REGISTRATION OF COMPANIES & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIVISION (RCIP)
Resitalaina o Kamupani ma mea totino tau i le mafaufau
Incorporated Societies
WHAT IS AN INCORPORATED SOCIETY?
An Incorporated Society is a group, usually of people with a common interest (sports club, social club, cultural group, service or activist group) registered in accordance with the Incorporated Societies Ordinance 1952. Some elements of an Incorporated Society include:
- A minimum of 15 members
- Has a Constitution which outlines the Societies' operations
- Must submit annual accounts to the Registration of Companies & Intellectual Property Division
HOW DO YOU REGISTER AN INCORPORATED SOCIETY?
To make an application to register an Incorporated Society in Samoa, the applicant - or an agent working on their behalf - will need to lodge the application to the Registration of Companies & Intellectual Property Division (RCIP) of MCIL, along with the appropriate fee.
An application to register an Incorporated Society must include the following documentation:
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Declaration of Compliance
- List of 15 members
Important Note: Each member must provide their name, address and occupation. A witness - who must NOT be a member - is also required to witness the signatures and provide his/her name and address
 Download a copy of the Incorporated Society Members Form.
- Constitution/By-Laws
- Registration Fee
The RCIP Division will then process the application. Once approved, a Certificate of Registration is formally prepared and issued to the Applicant.
BUSINESS PROCESS
Below is the usual procedure followed by the Division for processing Incorporated Society applications:
- The Ministry (MCIL) receives the completed application for approval of Incorporated Society name
- The name provided for the Incorporated Society is then checked and the Applicant or Agent is then advised of the result. The name must not match or be similar to the name of an existing society. The name may not be approved if it is deemed to be inappropriate.
- The Registration of Companies & Intellectual Property Division receives the aforementioned application documents
- All documents and payment fees are then checked
- The Registrar then prepares and signs the certificate
- The application is allocated and issued a unique Number for the Society
- All copies are returned to the applicant
- A complete file is prepared for the Incorporated Society application
- All documentation pertaining to the industrial design application is then filed
YEARLY REQUIREMENTS
Each year, it is required that the Incorporated Society provides to the Registrar the following information:
- An Annual Report
- Audited Financial Statements
- A list of current Members
- A list of Executive/s
- Any changes with the Constitution of the Registered Office
REGISTRATION FEE
The base fee to Register an Incorporated Society is SAT$90.00
FORMS
To view or print our forms, you will require PDF viewing software, such as
Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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Site Information section of this website.
 Checklist for Constitution
File details:
Name: Inc_Soc_Constitution_Checklist.pdf
Size: 45KB
Application for Incorporated Society
File details:
Name: Inc_Soc_Constitution_Checklist.pdf
Size: 45KB
Incorporated Society Members Form
File details:
Name: Inc_Soc_15Members_Form.pdf
Size: 8KB
FURTHER INFORMATION
Should you require further information concerning Incorporated Societies, please contact:
Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Labour
Registration of Companies & Intellectual Property Division
4th Floor
ACC House
Apia SAMOA
Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Labour
Registration of Companies & Intellectual Property Division
P.O. Box 862
Apia SAMOA
Telephone: (+685) 20441
Facsimile: (+685) 20443
Email: mpal@mcil.gov.ws
Or please feel free to see our Contact Us page.
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