Accueil > Ordinance on registration of religious communities, as amended (SFS 1999:731)
Ordinance on registration of religious communities, as amended
SFS 1999:731
Promulgated 26 August 1999.
The Government prescribes the following.
Introductory provisions
Section 1
This ordinance contains provisions on registration of religious communities pursuant to the Act on Religious Communities (1998:1593) and the Church of Sweden Act (1998:1591).
Section 2
The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency shall determine matters related to registration of religious communities and shall maintain the register of religious communities.
Section 3
Applications and notifications in accordance with this ordinance shall be addressed in writing to the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency.
An application from a religious community to be entered into or struck off the register pursuant to Sections 7 and 12 of the Act on Religious Communities (1998:1593) shall be signed by all of the members of the community’s governing board or equivalent body. Notifications of changes to previous entries in the register shall be signed by a member of the board or an individual otherwise authorised to represent the religious community. A notification from a registered religious community in liquidation shall be signed by all the liquidators.
Copies of documents submitted pursuant to this ordinance shall be attested.
Registration of a religious community
Section 4
(amended by 2000:214)
An application for registration of a religious community pursuant to Section 7 of the Act on Religious Communities (1998:1593) shall include :
1. the name and postal address of the religious community,
2. the members of the governing board or equivalent body or of those who are otherwise authorised to represent the religious community, including their names, postal addresses and civic registration numbers or, if they do not have such a number, their dates of birth,
3. information on who will sign on behalf of the religious community.
Section 5
(amended by 2000:214)
The following documents shall be submitted together with applications :
1. two copies of the religious community’s statutes or equivalent document,
2. one copy of a record that shows that the religious community has adopted the statutes or equivalent document,
3. one copy of a record or other document that shows who has been elected to the board or equivalent body and which individuals are otherwise authorised to represent the religious community, and
4. one copy of a record or other document that shows who will sign on behalf of the religious community,
5. one copy of a record or other document that shows that the religious community has decided to apply for registration in due form.
A notification of changes to submitted information shall be supplemented with documentation as referred to in paragraph 1 sub-sections 1-3, that confirms the amended information. A notification of changes to submitted information shall also include the religious community’s organisation number.
Liquidation
Section 6
Registration of a decision to enter a religious community into liquidation and the appointment of liquidators shall include :
1. the day on which liquidation is to commence, unless the decision enters into force immediately,
2. the complete names, civic registration numbers and postal addresses of the liquidators and their substitutes,
3. information on who will sign on behalf of the religious community during liquidation.
The liquidators shall submit to the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency a document containing the signature of every liquidator, each attested by two witnesses.
Section 7
A notification that the liquidators have submitted their final accounts, pursuant to Section 11 paragraph 3 of the Act on Religious Communities (1998:1593), shall include confirmation of the date on which the summons to unknown creditors was issued.
Section 8
Section 4 paragraph 1 and Section 5 paragraph 1, sub-section 3 shall apply in connection with a notification for registration that liquidation is to continue.
Annulment of registration
Section 9
A request to be struck off the register, pursuant to Section 12 of the Act on Religious Communities (1998:1593), shall include a copy of a record that shows that the religious community has decided to apply to be struck off the register.
Registration of a religious community’s organisational parts
Section 10
Upon registration, amendment of registered information or annulment of the registration of organisational parts of a registered religious community pursuant to Section 13 paragraphs 1-3 of the Act on Religious Communities (1998:1593), the provisions in Sections 3-9 shall apply.
An application for the registration of an independent organisational part of a religious community shall include information about the religious community’s name, address and organisation number. Information or documentation that has been submitted in connection with the registration of the religious community need not be resubmitted by the organisational part.
Registration of information about the Church of Sweden
Section 11
(amended by 2000:214)
Information submitted pursuant to Section 14 paragraph 1 of the Church of Sweden Act (1998:1591) and notifications of changes to such information shall be addressed in writing to the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency.
The information submitted shall be signed by all the members of the board of the Church of Sweden. A notification of changes to information shall be signed by a member of the board or another person who is authorised to represent the Church of Sweden.
Section 12
(amended by 2000:214)
Information submitted for registration shall be supplemented with documentation in accordance with Section 5 paragraph 1, sub-sections 1-3. A notification of changes to submitted information shall include documents that verify the amended information. A notification of changes shall also include information about the organisation number of the religious community or the organisational part affected by the change.
Section 13
(amended by 2000:214)
(amended by 2001:834)
(amended by 2003:1009)
Information submitted by the Church of Sweden about the territorial division into parishes and any changes to this division shall be forwarded by the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency to the National Archives, National Tax Board, National Land Survey and the county surveyors’ office affected by the change without delay.
The register of religious communities
Section 14
The register of religious communities may be used for the administration of entries in the register and in order to produce registration certificates or other excerpts.
The register may contain information specified in the Act on Religious Communities (1998:1593) and Section 14 of the Church of Sweden Act (1998:1591).
The register may be maintained using automatic processing of personal data.
Section 15
For every annotation in the register, the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency shall enter the date of receipt of the application or notification on which the annotation is based, as well as the date of the annotation.
Section 16
When a religious community is registered, one copy of its statutes or equivalent document shall be marked with a confirmation of registration and returned to the religious community.
When a change to a religious community’s statutes or equivalent document is registered, one copy of the new version of the document shall be marked with a confirmation of registration and returned to the religious community.
Fees
Section 17
The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency shall charge a fee for registration pursuant to this ordinance.
The fee shall be based on the costs for the service and shall be calculated so as to provide full coverage for the costs of the activities. The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency shall communicate the necessary instructions concerning fees. The instructions shall contain further information about the basis for the calculation of the fees.
Sections 11 and 12 of this ordinance enter into force on 1 October 1999. The remaining provisions enter into force on 1 January 2000.
(Translation : Swedish Government Offices, Information Department. Update : PRISME – Société, Droit et Religion en Europe.)