Practical guide to establishing a civic association with an electronic signature

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Did you know that establishing a civic association (CA) in Slovakia can be even easier with the advantages of digitalization? In this article, we will show you step by step how to quickly and without unnecessary complications establish and register a civic association from the comfort of your home. For the online registration of a civic association, you will, among other things, also need a qualified electronic signature, which you can quickly and easily obtain via the NFQES online platform.

What is a civic association and the legal framework for its establishment and registration

A civic association is an important social institution created on the basis of a shared interest of a group of citizens. These people are usually united by a certain social goal, which brings positive benefits to society as a whole or to a smaller community.

A civic association is a non-profit organization, established on a voluntary basis, representing the interests and goals of citizens with similar or identical values. Civic associations have legal personality under the law, which means they can act legally and, in their own name, establish, amend, or terminate legal relationships. They also have so-called delictual liability, meaning they can be held legally accountable.

The legal framework and conditions for the formation and legal status of civic associations are regulated by Act No. 83/1990 Coll. on the Association of Citizens, as amended (hereinafter referred to as the “Association Act”). Provisions related to this matter can also be found scattered across other legal regulations.

Who can establish a civic association and what is required?

Civic associations are legal entities and are established through registration. The registration authority for civic associations is the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic, and a new civic association can be registered at the following address. The same address is also used for registering changes in a civic association as required by law, or for submitting information about its dissolution.

Address for registration, establishment, changes, and dissolution of a civic association:

Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic
Section of Public Administration
Department of Internal Affairs
Drieňová 22
826 86 Bratislava 29

Even when submitting an application for the establishment, amendment, or dissolution of a civic association, you always indicate the above address of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic in all documents.

The Association Act further provides that citizens have the right to freely associate and do not need permission from a state authority to exercise this right. They may establish associations, societies, movements, trade unions, clubs, and civic associations, and freely participate in them to pursue their social objectives.

Civic associations are legal persons, and state authorities may only intervene in their activities within the limits of valid legislation. At the same time, no one can be forced to associate, join, or participate in a civic association.

Did you know that? …

…Legal entities can also be members of a civic association.

A civic association is established by registration, which can be applied for by at least 3 citizens, at least one of whom must be over 18 years old. The law refers to these applicants as the preparatory committee. The committee must prepare the application for registration of the civic association. The application must be signed by all members of the preparatory committee and contain legally required data, including details of the statutory body of the association. A scanned confirmation of payment of the administrative fee must be attached — €100 in case of a paper submission, or €50 in case of an electronic submission.

At present, it is not yet possible to pay the fee electronically. In practice, this means you must purchase the fee stamp physically at a designated sales point, scan it, and attach the scan as proof of payment to the electronic submission.

For electronic submissions, the benefit is a reduced registration fee of €50.

Before registering your civic association, always carefully check all your personal data, required information, and annexes. It is very important to verify that the name of your civic association is not already in use. You can check this in the Register of Legal Entities at this link.

The core document of a civic association is its statutes, which must be attached to the application in two copies. The statutes must include the following:

• name of the civic association,
• registered office,
• objectives,
• bodies of the association, method of their establishment, and officials authorized to act on behalf of the association,
• provisions on organizational units,
• financial management rules,
• other provisions in accordance with the Association Act.

The application for registration is submitted to the Ministry of Interior. If the application lacks required details or contains incomplete or inaccurate information, the Ministry will invite the preparatory committee within 15 days to correct the deficiencies. The registration procedure officially begins only once the defects are remedied, i.e., on the day the corrected application is delivered to the Ministry.

When submitting an application electronically for the establishment of a new civic association, changes, or its dissolution, you will also need a qualified electronic signature (QES), with which you will sign the electronic form and all its annexes (application, statutes, fee stamp, etc.).

Practical note: Even with electronic submission, the application must be signed by the handwritten signature of all legally required persons.

And although electronic submission can be done from anywhere with a qualified electronic signature, all necessary documents — such as the application, statutes (2x), fee stamp, and any other annexes — must still (as of 2025) be sent in their original paper form by post to the Ministry of Interior, or delivered in person to its filing office. The advantage of electronic submission, however, is the halved administrative fee (you save €50).

For the electronic submission when establishing, amending, or dissolving a civic association, you will technically need:

• a new ID card with a chip and certificates, plus a qualified electronic signature,
• a card reader with installed signing applications,
• an activated electronic mailbox.

How to quickly and easily obtain a qualified electronic signature with NFQES.com?

If you already have a name and objectives for your civic association, have gathered the required number of members (at least three), and want to handle the registration online on your own, then the only thing you may still need is a qualified electronic signature (QES). A QES has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature, which means documents signed this way are legally binding just like those signed in ink.

Most people who obtain a QES assume they will use this digital tool regularly and for many purposes — and they are right.

The trend of digitalization is gradually entering all areas of life, and QES can now be used for many activities, such as:

• legal acts – signing legally binding documents requiring the highest level of security and authenticity,
• communication with the state and public authorities – signing documents for the tax office, sending various requests to public institutions, communication with customs authorities, commercial register, etc.,
• private sector – signing internal and external corporate materials, monthly reports, payrolls, bonuses, other corporate documents, invoices, orders, or offers.

A qualified electronic signature replaces a handwritten signature and can therefore be commonly used for signing insurance contracts, employment contracts, other agreements, invoices, and various legal documents.

Only a certification authority designated as a trusted service provider can issue a QES. One such company is BRAIN:IT, the operator of the NFQES online platform.

Steps to obtain a qualified electronic signature via NFQES:

1. Submit an application for a qualified certificate at zone.nfqes.com.
2. Arrange an appointment and visit a registration authority in person.
3. Present the required documents and pay the fee for the qualified certificate.

The price of a QES is €18 per year. Renewal for one year costs €16, and renewal for two years costs €28.