According to the Societies and Institutions Laws 1972 and 1997, “Society” is an organized association of at least twenty (20) persons for the attainment of a certain non-profitable object.
Object or operation of society
The object or operation of a society or institution should not undermine the security of the Republic or the public order or the public safety or the public health or the public morals and fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual.
Registration of a society
An application shall be made to the Registrar by the founders or the administration of the society, to which must be attached the following:
- Memorandum of association,
- The names and addresses of the administration members,
- The articles of association duly signed by the members and bearing a date,
- The emblem of the society, and
- A description of the movable or immovable property or both in the possession of the society at the time of submission of the application.
The Registrar shall issue a certificate of registration in the prescribed form. This certificate shall be published in the official Gazette of the Republic.
The Articles of association shall, prescribe the following:
(a) The object, the name and the principal office of the society;
(b) The terms of admission, resignation and expulsion of members;
(c) The recourses of the society;
(d) The mode of representation of the society in Court and out of Court;
(e) The administrative organs of the society;
(f) The terms under which the meeting of members is convened;
(g) The terms of modifying the articles of the society;
(h) The mode of auditing the accounts of the society;
(i) The terms of dissolution of the association;
The Name of the Society
The name of the society shall not be contrary to the national security or the public interest or the public morals. If the name to be used is identical with that by which another society has already been registered, the Registrar shall refuse to register the society.
Provisions as to members of the society
The admission of new members shall be allowed always. Members of the society shall at all times be entitled to retire from the society.
Administration of societies
Societies shall be administered by one or more persons who shall be members of the society.
In case in the society under registration, there are members, who are foreigners (non-Cypriot residents) copies of their passports/IDs along with their residence permits in Cyprus shall be submitted.
In case the foreigner involved is an EU citizen, then a copy of the passport and a confirmation of unlimited residence permit in Cyprus, along with the Alien Registration Certificate (ARC) number or a receipt of payment for the filing of such application for residence permit.
In case the foreigner involved is a non-EU citizen, then a copy of the passport and a copy of the residence permit in Cyprus along with the ARC number should be submitted.
