How to start an association — step-by-step guide 2026

But where do you begin? What are the rules? What does it cost? Who can help?

If you do it right from the start, you avoid paperwork and re-registrations later.

Here is the step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Hold a founding meeting

An association is not established until a founding meeting has been held.

So the first thing you do is:

Gather at least 2 people who want to start the association. There is no specific Associations Act in Norway (association law is not codified), but Brønnøysundregistrene requires at least two founders. Most choose to have at least three, so that the board can have a chair, treasurer and secretary.

Set a date and a place for the meeting. It can be at someone’s home, in a café or at the library.

Agenda for the founding meeting:

• Election of a chair for the meeting
• Adoption of the statutes (see step 2)
• Election of the board (for example a chair, treasurer and secretary)
• Election of an auditor, if applicable — most associations are not required to be audited, check your own statutes
• Setting the membership fee, if applicable
• Signing of the founding minutes

Document the meeting: Take (or write yourself) minutes that everyone signs. Keep them — you will need them when you register the association.

It is formal, but simple.

Step 2: Write the statutes

The statutes are the association’s constitution. They state what the association will do, who is a member, how the board works and when the annual general meeting is held.

Minimum content of the statutes:

• The association’s name
• Purpose (a brief description of what you do)
• Membership (who can be a member, joining and leaving)
• The composition and responsibilities of the board
• Annual general meeting (when it is held, what is done)
• Amendments to the statutes (how to change them later)
• Dissolution (what happens if the association is to be wound up)

You don’t need to write this from scratch. Most associations use a simple template — 1–2 pages.

Finish the statutes before the founding meeting, and let everyone who will be involved read through them.

A tip: Don’t make the statutes too strict. They should be flexible enough for the association to change. The statutes can be amended at the annual general meeting by the majority they themselves require (a 2/3 majority in sports clubs) — so they are not fixed for ever.

Step 3: Register in Brønnøysund — get an organisation number

Once the founding meeting has been held and the statutes adopted, you register the association.

You need:

• Founding minutes (signed)
• Statutes (approved at the meeting)
• Names and national identity numbers of the chair and board members (the treasurer and secretary are registered as board members). Everyone on the board must sign the form.
• An e-mail address for the association

You register using the form “Registrering i Enhetsregisteret og Foretaksregisteret” in Altinn — see the guidance from Brønnøysundregistrene.

Once the application has been processed, you will be notified: The association is registered and you receive an organisation number. If a case officer needs to look at it, it usually takes up to two weeks.

The organisation number is like the association’s personal ID number — everyone needs it. The bank, the tax authorities and everyone else use it.

Cost: NOK 0. It is free to register an association.

You don’t need an auditor or a lawyer to register the association — you can do it yourself.

Step 4: Open an association bank account

Once you have an organisation number, you open an account with a bank.

You need:

• The organisation number
• Founding minutes
• Statutes
• Identification (the chair’s ID card or passport)

Most Norwegian banks accept new associations.

Tip for the treasurer: Set up two-person signing authority if the association is of a certain size. This means the treasurer cannot send money alone — it must be approved by someone else (often the chair or another board member). This reduces the risk of errors or misuse.

Cost: Varies between banks — check the bank’s price list for associations.

With Rubic, paid membership fees are automatically matched to the right member, so you don’t need to record each payment manually.

Step 5: Set up a membership system

If the association is to have members who pay a membership fee or are invited to the annual general meeting, you need a system that keeps track of who is a member.

You can:

1. Use a simple spreadsheet (Excel/Google Sheets) — free, but does not scale as the membership grows
2. Use a membership system — Rubic or similar solutions

A membership system means you:

• Have an overview of the names, phone numbers and addresses of all members
• Can send messages to the entire membership
• Can record membership fee payments automatically
• Can export lists when you hold the annual general meeting
• Can manage roles (board, elected officer, category)

Cost: Depends on the solution and the number of members.

Rubic Medlem suits everything from small associations to federations, and the price follows the number of members — see the prices.

Try Rubic free for 30 days — the membership system 500+ organisations use. No commitment during the trial period.

Step 6: Plan the annual general meeting and meeting calendar

Most associations hold an annual general meeting once a year. No law requires it for ordinary associations — it is your statutes that decide. (Sports clubs follow NIF’s statutes, which require an annual general meeting.)

The annual general meeting must deal with:

• A report on the past year
• Approval of the accounts
• Election of a new board
• Election of an auditor, if applicable
• Amendments to the statutes (if necessary)

You plan the annual general meeting by:

1. Setting a date (within the framework of the statutes — sports clubs must hold their annual general meeting by the end of March)
2. Sending a notice to all members within the deadline in the statutes (at least one month in advance in sports clubs)
3. Drawing up an agenda
4. Taking minutes of the meeting and filing them

Note: All members must be able to attend, and the statutes determine who has voting rights. You cannot hold an annual general meeting without notifying the members.

In Rubic, you can send the notice and minutes to all members by push notification, SMS or e-mail.

Step 7: Set up accounting and audit procedures

Small associations also need to keep their finances in order — it is the board’s responsibility to the members and the annual general meeting. But most small associations have neither a statutory duty to keep accounts nor a duty to be audited.

You need:

• An overview of all income (membership fees, grants, events)
• An overview of all expenses (activities, administration, loans)
• Documentation ready for the annual general meeting

For small associations, it is common to:

• Use a simple accounting format
• Have a person elected from among the members review the accounts, if the statutes require it
• Check the rules for tax-exempt organisations at Skatteetaten (the Norwegian Tax Administration) — most small associations do not file a tax return

Rubic Regnskap is an accounting service for sports clubs and associations, delivered with ECIT. You can keep the accounts yourselves in Rubic or let a dedicated accountant do the whole job.

Cost: Price on quotation — see Rubic Regnskap.

Step 8: The first year — tasks and milestones

Once the association has been established, what do you do now?

Months 1–2:

• Member registration
• Information leaflet and communication system
• First board meeting and plan for the year

Months 3–6:

• First event or activity held
• Establish procedures for collecting membership fees
• Meetings with partners (municipality, federation, venues)

Months 9–12:

• Prepare the annual general meeting
• Gathering figures for the accounts
• Audit meeting

After the annual general meeting:

• Review of the year
• Planning the next year

A good start-up phase is chaotic and educational. You learn what works and what doesn’t. That is completely natural.

Checklist: From idea to an up-and-running association

• At least 2 people agreed on starting up
• Founding meeting held and minutes signed
• Statutes adopted at the meeting
• Registered in Enhetsregisteret (the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities)
• Organisation number received
• Association bank account opened
• Membership system set up (or a spreadsheet instead)
• Members registered
• First board meeting held
• Annual general meeting planned
• Accounting and audit procedures established