Search and document delivery at a glance
- Search online
- Official registration and cancellation decrees are published online. These sources do not establish a separate public company-search screen for the register. [3] [1]
- Search language
- Not specified
- Digital documents
- Yes, published decrees as PDFs. A digital current registry extract is not documented. [4]
- Document language
- Decree LXXI is in Italian. [4]
- Paper and collection
- Not specified
- International delivery
- Not specified
- Fees at a glance
- Decrees freely available
- Access
- Official publications online; registry inspection through Legal Office
Choose the right register
Vatican City has its own register of legal persons. Article 2 of Law DL of 5 December 2022 defines its scope. In particular, curial institutions and offices, institutions connected to the Holy See, the Governatorate and entities professionally conducting financial activities are excluded from this law’s scope. [1]
Names and abbreviations explained
- Ufficio GiuridicoLegal Office of the Governatorate
- Maintains the register of legal persons and several separate registers. It is the competent office for the registry file. [2] [1]
- Decreto di iscrizioneRegistration decree
- Official decree ordering a particular legal person’s registration. It establishes a registration event, not automatically subsequent changes. [4]
- Registro delle persone giuridicheRegister of legal persons
- A public register under article 6. [1]
Search step by step
Find an organisation and the right evidence
Browse official decrees
Open Regulations for Vatican Juridical persons. Select a decree by its number and title concerning iscrizione (registration) or cancellazione (cancellation). Open the PDF and look inside it for the organisation’s Italian name. Record the date and decree number. [3] [4]
Distinguish registration from current status
A registration decree records the registration ordered at its stated date. Check later publications for changes or cancellation. For current evidence, request current registry information from the Ufficio Giuridico del Governatorato. [3] [1] [4]
Specify the record required
Provide the full name and, if known, the registration decree. State whether you need current information, the statutes or a particular appointment instrument. Article 5 identifies these categories of filed documents. [1]
Confirm delivery before placing an order
Ask the responsible office about access and the price for the file you need. Specify the form of issue and arrange delivery before ordering. [1] [2]
Documents and fees
| Document / information | Contents and purpose | Fee | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published registration decree [3] [4] | Official decree registering a particular legal person. | The official PDF is freely available. | Open through the official regulations list. |
| Filed statutes and constitutive instrument [1] [2] | Article 5 identifies these components of the registry file; article 6 makes the register public. | The cited provisions do not specify a fee for information or copies. | Identify the legal person and particular filed instrument to the Ufficio Giuridico. Confirm permitted inspection or copying in advance. |
Which documents are filed in the register
Article 5 lists the constitutive instrument and statutes, internal rules where applicable, registration authorisation and subsequent amendments. It also includes appointment instruments for responsible persons and instruments relating to liquidation. Article 6 makes the register public. The office must determine how individual file components containing personal data can be accessed in a specific request. [1]
Internal books are not automatically public registry material
Under articles 8–10, duties to retain accounting records and information on beneficial owners and donors apply to the legal person itself. The supplier register and canonical registers are also separate collections maintained by the Legal Office. [1] [2]
An authentic official example
Decree LXXI of 12 May 2026 orders the registration of Associazione Sport in Vaticano. The official PDF has two pages and is in Italian. It illustrates a published registration decree. [4]
Access from abroad
Published decrees are available without an account. Address private requests for records from the public register to the responsible office. Article 13 separately governs diplomatic information requests from foreign authorities. That procedure applies to official enquiries. [3] [4] [1]
Official samples and reading guides
Registration decree LXXI of 12 May 2026 (PDF, Italian)
Official example of a published registration decision. Not a full registry extract. [4]
Avoid common mistakes
- An entry in the supplier register, canonical legal status and registration in the civil register of legal persons answer different questions. Choose the collection according to the organisation and the evidence required. [2]
Original sources
Sources reviewed: 15 September 2026. The guidance is based on the linked information published by registers and public authorities.
- Legge N. DL sulle persone giuridiche, 5 dicembre 2022 Holy See Press Office
- Central offices: Legal Office Vatican City State
- Regulations for Vatican Juridical persons Vatican City State
- Decreto N. LXXI: Associazione Sport in Vaticano, 12 maggio 2026 Governatorato dello Stato della Città del Vaticano