2.6.2           Travel Insurance

2.6.3           Medical Insurance

3.       Hotel Accommodation

3.1     The Chief Arbiter, Deputy Chief Arbiter(s) and Pairing Officer(s) will be accommodated in a hotel that is a minimum of 4*. Other arbiters will be accommodated in a hotel that is a minimum of 3*.

3.2     The Chief Arbiter, Deputy Chief Arbiter(s), Pairing Officer(s) and Sector Arbiter(s) will be given a single room. Other arbiters may be accommodated in twin rooms. The organiser may make available single rooms for other arbiters, in which case the arbiter will pay to the organiser the difference between the price of a single room, and half the price of a twin room.

3.3     All hotel rooms accommodating arbiters will be on a full-board basis.

4.       Fees

4.1     The arbiters shall receive the following fees for their work, paid in Euro.

4.2     Rest days, plus arrival and departure days are included in the calculations.

4.3     Arbiters who are only engaged for a portion of the tournament (e.g. in Knockout tournaments such as the World Cup) are paid based on the duration of their involvement.

4.4     If the Chief Arbiter is the same for two competitions in the list above simultaneously, because they are taking place in the same venue (e.g. the Candidates Tournament and Women’s Candidates Tournament), then the arbiter shall be paid the higher of the two stipends, plus 10%.

5.       Miscellaneous Expenses

5.1     Stationery expenses should be reimbursed by the organiser.

5.2     If the organiser arranges extra tournaments that are not part of the tournament schedule (e.g. a problem-solving competition or a blitz tournament), the arbiter’s stipends in accordance with Article 4.1 do not cover their work in the extra tournaments. The organiser must separately negotiate fees with the arbiters, and will be responsible for paying the arbiters to those tournaments.

6.       Payment of Arbiters

6.1     Payment must be made within 14 working days of the last round of the tournament, or within 14 working days of the arbiter providing their bank details to the organiser, whichever is later.

6.2     In exceptional circumstances, arbiters may apply to the FIDE Treasurer or organiser to pre-finance up to 100% of the flight costs.

7.         Tax Arrangements

7.1     Arbiters receiving payment for their work in accordance with these regulations are responsible for paying their own tax.