Registration Procedures for Venues for Religious Activities

1 May, 1994

Article 1. These Procedures are formulated in accordance with Article 2 of the "Regulation Governing Venues for Religious Activities".

Article 2. The following conditions must be met to establish a venue for religious activity:
(1) There must be a fixed place and name;
(2) There must be citizens who are religious believers who regularly take part in religious activities;
(3) There must be a management organization composed of citizens who are religious believers;
(4) There must be professional clergy or persons who meet the requirements of the particular religious group to conduct religious services;
(5) There must be management regulations;
(6) There must be a legal source of income.

Article 3. At the time of application for registration, the venue for religious activity must provide the following documentation:
(1) An application form;
(2) Documentation and credentials related to the venue;
(3) The opinion of the village (or township) People's Government or of the city neighborhood committee.

Article 4. The head of the venue's management organization must submit the application for registration, together with the materials required under Article 3, to the Religious Affairs Department of the People's Government at the county level or above.

Article 5. Upon receipt of an application for registration and related materials, the Religious Affairs Department of the People's Government at the county level or above must make a decision on whether to consider the application within 15 days, on the basis of whether the materials are complete.

Article 6. The Religious Affairs Department of the People's Government at the county level or above will, within sixty days of the decision to consider the application, grant registration and issue a registration certificate to those venues which, based upon investigation and the opinions of related parties, comply with the regulations found in Articles 2 and 3 of these Procedures, and with related provisions in the "Regulation Governing Venues for Religious Activities". Venues which do not fully comply with the regulations will, upon review, be granted temporary registration or deferred registration or be denied registration. They will be notified in writing and given an explanation for the decision.

Article 7. Religious venues registered before the promulgation of these Procedures, must exchange their certificate; those which have not been registered should apply for registration according to these Procedures.

Article 8. If a religious venue closes, merges, moves or otherwise changes the terms which applied at the time of application, its management organization must apply for modification of the certificate to the original issuing body.

Article 9. According to the regulations of the "General Civil Law", legally registered venues for religious activities which qualify as juridical persons and which at the same time apply to register as juridical persons, will be issued a certificate of registration as juridical persons. According to the law, a religious venue as a juridical person independently enjoys civil rights and takes on civil responsibilities.

Article 10. A venue's certificate of registration and certificate of registration as a juridical person, cannot be changed, transferred or lent. If the certificate is lost, the venue should report its loss promptly to the original issuing body and apply for a replacement.

Article 11. Upon being granted registration, a venue for religious activity must submit an annual management report to the Religious Affairs Department of the government during the first quarter of each year.

Article 12. The certificate of registration for venues of religious activities and related forms will be uniform and will be issued by the Religious Affairs Bureau of the State Council.

Article 13. Matters not regulated by these Procedures follow the "Regulation Governing Venues for Religious Activities".

Article 14. Interpretation of these Procedures is the provenance of the Religious Affairs Bureau of the State Council.

Article 15. These Procedures take effect from the date of promulgation.

ANS translation