Cardioversion of atrial fibrillation entails a risk of thromboembolic events, especially ischaemic stroke. Oral anticoagulation therapy before and after cardioversion is therefore crucial. Assessing ischaemic stroke risk and time of arrhythmia onset is important when deciding on the optimal anticoagulation strategy. For decades, vitamin K antagonists (VKA) have been the primary anticoagulant drugs used in relation to cardioversion, but non-VKA oral anticoagulants may be preferred because of their rapid onset of action and predictable anticoagulant effect without the need for monitoring.