This document has been provided by the
International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL).

ICNL is the leading source for information on th e legal environment for civil society and public
participation. Since 1992, ICNL has served as a resource to civil society leaders, government
officials, and the donor community in over 90 countries.

Visit ICNL’s Online Library at
https://www.icnl.org/knowledge/library/index.php
for further resources and research from countries all over the world.

Disclaimers Content. The information provided herein is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended and should not be
construed to constitute legal advice. The information contai ned herein may not be applicable in all situations and may not, after the date of
its presentation, even reflect the most current authority. Noth ing contained herein should be relied or acted upon without the benefit of legal
advice based upon the particular facts and circumstances pres ented, and nothing herein should be construed otherwise.
Translations. Translations by ICNL of any materials into other languages are intended solely as a convenience. Translation accuracy is not
guaranteed nor implied. If any questions arise related to the accuracy of a translation, please refer to the original language official version of
the document. Any discrepancies or differences created in the tr anslation are not binding and have no legal effect for compliance or
enforcement purposes.
Warranty and Limitation of Liability. Although ICNL uses reasonable efforts to include ac curate and up-to-date information herein, ICNL
makes no warranties or representations of any kind as to its a ccuracy, currency or completeness. You agree that access to and u se of this
document and the content thereof is at your own risk. ICNL discl aims all warranties of any kind, express or implied. Neither ICNL nor any
party involved in creating, producing or delivering this document shall be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of access to, use of
or inability to use this document, or any e rrors or omissions in the content thereof.

Churches and Congregations Act
Passed 12 February 2002
(RT
1 I 2002, 24, 135),
entered into force 1 July 2002,
amended by the following Act:
25.02.2004 entered into force 25.03.2004 – RT I 2004, 14, 91;
19.06.2002 entered into force 01.08.2002 – RT I 2002, 61, 375.
Chapter 1
General Provisions
§ 1. Scope of application of Act
(1) The purpose of this Act is to provide the procedure for membership of churches,
congregations, associations of congregations, monasteries and religious societies and the
regulation of their activities in order for freedom of belief as ensured for everyone by the
Constitution to be exercised.
(19.06.2002 entered into force 01.08.2002 – RT I 2002, 61, 375)
(2) The provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (RT I 2001, 58, 354; 2002, 53,
336; 61, 375; 2003, 20, 117; 78, 527) apply to administrative proceedings prescribed in
this Act, taking account of the specifications provided for in this Act.
(19.06.2002 entered into force 01.08.2002 – RT I 2002, 61, 375)
§ 2. Religious associati ons
(1) Churches, congregations, associations of congregations and monasteries are religious
associations.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, a church is an association of at least three voluntarily
joined congregations which has an episcopal structure and is doctrinally related to three
ecumenical creeds or is divided into at least three congregations and which operates on
the basis of its statutes, is managed by an elected or appointed management board and is
entered in the register in the cases and pursua nt to the procedure prescribed by this Act.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, a congregation is a voluntary association of natural
persons who profess the same faith, which operates on the basis of its statutes, is

managed by an elected or appointed management board and is entered in the register in
the cases and pursuant to the procedure prescribed by this Act.
(4) For the purposes of this Act, an association of congregations is an association of at
least three voluntarily joined congregations which profes s the same faith and which
operates on the basis of its statutes, is managed by an elected or appointed management
board and is entered in the register pursuant to the procedure prescribed by this Act.
(5) For the purposes of this Act, a monastery is a vol untary communal association of
natural persons who profess the same faith, which operates on the basis of the statutes of
the corresponding church or independent statutes, is managed by an elected or appointed
superior of the monastery and is entered in the register in the cases and pursuant to the
procedure prescribed by this Act.
§ 3. Main activities of religious associations
(1) The main activities of churches, congregations, associations of congregations, and
monasteries include professing and practising their faith, primarily in the form of
religious services, meetings and rites, and confessional or ecumenical activities relating
to morals, ethics, education, culture, and confessional or ecumenical diaconial and social
rehabilitation activities and othe r activities outside the traditional religious rites and
services of the churches or congregations.
(2) The objective or main activity of churches, congregations, associations of
congregations and monasteries shall not be the earning of income from economi c
activity.
(3) The management boards of churches, congregations and associations of congregations
and the agencies thereof and the superiors of monasteries have the right to issue legal acts
relating to the activities of the religious associations pursuan t to the procedure provided
for in the statutes.
§ 4. Religious society
(1) A religious society is a voluntary association of natural or legal persons the main
activities of which include confessional or ecumenical activities relating to morals, ethics,
ed ucation, culture and confessional or ecumenical diaconial and social rehabilitation
activities outside the traditional forms of religious rites of a church or congregation and
which need not be connected with a specific church, association of congregations or
congregation.
(2) A religious society shall be entered in the non- profit associations and foundations
register pursuant to the procedure prescribed by the Non- profit Associations Act (RT I
1996, 42, 811; 1998, 96, 1515; 1999, 10, 155; 23, 355; 67, 658; 2000, 55, 365; 88, 576;
2001, 56, 336; 93, 565; 2002, 53, 336; 2003, 88, 591). In order to determine compliance
of the statutes of a religious society with the requirements provided by law, the chief

judge of the county or city court which maintains the register may suspend proceedings
for entry in the register for two months and request the opinion of the ministry whose
area of government includes management of issues relating to religious associations or
request an expert opinion of a competent agency.
§ 5. Passive legal capacity
(1) A religious association is a legal person in private law to which the Non -profit
Associations Act applies in so far as this Act does not provide otherwise.
(2) The statutes of a religious association may prescribe differences from the provisions
of the Non- profit Associations Act concerning membership and management if such
differences arise from the historical teaching and structure of the religious association.
(3) Transformation of a religious association into a legal person of a different type is
prohibited.
(4) The passive legal capacity of a religious association commences as of entry of the
religious association in the register of religious associations (hereinafter register) and
terminates as of deletion of the religiou s association from the register.
(5) Congregations which belong to a church or association of congregations but are not
entered in the register and monasteries which belong to a church but are not entered in the
register are not legal persons.
§ 6. Seat
(1 ) The seat of a church, congregation or association of congregations is the place where
the management board of the church, congregation or association of congregations is
located unless the statutes prescribe otherwise. The seat of a monastery is the place where
the building or complex of buildings of the monastery are located.
(2) The management board of a church, congregation or association of congregations
shall be located in Estonia regardless of the location of its spiritual centre.
§ 7. Name
(1) The name of a religious association shall be written in Latin letters and include the
corresponding word “ kirik” [church], “kogudus” [congregation], “ koguduste liit”
[association of congregations] or “ klooster” [monastery] and shall clearly differ from the
nam es of other legal persons entered in the register in Estonia and shall not be misleading
with regard to the objectives, scope of activity or legal form.
(2) A religious association may have a name abbreviation set out in the statutes, which is
not used by any other religious association registered in Estonia.

(3) A religious association whose interests are damaged by the unauthorised use of its
name or name abbreviation may demand termination of the unauthorised use thereof and
compensation for damage caused thereby.
Chapter 2
Freedom of Religion of Individual
§ 8. Rights of individual
(1) Every person has the right to freely choose, profess and declare his or her religious
beliefs unless it damages public order, health, morals, or the rights or freedoms of others.
(2) No one is required to provide information on his or her religion or membership in
congregations, except a suspect, accused, accused at trial or victim in the course of
criminal proceedings.
(3) Every person has the right to leave a congregation if he or she notifies the
management board of the congregation of his or her decision beforehand. Every person
has the right to leave a monastery if he or she notifies the superior of the monastery of his
or her decision beforehand.
(4) The guardian of a person who has been divested of active legal capacity does not have
the right to change the religion or membership in a congregation of the person.
(5) Members with active legal capacity and of at least eighteen years of age have the right
to participate in the election of the management board and officials of a church,
congregation or association of congregations, unless a different age limit is provided for
in the statutes.
(6) Every person has the right to be buried according to his or her confession.
(7 ) In the absence of relatives, guardians or curators, and if it is known that a deceased
person was a member of a congregation, the congregation of the deceased person shall
perform the confessional funeral service.
§ 9. Performance of religious rites in m edical institutions, educational institutions, social
welfare institutions, custodial institutions and military units
(1) Persons staying in medical institutions, educational institutions, social welfare
institutions and custodial institutions and members of the Defence Forces have the right
to perform religious rites according to their faith unless this violates public order, health,
morals, the rules established in these institutions or the rights of others staying or serving
in these institutions.

(2) A religious association shall conduct religious services and religious rites in a medical
institution, educational institution or social welfare institution with the permission of the
owner or the head of the institution, in a custodial institution with the permission of the
director of the prison, in the Defence Forces with the permission of the commanding
officer of the military unit and in the National Defence League with the permission of the
chief of the unit.
§ 10. Membership of child in congregation
(1) Every person of at least fifteen years of age may independently become a member of
a congregation or leave a congregation pursuant to the procedure prescribed in the
statutes.
(2) A child who is less than fifteen years of age may be a member of a congr egation with
the permission of his or her parents or guardian.
Chapter 3
Foundation, Registration, Merger, Division and Dissolution of Religious Associations
§ 11. Foundation of religious associations
(1) In order to found a church, an association of congr egations, a congregation which
does not belong to a church or association of congregations or a monastery which does
not belong to a church, the founders shall enter into a memorandum of association.
(2) A memorandum of association shall set out:
1) the na me, seat, address and objectives of the activities of the church, congregation,
association of congregations being founded or monastery which does not belong to a
church and which is being founded;
2) the names and residences or seats, and the personal ide ntification codes or registry
codes of the founders;
3) the obligations of the founders;
4) the names, personal identification codes and residences of the members of the
management board.
(3) Upon entry into a memorandum of association, the statutes of the church,
congregation or monastery which does not belong to a church or association of
congregations shall also be approved as an annex to the memorandum of association.
(4) A congregation which wishes to belong to a church or association of congregations
shall be founded and the management board thereof shall be elected pursuant to the

statutes of the corresponding church or association of congregations unless the specified
statutes prescribe adoption of independent statutes for the congregation. Minutes shall be
taken of the foundation meeting. The list of founders of the congregation which sets out
the residences and personal identification codes of the founders together with the
signatures of the founders shall be annexed to the minutes.
(5) All founders shall sign the memorandum of association of a congregation which does
not belong to a church or association of congregations or a monastery which does not
belong to a church.
(6) The memorandum of association of a church or association of congregations and the
statutes approved thereby shall be notarially certified; a representative of a founder may
sign the memorandum of association.
(7) A monastery which belongs to a church shall be founded pursuant to the procedure
prescribed in the statutes of the corr esponding church and minutes shall be taken of the
foundation meeting. The list of founders of the monastery which sets out the residences
and personal identification codes of the founders together with the signatures of the
founders shall be annexed to the minutes.
§ 12. Statutes
(1) The statutes of a religious association shall contain the following information:
1) the name and seat;
2) the objective and doctrinal bases of the activities;
3) obligatory religious rites;
4) the structure of management bodie s and supervisory bodies and the procedure for the
foundation, competence and terms of authority thereof;
5) the procedure for the election or appointment of members of the management board
and restrictions on the right of representation;
6) the status, hi erarchy, service relationships and professional attire of the ministers of
religion;
7) the procedure for the formation, use and disposal of assets;
8) the bases and procedure for the adoption and amendment of the statutes;
9) the bases and procedure for t ermination of activities;

10) the conditions of and procedure for membership in the religious association and for
leaving and exclusion from the religious association;
11) the rights and obligations of members or the procedure for the establishment of
obligations for members.
(2) If a church or an association of congregations amends the statutes thereof and such
amendment involves transformation of the church into an association of congregations or
transformation of the association of congregations into a church, representatives of all
congregations which belong to the corresponding church or association of congregations
must be in favour of the specified decision and sign the decision. The signatures on the
decision shall be notarially authenticated.
(3 ) An amendment of the statutes of a religious association enters into force as of the
making of a corresponding entry in the register.
(4) A religious association may have departments and agencies if this is prescribed in the
statutes. Departments and agen cies are not legal persons. The bodies of departments and
agencies and their competence shall be prescribed in the statutes.
§ 13. Application for entry in register
(1) A congregation with at least twelve adult members who have active legal capacity
shall be entered in the register.
(2) In order to enter a religious association in the register, the management board of the
religious association shall submit an application which sets out the information specified
in subsection 15 (1) of this Act and which is signed by all members of the management
board.
(3) The following shall be appended to the application:
1) the memorandum of association and the statutes approved thereby, or the minutes of
the foundation meeting and the statutes approved by the management board of the
corresponding church or association of congregations;
2) the notarially authenticated specimen signatures of the members of the management
board;
3) telecommunications numbers (telephone, facsimile, etc);
4) proof of payment of the state fee.
(4) A monastery which belongs to a church or a congregation which belongs to a church
or association of congregations and which is a legal person pursuant to the statutes
thereof or the statutes of the church or association of congregations, shall be enter ed in

the register with the same court where the church or association of congregations is
entered in the register. The documents concerning the congregation or monastery
specified in subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall be submitted to the register by the
management board of the corresponding church or association of congregations.
(5) If the congregations or monasteries which belong to a church or association of
congregations are not legal persons pursuant to the statutes of the corresponding church
or association of congregations, the management board of the church or association of
congregations shall submit, together with an application for the entry thereof in the
register and the annexes to the application, a list of the congregations and monasteries
thereof to the register on the basis of the territory of the church or congregations. The list
shall set out the name, address and date of first mention or foundation of each
congregation and monastery.
(6) Any other application submitted to the r egister shall be signed by at least one member
of the management board pursuant to the procedure established in the statutes.
(7) Signatures on an application submitted to the register shall be notarially authenticated.
§ 14. Suspension of proceedings for entry in register and refusal to enter in register
(1) In order to determine compliance of a religious association with the requirements
provided by law, the chief judge of the county or city court which maintains the register
may suspend proceedings for e ntry in the register for two months and request the opinion
of the ministry whose area of government includes management of issues relating to
religious associations or request an expert opinion of a competent agency.
(2) A registrar shall not enter a religious association in the register if:
1) the statutes or other documents submitted by the religious association are not in
compliance with the requirements of law;
2) the activities of the religious association damage public order, health, morals, or the
r ights and freedoms of others.
(3) Upon refusal to enter a religious association in the register, the registrar shall indicate
the reason for the refusal.
§ 15. Entry of information in register and change thereof
(1) The following shall be entered in the re gister:
1) the name of the religious association;
2) the seat and address of the religious association;

3) the date of the first mention or foundation of the religious association;
4) the date of adoption of the statutes;
5) the names, personal identification codes and residences of the members of the
management board;
6) the specifications for the right of representation of the management board pursuant to §
24 of this Act;
7) other information provided by law.
(2) Upon changes in the information entered in the register, the management board of the
religious association shall submit an application for entry of the changes in the register.
The application shall be submitted pursuant to the procedure provided for in subsections
13 (4) -(7) of this A ct.
(3) If a congregation or monastery joins a church or an association of congregations or if
a congregation or monastery leaves or is excluded therefrom, the management board of
the corresponding church or association of congregations shall submit to the register
documents pursuant to the procedure set out in subsection 13 (4) of this Act or an
amended list pursuant to the procedure set out in subsection 13 (5) of this Act.
§ 16. Merger, division and dissolution
(1) Merger, division and dissolution of a r eligious association shall be carried out
pursuant to the procedure prescribed for non- profit associations in the Non-profit
Associations Act, unless otherwise provided by the statutes or this Act, and the register
shall be notified thereof pursuant to subsections 13 (4) -(7) of this Act.
(2) A religious association shall be dissolved and liquidated:
1) on the bases and pursuant to the procedure prescribed in the statutes;
2) if the number of congregations or members of the religious association falls below the
number specified by this Act or the statutes;
3) upon the declaration of bankruptcy of the religious association;
4) on the bases and pursuant to the procedure provided for in subsection (3) of this
section.
(3) The minister whose area of government includes management of issues relating to
religious associations shall request compulsory dissolution of a religious association from
a court if:

1) the activities or statutes of the religious association are contrary to law or the
Constitution;
2) facts spe cified in clause 14 (2) 2) of this Act become evident in the activities of the
religious association;
3) the activities of the religious association are not in compliance with the objectives set
out in the statutes;
4) economic activity becomes the main ac tivity of the religious association.
Chapter 4
Register of Religious Associations
§ 17. Maintenance of register
(1) The register of religious associations is a part of the non- profit associations and
foundations register with regard to which the provisions of legislation concerning the
non- profit associations and foundations register apply unless otherwise provided for in
this Act.
(2) The register of religious associations shall be maintained on the religious associations
located in Estonia.
(3) The regist ration departments of county and city courts (hereinafter registrars) shall
maintain the register of religious associations of the religious associations located in their
jurisdiction.
(4) Congregations and monasteries which belong to a church or associati on of
congregations shall be entered in the register of religious associations according to the
location of the church or association of congregations.
§ 18. Restrictions relating to public files and registry files
(1) Documents which a religious association submits to the registrar pursuant to law are
maintained in the public file concerning the religious association.
(2) A registry file of a religious association may be examined by a person with a
legitimate interest. Documents containing sensitive personal data may be examined
pursuant to the procedure prescribed by the Personal Data Protection Act (RT I 1996, 48,
944; 1998, 59, 941; 111, 1833; 2000, 50, 317; 92, 597; 104, 685; 2001, 50, 283).
§ 19. Entries of registry card of religious associati on

(1) The form of registry cards of the card register of religious associations shall be
established by a regulation of the Minister of Justice.
(2) The following information shall be entered on a registry card:
1) the registry code and consecutive number s of registry entries;
2) the name;
3) the seat and address;
4) the date of the first mention or foundation;
5) the date of adoption and amendment of the statutes;
6) information on the members of the management board;
7) the right of representation of the members of the management board and the
liquidators if such right differs from the general rule prescribed by law;
8) the merger or division;
9) the dissolution;
10) information on the liquidators;
11) information on the trustee in bankruptcy;
12) the dec laration of bankruptcy and termination of bankruptcy proceedings;
13) the deletion from the register;
14) information on the depositary of documents of a liquidated religious association;
15) the date of entry, and the signature, name and title of the pers on executing the
judgment on entry and of the person competent to make the judgment on entry;
16) references to earlier and later entries, and notations.
Chapter 5
Minister of Religion and Management Board
§ 20. Minister of religion

(1) A person who has the right to vote in local government elections may be a minister of
religion of a religious association. Other requirements for a minister of religion shall be
established by the religious association.
(2) The management board of a religious association has the right to invite a minister of
religion from outside Estonia and apply for a work and residence permit for the minister
of religion who is an alien pursuant to the provisions of the Aliens Act (RT I 1993, 44,
637; 1999, 50, 548; 54, 582; 71, 686; 88, 808; 101, 900; 2000, 25, 148; 33, 197; 40, 254;
2001, 16, 68; RT III 2001, 7, 75; RT I 2001, 58, 352; 68, 407; 2002, 56, 351; 63, 387; 90,
521; 102, 599; 2003, 4, 20; 88, 594; 2004, 2, 2; 19, 134) and other legislation.
§ 21. Professional attire of minister of religion
(1) Only a person to whom a religious association has granted the corresponding
permission has the right to wear the professional attire of a minister of religion prescribed
in the statutes of the religious association. The specified restriction does not apply if
ordinary clothing is the professional attire of the minister of religion.
(2) A religious association whose interests are damaged by the unauthorised use of the
professional attire of its minister of religion may demand termin ation of the unauthorised
use of the professional attire of the minister of religion and compensation for damage
caused thereby.
§ 22. Confessional secret
A minister of religion shall not disclose information which has become known to him or
her in the course of a private confession or pastoral conversation or the identity of a
person who makes the private confession to or has a pastoral conversation with the
minister of religion.
§ 23. Management board
(1) A church, congregation and association of congrega tions shall have a management
board. The minimum and maximum number of members of the management board shall
be prescribed in the statutes.
(2) A person who has the right to vote in local government elections may be a member of
a management board.
(3) With in the meaning of this Act, the superior of a monastery is deemed to be the
management board of the monastery.
§ 24. Right of representation of management board and liability of members of
management board

The provisions of the Non-profit Associations Act apply to the right of representation of a
management board and the liability of members of the management board unless
otherwise provided for in the statutes.
Chapter 6
Assets of Religious Association
§ 25. Proprietary rights and obligations
(1) Churches, congregations and associations of congregations have the right to charge a
membership fee from their members pursuant to the procedure provided for in the
statutes.
(2) A religious association has the right to charge a fee for religious rites, organise
donations for specific purposes, accept donations and estate and receive income from its
assets.
(3) A religious association may pledge, grant use of or transfer cultural monuments which
belong to the assets of the religious association on the basis of a resolution of the
management board, having regard to the requirements established by the Heritage
Conservation Act (RT I 2002, 27, 153; 47, 297; 53, 336; 63, 387). Congregations which
belong to a church or association of congregations shall exercise such right with the
permission of the management board of the church or association of congregations
pursuant to the procedure prescribed in or established on the basis of the statutes.
(19.06.2002 entered into force 01.08.2002 – RT I 2002, 61, 375)
(4) The statutes of a church or association of congregations may provide that the
congregations which belong to a church or association of congregations may grant use of
immovables, encumber immovables with a restricted real right or transfer immovables
with the permissio n of the management board of the church or association of
congregations pursuant to the procedure prescribed in or established on the basis of the
statutes.
(5) A religious association shall organise the accounting pursuant to the provisions of the
Account ing Act (RT I 1994, 48, 790; 1995, 26- 28, 355; 92, 1604; 1996, 40, 773; 42, 811;
49, 953; 1998, 59, 941; 1999, 55, 584; 101, 903; 2001, 87, 527; 2002, 23, 131; 53, 336;
57, 355) and its statutes.
§ 26. Supervision
(1) A review or audit may be called for pu rsuant to the procedure established in the
statutes.

(2) The members of the management board and of other bodies shall allow controllers or
auditors to examine all documents necessary for conduct of a review or audit and shall
provide necessary information.
(3) Controllers and auditors shall prepare a report concerning the results of a review or
audit and present the report to the body which called for the review or audit.
§ 27. Use of assets remaining upon termination of activities of religious association
(1) Upon dissolution of a congregation or monastery which belongs to a church or
association of congregations, the assets remaining after satisfaction of the claims of
obligees are transferred to the corresponding church or association of congregations.
( 2) Upon termination of the activities pursuant the statutes, of a church, an association of
congregations, a congregation or monastery which does not belong to a church or
association of congregations, the assets remaining after satisfaction of the claims of
obligees are transferred to the state and may be used only for charitable or educational
purposes.
Chapter 7
Implementation of Act
§ 28. Application of this Act to religious associations
(1) The provisions of §§ 1–3, 5–10, 16 and 20–27 of this Act apply to religious
associations founded before 1 July 2002 until entry of the religious associations in the
register.
(2) Religious associations entered in the register of churches, congregations and
associations of congregations maintained by the Ministry of I nternal Affairs may amend
and delete data entered in the register pursuant to the procedure in force before the entry
into force of this Act until 1 June 2004.
§ 29. Application for entry in register
(1) Religious associations which were founded before 1 J uly 2002 and are registered with
the Ministry of Internal Affairs and which comply with the requirements of this Act shall
be entered in the register on the basis of their application.
(2) An application for entry in the register shall set out the informat ion provided for in
this Act, and the certificate of registration of the religious association with the Ministry of
Internal Affairs together with documents provided for in this Act, except the
memorandum of association or the minutes of the foundation mee ting, shall be appended
to the application.

(3) In order for a religious association to be entered in the register, the statutes of the
religious association shall be brought into accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(4) An application for entry in the register shall be reviewed within two months as of
submission of the application and all other prescribed documents.
(25.02.2004 entered into force 25.03.2004 – RT I 2004, 14, 91)
§ 30. Notations in registers
(1) Upon entry of a religious association r egistered with the Ministry of Internal Affairs
in the register, a corresponding notation shall be made in the register of churches,
congregations and associations of congregations on the basis of a notice from the
registrar.
(2) Upon entry of a religious association founded before the entry into force of this Act in
the register, a notation concerning the earlier registration with the Ministry of Internal
Affairs shall be made in the register, indicating the former registration number.
§ 31. Dissolution
(1 ) Religious associations registered with the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the entry of
which in the register no application has been submitted by 1 July 2004, or whose
application for entry in the register submitted within the specified term has been r efused
are deemed to have undergone compulsory dissolution.
(2) Upon compulsory dissolution resulting from the reasons set out in subsection (1) of
this section, the procedure provided for in § 95 of the Non- profit Associations Act
applies.
§ 32. Name of r eligious association
(1) Upon entry of a religious association in the register, the registrar shall make an
inquiry to the Ministry of Internal Affairs concerning the existence of the same or a
similar name in the register of churches, congregations and as sociations of
congregations.
F
(2) A name being applied for shall not be entered in the register if such name or a
misleadingly similar name has already been registered in the register or the Ministry of
Internal Affairs by another religious association.
§ 33. Amendments to State Fees Act
The State Fees Act (RT I 1997, 80, 1344; RT I 2001, 55, 331; 56, 332; 64, 367; 65, 377;
85, 512; 88, 531; 91, 543; 93, 565; 2002, 1, 1; 18, 97; 23, 131; 24, 135; 27, 151 and 153;
30, 178; 35, 214; 44, 281; 47, 297; 51, 316; 57, 358; 58, 361; 61, 375; 62, 377; 82, 477;

90, 519; 102, 599; 105, 610; 2003, 4, 20; 13, 68; 15, 84; 85; 20, 118; 21, 128; 23, 146;
25, 153; 154; 26, 156; 160; 51, 352; 66, 449; 68, 461; 71, 471; 78, 527; 79, 530; 81, 545;
88, 589; 591; 2004, 2, 7; 6, 31; 9, 52; 53; 14, 91; 92) is amended as follows:
1) clause 3
1) is added to subsection 3 (2) worded as follows:
“3
1) acts of the register of religious associations;”;
2) subsection (9) is added to § 18 worded as follows:
“(9) A religious association which has been registered with the Ministry of Internal
Affairs before 1 July 2002 is exempt from payment of state fees upon entry of the
religious association in the register of religious associations.”;
3) sections 44
1 and 45 1 are added to Division 2 of Chapter 6 worded as follows:
Ҥ 44
1. Entries in register of religious associations
(1) A state fee of 100 kroons shall be paid for the entry of a religious association in the
register.
(2) A state fee of 50 kroons shall be paid for the amendment of data entered in the
register of religious associations.
§ 45
1. Issue of copies from register of religious associations
(1) A state fee of 10 kroons shall be paid for a certified copy of a registry card from the
register of religious associations.
(2) A state fee of 5 k roons per page shall be paid for a certified copy of any other
document from the register of religious associations.”
§ 34. Repeal of earlier Churches and Congregations Act
The Churches and Congregations Act (RT I 1993, 30, 510; 44, 637; 1994, 28, 425) is
repealed.
§ 35. Entry into force of Act
This Act enters into force on 1 July 2002.
1 RT = Riigi Teataja = State Gazette