Registering a new friendly society

Who can apply

You may apply to register as a friendly society if your organisation has been established for:

• Any purposes set out in the First Schedule of the Friendly Societies and Credit Unions Act 1982 (the Act). For example, providing benefit due to sickness, to cover medical expenses etc 
• Benevolent or charitable purposes — called 'benevolent societies'.
• The purpose of social interaction, mutual helpfulness etc — called 'working men’s clubs'.
• Purposes authorised by the Minister.

In your application to the Registrar of Friendly Societies and Credit Unions, you must have at least 1 officer who either:

• lives in New Zealand, or
• lives in a country, state or territory outside New Zealand, and is a director or officer of a body corporate incorporated in that country, state or territory.

The information you need to provide

• A written application, signed by the secretary and at least 7 adult members (each must be at least 20 years of age).
• A copy of your society’s rules, signed by the same applicants as above.
• A list of officers and trustees including their addresses and designations.

The rules must include all of the provisions set out in Schedule 2 of the Act.

File formats for uploading documents

Any forms or supporting documents you upload must be:

• clear and easily read
• saved in PDF format, and
• no larger than 20MB.

Paying the registration fees

When you apply, you must pay a registration fee of $245.13 (plus GST). This fee includes both a Financial Markets Authority (FMA) levy and an External Reporting Board (XRB) levy.

We offer 2 payment options for paying fees credit or debit card, and direct debit. To pay by direct debit you will need to set up the direct debit facility several days before you apply to register your friendly society.

How to apply online

You will need:

• a RealMe® login
• card details or a direct debit to pay the fees.

If it is your first time registering a friendly society, or updating details for another registered friendly society, you will be prompted for information to set up an online account with us.

For help check our guides

Step by step

1. Select the option below ‘Apply to register your friendly society’
2. Log in using your RealMe login.
3. Enter the friendly society’s name.
4. Upload the signed documents, including your:
   • Registration form (your written application plus the list of officers and trustees), and
   • Rules document.
5. Submit your application and pay the fees.
6. Wait for the payment confirmation before closing the window.
   Find out what payment options are available.

We will send you an email confirming that your application has been submitted. We will then review your application and contact you if we have any questions or need any further information.

If we accept your application, we will email you to confirm that your friendly society has been registered.  If we reject your application, we will email you and outline the reasons why.

You can check the status of your application by logging into the Friendly Societies Register. Choose the ‘Filing Services’ option to view any applications that are in progress. If your application status shows as ‘Draft’ you can edit or discard it by choosing the drop-down arrow alongside the filing service. 

Check the status of an update

Last updated September 2025