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Register of Associations

Exemption under Section 35 of the Associations Act

According to Section 35(3) of the Associations Act the chairperson of the Executive Committee must be a resident of Finland, unless the National Board of Patents and Registration grants an exemption from this.

If the chairperson of the Executive Committee of the association indicated in the notice does not reside in Finland, the association has to apply for such exemption from the National Board of Patents and Registration before the association’s basic notice or notice concerning amendments to the rules (bylaws) or changes in the signing rights can be entered in the Register of Associations.

The exemption may be applied for in advance by a separate application or the application may accompany a simultaneously made basic notice or notice concerning amendments to the rules or changes in the signing rights.

The exemption may be individual, i.e. relating to a certain chairperson of the Executive Committee. It may also be granted to an association as being valid for the time being, i.e. so that the chairperson of the Executive Committee does not have to reside in Finland.

The exemption procedure also applies to the vice-chairperson of the Executive Committee.

Applying instructions

Exemption is requested by a written application, free in form and drawn up either in Finnish or Swedish, in which grounds are given for the granting of the exemption. The application must be submitted to the National Board of Patents and Registration.

The application must state:

• the name of the association
• the place of residence of the Executive Committee's chairperson or vice-chairperson for whom the exemption is requested and the country where the place of residence is located
• grounds for granting the exemption
• the applicant’s address and phone number. The applicant must be a person who has the right to act on behalf of the association.

The application must be accompanied by

• copies of the rules (bylaws) of the association
• the official certificate (extract from the population register) of the chairperson or the vice-chairperson or a copy of his or her passport
• a receipt of the payment

The application must be dated and signed by the applicant.

The application fee, 70 euros, is paid in advance into the Register’s account at Nordea Bank BIC-code: NDEAFIHH, IBAN: FI1216603000103914.

The decision taken by the National Board of Patents and Registration is sent to the applicant, or directly to the association, if the application for an exemption has accompanied a basic notice or a notice concerning amendments to the rules or changes in the signing rights.