2027 International Standard for Results Management (ISRM) - In Force on 1 January 2027

2027 International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE) - In Force on 1 January 2027

2027 International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS) - In Force on 1 January 2027

<p class="reg-lead">The current edition of the International Standard for Education, adopted by the Sixth World Conference on Doping in Sport in Busan on 5 December 2025 and in force from 1 January 2027.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>Adopted</td><td><b>5 December 2025</b> — Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Busan Conference</td></tr>
<tr><td>In force from</td><td><b>1 January 2027</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>International Standard for Education, 2027 edition</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — in force from 1 January 2027</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What is the International Standard for Education?</h2>
<p>The International Standard for Education (ISE) is one of the <strong>mandatory International Standards</strong> of the global anti-doping system. The Standards set out the technical detail of implementing the Code, and compliance with them is mandatory for all Signatories to the Code. This Standard sets out Signatories' obligations in the field of <strong>education and prevention</strong>: education planning, priority audiences and the measurement of effectiveness.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>About the January 2027 edition<span class="reg-tag">Changes from 2021</span></h2>
<h3>Key changes from the previous edition</h3>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Busan Conference revision</b>The first revision of this Standard was adopted at the <strong>Sixth World Conference on Doping in Sport in Busan</strong> on 5 December 2025.</li>
<li><b class="t">Alignment with the 2027 Code</b>It takes effect alongside the <strong>2027 edition of the Code</strong>, in which the place of education within the global programme has been markedly strengthened.</li>
<li><b class="t">Drafted in consultation with stakeholders</b>The text was prepared in consultation with <strong>Signatories, public authorities, athletes and other stakeholders</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For national anti-doping organisations and national federations, this document is binding: the absence of a compliant education programme can itself give rise to a compliance case. The text makes clear that <strong>education is a right of the athlete</strong>, not merely a duty of the organisation.</p><p>Each case is governed by the edition of this Standard that was in force at the time of the relevant event; for that reason, earlier editions remain available on this page. The official text is published in English and French, and in the event of a divergence <strong>the English text prevails</strong>.</p>
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2027 International Standard for Education (ISE) - In Force on 1 January 2027

<p class="reg-lead">The 2027 edition of the World Anti-Doping Code, in force from 1 January 2027; it created the office of the Independent Review Expert, placed the consequences of Signatory non-compliance within the Code itself, and appreciably expanded the scope of protection for Protected Persons.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force from</td><td><b>1 January 2027</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Published by</td><td>World Anti-Doping Agency — 2027 edition</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Code, 2027 edition</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current version</strong> — in force from 1 January 2027</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What is the World Anti-Doping Code?</h2>
<p>The World Anti-Doping Code (WADA Code) is the foundational document of the global anti-doping system: it defines doping violations, sets the burden and standard of proof, enumerates the sanctions and the conditions for their reduction and aggravation, and organises the procedure for results management, hearings and appeals. All international federations, National Olympic Committees and national anti-doping organisations that have accepted it are required to bring their own rules into conformity with it; the International Standards — from the Prohibited List to sample collection, therapeutic use exemptions, results management, education and privacy — set the technical detail of its implementation.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>About the January 2027 edition<span class="reg-tag">Changes from 2021</span></h2>
<h3>The most important changes from the previous edition</h3>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Independent Review Expert</b>A new office, the <strong>Independent Review Expert</strong>, was created, and a category of cases is referred to it for review before proceeding further. This office did not exist in the 2021 edition.</li>
<li><b class="t">Consequences of Signatory non-compliance</b>The <strong>Signatory Consequences</strong> provisions appear in detail in the Code itself for the first time; previously that detail was found only in the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories.</li>
<li><b class="t">Expanded protection for Protected Persons</b>References to the <strong>Protected Person</strong> more than doubled compared with the 2021 edition, and the concept spread from the sanctions provisions across the entire text — from sample collection to results management and notification.</li>
<li><b class="t">Strengthened education and whereabouts rules</b>Education, with far more references, became one of the explicit pillars of the global programme, and the rules on athlete <strong>whereabouts</strong> information were also considerably elaborated.</li>
<li><b class="t">Legal foundations made explicit</b>The text emphasises that the Code was drafted <strong>with regard to human rights and the principle of proportionality</strong>, and lists the <strong>rule of law</strong> among the objectives of the global programme.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>Every athlete doping case, in any sport, ultimately comes back to this text; the anti-doping regulations of the international federations are nothing other than the implementation of this Code in that sport. Three points are decisive in the defence: liability in doping is <strong>strict</strong>, and proof of intent or fault is not required; the burden and standard of proof are defined in the Code itself and are not the same as criminal standards; and each case is governed by the edition that was <strong>in force at the time of the violation</strong>, unless a later edition is more favourable to the person charged.</p>
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2027 World Anti-Doping Code - In Force on 1 January 2027

<p class="reg-lead">The current edition, incorporating the revisions approved in December 2025 and in force from 1 April 2026; this is the ninth time the standard has been revised.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>Approved</td><td><b>1 December 2025</b> — Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency</td></tr>
<tr><td>In force from</td><td><b>1 April 2026</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Standard for Testing and Investigations, 2026 edition</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — in force from 1 April 2026</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What is the International Standard for Testing and Investigations?</h2>
<p>The International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI) is one of the <strong>mandatory International Standards</strong> of the global anti-doping system. The International Standards set out the technical detail of implementing the Code, and compliance with them is mandatory for all Signatories to the Code. This standard governs the procedure for test distribution planning, notification of the athlete, sample collection, storage and transport of samples, and the gathering of intelligence and the conduct of investigations.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>About the 2026 edition<span class="reg-tag">Changes from 2023</span></h2>
<h3>Principal changes from the previous edition</h3>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">December 2025 revisions</b>This edition incorporates the revisions approved in <strong>December 2025</strong> and takes effect from <strong>1 April 2026</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Ninth revision</b>The text itself states that this is the <strong>ninth</strong> revision of the standard since its first adoption in 2003.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>Procedural challenges to the sample-collection process are among the most common lines of defence in doping cases, and this text is their basis: from the manner of notification and chaperoning of the athlete to the chain of custody of the sample. The rules on <strong>whereabouts information</strong> are also set out in detail in this document.</p><p>Each case is governed by the edition of this standard that was in force at the time of the relevant event; for that reason, earlier editions are kept available on this page. The official text is published in English and French and, in the event of divergence, <strong>the English text prevails</strong>.</p>
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International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI) 2026 (in force)

<p class="reg-lead">The current edition of the International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information, adopted by the World Conference in Katowice on 7 November 2019 and in force from 1 January 2021.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>Adoption</td><td><b>7 November 2019</b> — WADA Executive Committee, Katowice Conference</td></tr>
<tr><td>In force from</td><td><b>1 January 2021</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information, 2021 edition</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — in force from 1 January 2021</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What is the International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information?</h2>
<p>The International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information (ISPPPI) is one of the <strong>mandatory International Standards</strong> of the world anti-doping system. The International Standards set out the technical detail for implementing the Code, and compliance with them is mandatory for all Signatories to the Code. This Standard determines how the personal information of athletes and other persons is to be collected, stored, transferred and deleted in the course of anti-doping activities.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>About the 2021 edition<span class="reg-tag">Changes from the 2018 edition</span></h2>
<h3>Key changes from the previous edition</h3>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">The Katowice revision</b>This edition was adopted at the <strong>World Conference on Doping in Sport in Katowice</strong> and came into force at the same time as the 2021 edition of the Code.</li>
<li><b class="t">Alignment with the 2021 Code</b>The text was aligned with the new concepts of the 2021 Code — including <strong>Protected Person</strong> — which has a direct bearing on how the information of such persons is processed and disclosed.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>In doping cases, a challenge to the manner in which information was collected or disclosed is one of the lines of defence, and its basis is this document. For National Anti-Doping Organisations, the obligations governing the retention and transfer of data are likewise set out in this text.</p><p>Each case is governed by the edition of this Standard that was in force at the time of the event in question; for that reason, the earlier editions are kept available on this page. The official text is published in English and French, and in the event of any conflict, <strong>the English text prevails</strong>.</p>
</div>

International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information — 2021 edition

<p class="reg-lead">The 2019 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods — an International Standard of the World Anti-Doping Agency, effective 1 January 2019, translated by the Education Committee of the National Anti-Doping Organisation.</p>

<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>Effective from</td><td><b>1 January 2019</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><b>International Standard</b> under the World Anti-Doping Code</td></tr>
<tr><td>Translation and compilation</td><td>Education Committee of the National Anti-Doping Organisation</td></tr>
<tr><td>Publisher</td><td>Ministry of Sport and Youth of the Islamic Republic of Iran</td></tr>
</table>

<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What is the Prohibited List?</h2>
<p>The Prohibited List is one of the binding International Standards under the World Anti-Doping Code and determines which substances and which methods are prohibited. Other anti-doping regulations — whether those of international federations or of the national anti-doping organisation — do not define this List but <strong>refer</strong> to it; for that reason, determining whether a substance was prohibited at the time of an alleged violation is always done by consulting the List for that year.</p>
<p>The structure of the List rests on three distinctions: substances and methods that are <strong>always</strong> prohibited (both in-competition and out-of-competition), substances and methods prohibited only <strong>in-competition</strong>, and substances prohibited only in <strong>particular sports</strong>.</p>
</div>

<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Why the year of the List is decisive</h2>
<p>The World Anti-Doping Agency reviews and publishes the List <strong>every year</strong>, and each version takes effect on 1 January of that year. Substances may be added or removed, and threshold levels may change.</p>
<p>In practice this means that the present version is the text governing events in 2019. In a case whose events occurred in another year, reliance on this version is incorrect, and the List for that year must be established. Likewise, the presence of a substance under "particular sports" requires that the athlete's sport be examined separately.</p>
</div>

<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>Athletes, team physicians and support personnel deal with this List before prescribing or taking any medication; and where there is a therapeutic need, the correct course is to apply for a therapeutic use exemption before use. For the sports lawyer, the List for the year in which the events occurred is the first document to be examined in any doping case.</p>
</div>

Notes related to the tag WADA

International Standard for Results Management

International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions

International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories

International Standard for Education

World Anti-Doping Code

International Standard for Testing and Investigations 2026 (in force)

International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information

World Anti-Doping Code – Prohibited List 2019