Ministry of the Interior (Ministère de l'Intérieur, de la Décentralisation et de l'Administration Territoriale)

Associations in the Comoros gain legal personality by registering a declaration, which is handled by the prefecture of the association's head office and overseen by the Ministry of the Interior. NGOs also need approval (agrément) under the 2020 presidential decree. The Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs jointly set the operating conditions for foreign NGOs.

Founders file a declaration with the prefecture where the association has its head office. It gives the association's name, purpose, head office, the names of its officers and its statutes. A receipt (récépissé) is due within fifteen days. In law the association becomes public and gains full legal capacity only once it is published in the Official Journal, but in practice the receipt is often the only proof of legal status. NGOs then seek approval under Decree 20-101/PR of 2020, and foreign NGOs must follow their headquarters agreement and national law. Civil society reports say the Ministry of the Interior has made the process steadily heavier and that a refusal cannot be appealed. Some registrations are also handled by island-level directorates or sector ministries.