---
title: "Religious Organization Registration"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/non-profit-and-ngo-law-en/religious-organization-registration-en"
field: "Non-Profit & NGO Law"
description: "Religious organization registration under articles 24, 27, 28 and 29 of the Civil Code: form, name requirements, registry and conditions. Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-11-07"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# Religious Organization Registration

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/non-profit-and-ngo-law-en/religious-organization-registration-en

## The Legal Form of a Religious Organization

A religious organization in Georgia acquires the status of a legal entity in the form of a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity. Under article 24 of the Civil Code, a legal entity is an organized formation created to achieve a defined purpose, possessing its own property, independently liable with that property and acquiring rights and duties in its own name; a legal entity whose purpose is non-commercial activity is registered in the manner established by the Code. For a religious association this means that the civil-law vehicle of confessional purposes is precisely the non-commercial form, within which it is possible to own property, conclude transactions and appear in court.

## Requirements for the Name

Article 27 of the Code governs the name of a non-entrepreneurial legal entity: the name must indicate its affiliation as a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity. The name may not use graphical symbols that have no phonetic or verbal equivalent established by linguistic norms, nor marks characteristic of other legal forms. The name must not carry an addition that could mislead a third party as to the form or activity of the entity. It is also important that the name may not coincide with the name of an already registered non-entrepreneurial legal entity. A person who wrongfully uses the name of another legal entity must cease such use upon the demand of the authorized person and compensate the damage caused by the wrongful use. In determining the name, the rules established by the Law on Entrepreneurs for the firm name of an entrepreneur are additionally applied, so the name of a religious organization is assessed at the intersection of the two regulations; where the business reputation of a legal entity is infringed, the relevant rules of the Code apply — the name is thus not merely an identifier but a value protected by law.

## Procedural Environment and Practical Recommendations

Article 24 of the Civil Code also covers the surrounding environment: public-law legal entities participate in civil-law relations just like private-law entities, while the state and a municipality exercise their powers in that capacity through their organs — departments and institutions — which are not themselves legal entities. For a religious organization this means that the legal form of its counterparties does not change the civil-law nature of the transaction: a contract with a state organ is assessed under the same rules. The rules of creation, organization and activity of public-law entities are determined by law, which adds predictability to cooperation with them. When preparing the registration application it is advisable to determine the internal structure of the organization in advance — whether it is membership-based, who elects the governing organ and for what term — because these data must be reflected in the founding documentation from the start, and subsequent changes are fixed only through the register. Checking the chosen name against already registered names before submission helps complete the registration on the first attempt, saving both time and the cost of re-filing.

The full text is available on legal.ge after signing in: https://legal.ge/en/service/non-profit-and-ngo-law-en/religious-organization-registration-en

### Is a religious organization a legal entity?

Yes, in the form of a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity registered in the manner established by the Civil Code.

### May the name of another organization be used?

No; in the case of wrongful use, the person must cease it upon demand and compensate the damage.

### Where are confessional purposes fixed?

In the founding documentation, together with the membership rules, the reorganization-liquidation organ and the rules of governance.

### Who maintains the register?

The National Agency of the Public Registry, within the sphere of the Ministry of Justice.