Spain and Argentina implement new regulations for religious entities

In Spain, the government has approved Royal Decree 737/2026, allowing certain evangelical ministers of worship to count years of activity prior to joining the General Social Security Regime toward their retirement pensions. This regulation applies to ministers within the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain (FEREDE) for activity prior to May 1, 1999, and to the Union of Seventh-day Adventist Christian Churches in Spain for activity prior to May 1, 1987. To benefit, individuals must pay the corresponding capital cost to the National Social Security Institute, which can be done in a single payment or through monthly deductions from their pension over up to 20 years.

In Argentina, the Chamber of Representatives approved a law establishing a voluntary provincial registry for churches, confessions, communities, and religious entities. The measure allows for the transformation of civil associations into religious entities while preserving their legal and patrimonial continuity. The registry, managed by the General Directorate of Legal Entities and Public Registry, aims to harmonize provincial regulations with national law and provide a clear administrative framework for non-Catholic entities to obtain legal personality consistent with their institutional nature.