Registering Sports Associations in Spain

In Spain, anyone who wishes to create a sports association must open an entry in the National Registrar of Sport Associations. Learn more about the requirements and processes in our post today.

Sports play an important social role and creating new sports associations can benefit communities in many ways. The benefits especially impact younger generations. Understanding the process of registering sports associations is a crucial step to ensure a legal and secure association.

State norms for sports associations

Not surprisingly, the requirements and procedures for registering a sports entity depend on the norms of a given country or region. You should always take the time to research them when starting a new sports project.

In today’s post, take a closer look at the conditions and procedures of registering sports associations in Spain. Let’s start by looking at the different kinds of associations that can register and how they differ from one another.

Types of sports associations in Spain

Just as in other parts of the world, Spain has a large variety of institutions and establishments that are involved with promoting and playing sports. Thus, before applying for an official entry for a new sports association, you first need to understand what kind of association you want to create. Along with its implied legal nature and legal scope of action.

According to the Spanish Organic Law 1/2002 of March 22, sports associations in Spain are pro-bono associations; regional or municipality norms usually regulate the activities of the associations in their jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the Spanish Sports Law (10/1990) assumes the possibility of registering four different types of sports associations. Article 12 states that sports associations can register themselves as the following in Spain:

• Sports clubs.
• Spanish sports federations.
• Professional leagues.
• Sport promoting entities of the state.

Registering a sports association

Regardless of the type of sports association that you want to register, you have to make an official entry in the Official Registrar of Sports Associations [this link is in Spanish]. The proof of inscription is obligatory for processing your Spanish tax ID code as well as for other processes including affiliating your association to a sports federation or applying for economic support.

In order to make an official entry, sports associations must meet the following basic conditions:

• Be constituted by a voluntary agreement between three or more persons or legal entities.
• Commit to strive towards a clear objective (for example, promoting and playing basketball or soccer).
• Previously creating and confirming a charter that outlines the structure and infrastructure of the association.

Founders and members of sports associations are recommended to convene formally to settle the following matters in order to meet the requirements of the Official Registrar:

• Pass statues.
• Agree upon the denomination, fiscal address, and purposes of the club of association.
• Elect for responsibilities and representation. Elections should comply with the set charter.
• Create a founding document that covers all the previously mentions points in order to express the association’s approved purposes and objectives.

What should the charters include in order to become official?

The charters that the sports associations present before the Official Registrar is of utmost importance. Their contents need to meet the minimum required conditions in order for the associations to receive official status.

For starters, charters need to include all of the basic information of a sports association. Basic information includes denomination, fiscal address and the type of sport. The charters must also state the observance of the regulations and statutes of the corresponding federations or sports federations on both a regional and state level.

Adding on, they need to touch upon the following important topics in order to be considered an official association:

• Accepted members, their rights and obligation. In addition, the association must explain the conditions of admission and a commitment to equality.
• Powers of the organizing and representation bodies of the sports club. These generally include the directive board, general assembly, and the president.
• Constituent patrimony and economic regime.
• Documentary system.
• Charter modification and club dissolution.
• Procedures for electing representative and organizational positions.
• Disciplinary system.
• Activities, agreements, and appeals.

Lastly, you can also find obligatory charter models on the website of the Spain General Management of the regional authorities.