Justice Ministry says who is authorized to register religious organizations

Illustrative image of an Orthodox priest. Photo: UOJ

On July 24, 2026, Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice sent a letter to its interregional offices instructing them to comply with the legally established division of powers when registering religious organizations, Sudovo-Yurydychna Hazeta reports.

The ministry noted that the government body responsible for registration depends on the type of religious organization involved.

Religious centers, administrative bodies, monasteries, brotherhoods, missions, and theological educational institutions are registered by the central executive authority responsible for implementing state policy on religion.

Religious communities are registered by the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, regional state administrations, and the Kyiv and Sevastopol city state administrations.

The Justice Ministry stressed that failure to comply with the established division of powers could result in violations of the state registration procedure. Interregional offices were instructed to communicate the clarification to state registrars and notaries and to conduct additional work on the proper application of the law.

Letter from Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice on the registration of religious organizations. Photo: Sudovo-Yurydychna Hazeta

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Ukraine’s culture minister had described the restoration of the country’s cultural heritage as a shared responsibility of the state, businesses, and society.

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