A Non-Profit Organisation is a body of persons, whether incorporated or unincorporated, which:
- is established primarily for the promotion of a patriotic, religious, philanthropic, charitable,
educational, cultural, scientific, literary, historical, artistic, social, professional, fraternal,
sporting or athletic purpose, or some other useful object and raises or disburses funds for that purpose or object;
- carries on its business without pecuniary gain to its members or officers except as reasonable compensation for
services rendered; and
- restricts the use of any of its profits or other accretions to the promotion of its purpose or object;
The Non-Profit Organisations Act No. 7 of 2019 (“the NPO Act”), stipulates that:
- no one may operate a non-profit organisation (as defined in the Act), in Trinidad and Tobago, unless it is registered with the Registrar
- an unincorporated body of persons and a non-profit organisation incorporated by an Act of Parliament must apply for registration
- a non-profit company incorporated under the Companies Act is deemed to be registered under the NPO Act and is not required to apply for registration
However, the non-profit company must submit the registration particulars set out in the NPO Act before collecting its Certificate of Non-Profit Organisation Registration.
How to Register a Non-Profit Organisation
To register a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO), you are now required to:
- create a Companies Registry Account (CRA) to access the Companies Registry Online System (CROS)
- log into your CRA
- reserve the name of your NPO
- complete and submit the application for registration and pay the fee
- deliver the registration documents to the Registrar to collect your certificate of registration
Registering a Non-Profit Organisation (Unincorporated or Incorporated by Act of Parliament)
To register your non-profit organisation (NPO), you must complete the following steps:
STEP 1: Create a Companies Registry Account (CRA)
Every controller of the NPO must have a CRA. To create your CRA you will need to:
- Apply for an individual account
- Enter your personal details, contact, and address
- Upload a copy of your birth certificate, two forms of photo identification (ID) and a headshot with one of the submitted IDs held beside your face.
For assistance with creating your CRA, you may email the CROS Help Desk at croshelpdesk@gov.tt
STEP 2: Reserve your NPO Name
A name reservation is required to register a NPO as it provides a reference number which allows Controllers to approve their inclusion on the registration. To reserve the name, you must:
- log into your CRA and select ‘name reservation’ service
- complete a new non-profit organisation name reservation.
Fee: None
Processing time: Automatic Reservation
STEP 3: Consent of Controller(s)
The other controller(s) must approve their inclusion on the registration application. They must:
- Log into their CRA
- Select “My Account”, click “Approval”, and enter the:
- Type - Yet To Be
- Role - Controller
- Identifier - Name Reservation Number
- Name - Non-Profit Organisation Name
Once the other controller(s) have granted their approval(s), they must provide you with their surname and Account PIN to complete your NPO registration.
STEP 4: Complete the NPO Registration
To have your NPO registered, you must electronically file an Application for Registration. To file your application:
- Log into your CRA and select the ‘Registration/Incorporation’ Service
- Complete the non-profit organisation registration application and upload a copy of the:
- completed and signed Questionnaire to Assist in Assessing Risk
- constituent documents
- valid identification of each controller (a passport or national identification card only)
- pay the fee
Fee: $100.00.
Once the payment is processed, the registration particulars will be reviewed by the Registrar. A notification of the decision of the Registrar will be sent via email.
Processing time –thirty (30) working days
Once the application is approved, each controller will receive confirmation, by email, that the NPO documents were approved. Your copy of the completed Application for Registration will be included.
STEP 5: Collect your Certificate of Registration
To collect your certificate of registration:
- Print and sign the Application for Registration
- Deliver the signed Application for Registration and the original documents (scans of which were uploaded as part of the registration application) to the Companies Registry Counter
Registering a Non-Profit Organisation (Incorporated under the Companies Act, Ch. 81:01)
To register your non-profit organisation (NPO), you must complete the following steps:
STEP 1: Create a Companies Registry Account (CRA)
Every controller of the NPO must have a CRA. To create your CRA you will need to:
- Apply for an individual account
- Enter your personal details, contact, and address
- Upload a copy of your birth certificate, two forms of photo identification (ID) and a headshot with one of the submitted IDs held beside your face.
For assistance with creating your CRA, you may email the CROS Help Desk at croshelpdesk@gov.tt
STEP 2: Reserve your NPO Name
A name reservation is required to register a NPO as it provides a reference number which allows Controllers to approve their inclusion on the registration. To reserve the name, you must:
- log into your CRA and select ‘name reservation’ service
- complete a new non-profit organisation name reservation.
Fee: None
Processing time: Automatic Reservation
STEP 3: Consent of Controller(s)
The other controller(s) must approve their inclusion on the registration application. They must:
- Log into their CRA
- Select “My Account”, click “Approval”, and enter the:
- Type - Yet To Be
- Role - Controller
- Identifier - Name Reservation Number
- Name - Non-Profit Organisation Name
Once the other controller(s) have granted their approval(s), they must provide you with their surname and Account PIN to complete your NPO registration.
STEP 4: Complete the NPO Registration
To have your NPO registered, you must electronically file an Application for Registration. To file your application:
- Log into your CRA and select the ‘Registration/Incorporation’ Service
- Complete the non-profit organisation registration application and upload a copy of the:
- completed and signed Questionnaire to Assist in Assessing Risk (only if your company was incorporated before June 14th, 2019)
- Certificate of Incorporation, constitution, if any, and by-laws if they were not already filed
- valid identification of each controller (a passport or national identification card only)
- letter of approval of exemption from corporation tax (where applicable)
- Submit the application
Fee: None
Once the payment is processed, the registration particulars will be reviewed by the Registrar. A notification of the decision of the Registrar will be sent via email.
Processing time – five (5)) working days
Once the application is approved, each controller will receive confirmation, by email, that the NPO documents were approved. Your copy of the completed Application for Registration will be included.
STEP 5: Collect your Certificate of Registration
To collect your certificate of registration:
- Print and sign the Application for Registration
- Deliver the signed Application for Registration and the original documents (a scan of which were uploaded as part of the registration application) to the Companies Registry Counter
