It is made up of groups of people who come together around a common interest or cause. The actions of an association can be aimed at the community – as is the case of associations that promote the rights of people with disabilities, for example – or they can be of mutual benefit and restricted to a select and homogeneous group of members – as is the case of recreation clubs.

Associations must comply with obligations defined in the Civil Code, provided for in articles 54 and following, including some requirements in relation to the statute, such as the name, purposes and headquarters of the association; the requirements for admission, dismissal and exclusion of members; the rights and duties of members; the sources of resources for its maintenance; the way in which deliberative and administrative bodies are constituted and operated; the conditions for changing the statutory provisions and for the dissolution and the form of administrative management and approval of the respective accounts.