Registrar of Associations, Registration Division (Registrar General's Office)

The Registrar of Associations, part of the Registration Division of the Registrar General's Office, registers and regulates associations, including NGOs and sports bodies, under the Associations Act 2022. The Registrar keeps a public register of associations, issues certificates of standing on request, and acts against associations that do not comply. The Act also brings foreign associations under regulation and requires that associations not be used for fraud, money laundering or terrorist financing.

An association needs at least five persons. Its secretary must apply in writing to the Registrar within three months of the meeting that approved its formation and rules, with due diligence documents on members, officers and the founder. Registered associations must have a bank account and must keep their legal documents up to date with the Registrar. The Registrar can take legal action against associations that ignore its notices. Anyone can search the register for a fee or request a certificate of standing for a registered association. Decisions of the Registrar can be appealed to the courts. An electronic registration platform was built with the Department of ICT but needed regulations before it could go live.