The FCRA mandates that organisations receiving foreign contributions must renew their registration periodically. If your organisation fails to complete the validity extension on time, it risks penalties and potential loss of status, which could jeopardise your operations.
Introduction
On 25 September 2024 The Ministry of Home Affairs released a public notice related to the FCRA registration certificate. As per the public notice, the renewal certificates remain valid until 30 September 2024.
Further, entities whose five-year validity period falls within the period 1st October to 31 December 2024 and who applied or apply for renewal before expiry shall have the latter extended up to 31 December 2024 or upon resolution of the application for renewal.
Further, it is stated that if the Competent Authority rejects renewal application then FCRA certificate shall lapse from the date of refusal. As a result, no foreign contributions shall be accepted or utilised. All concerned FCRA registered associations shall be governed by the notice issued with approval from the Competent Authority.
FCRA Validity Extension
So any NGO whose certificate was set to expire on 30 September 2024, and the NGO has already applied for renewal, then this extension of certificate is in the offing to benefit from it. The renewal application will be processed before any new deadline set with 31 December 2024, or when it’s completed—whichever happens first.
This extension is done so that NGOs can work uninterrupted and they don’t forget to adhere to the guidelines laid down regarding the mode of receiving foreign funds. As per the latest notification, this extension will only be valid for those NGOs whose certificate has already been extended up to 30 June 2024.
The same was mentioned in a public notice issued on 28 March 2024. This move shows that the MHA is focused on supporting NGOs who operate legitimately. At the same time it monitors how they use foreign funds to ensure that everything is accountable.
Extension of FCRA Registration Certificate Validity
The government has decided to extend the time limit to renew their FCRA registration. If their certificates are about to expire, they will get an extension until 30 September 2024. This provides extra time to finish their paperwork and meet the requirements.
It’s important to remember that this is a one-time extension. After 30 September 2024, these organisations still need to renew their certificates. If they don’t, they could face penalties or lose the ability to receive money from foreign sources. This extension will help many organisations that are struggling to follow the rules.
PUBLIC NOTICESubject: Extension of the validity of FCRA registration certificates ADVERTISEMENT In continuation of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Public Notice No. 11/21022/23(22)/2020-FCRA-III dated 29.06.2024, the Central Government, in public interest, has decided to extend the validity of FCRA registration certificates of the following categories of FCRA-registered entities:
All FCRA registered associations are advised to take note that if their renewal application is refused, the validity of the certificate shall be deemed expired on the date of refusal. These associations will no longer be eligible to receive or utilise foreign contributions. This notice is issued with the approval of the Competent Authority. All concerned are requested to take appropriate action. (K. Sanjayan) |
Conclusion
The extension of FCRA registration certificates up to 30 September 2024 would protect the interests of the NGO. This would give them the required time to meet all the FCRA regulations. While this is a short-term relief, it is equally important that the organisations stay compliant and start planning for the future renewals. For more information get in touch with our experts. We will file for FCRA renewal on your behalf.
