Eingetragener Verein

Eingetragener Verein (German:[ˈaɪnɡəˌtʁaːɡənɐ fɛʁˈʔaɪn], registered association), abbreviated e. V. (German:[ˈeː ˈfaʊ]), is a legal status for a registered voluntary association in Germany. While any group may be called a Verein, registration as eingetragener Verein holds many legal benefits because a registered association may legally function as a corporate body (juristic person) rather than just a group of individuals. The legal status must be in the name as well. In other german speaking countries such a distinction does not exist. But there may be legal requirements which obliges an association to register itself, e.g. in Switzerland if it must be audited (Revisionspflicht). In Austria all associations are registered in a special register, and having "e. V." in the name is not allowed.