Application to become a charity

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Welcome


Welcome to OSCR’s application to become a charity.

Note: You only need to set up one account even if you are dealing with multiple applications.

Once you start an application you can save the form and come back to it any time within 3 months.

Before you start, make sure you’ve read the guidance available on OSCR’s website and understand the responsibilities that come with being a Scottish charity should the application be successful.

Please read the application questions, including guidance notes, carefully and answer them fully. An asterisk(*) after a heading means that the field is mandatory and you must enter a response. 

At certain points in the application, you will be asked to upload documents. If you fail to supply these documents when the online form asks then your application decision may delayed or you may not be able to proceed.

Some documents, such as the Trustee Declaration Form, require a signature so you will need to scan them after they have been signed. For help with scanning documents, see our guidance on completing the online application form.

Once you submit your application you will get an automated email to confirm it has been received. Our Meeting the Charity Test guidance explains how we will come to a decision on your application.

We will process your application as quickly as possible. Sometimes applications take longer to process if they are complex or we need further information. One of the most common reasons for the application taking time is because we don’t have enough information at the start. 

Currently it takes on average 100 days to process an application.