Membership is open to all zoos and aquariums in Europe that are willing to comply with EAZA's standards and are committed to high levels of professionalism. Obligations have to be met with regard to breeding programme participation, animal husbandry practices, ethics, staff quality and conservation education. Compliance with national and international legislation regarding animal and plant acquisition, possession and transport is also mandatory.

Membership Categories

Full Membership - granted to a zoo or aquarium located in a European country that maintains suitable standards of management and animal husbandry and complies with all other EAZA standards.

Associate Membership - can be granted to individuals, professional organisations or groups deemed fit by the EAZA Council. Zoos and aquariums that fulfil the criteria put forward for Full Membership but are not located in a European country can also become Associate members.

Temporary (Associate) Membership - granted to zoos and aquariums that do not yet meet the standards required for Full/Associate Membership of EAZA. These institutions will be judged as being capable of reaching Full/Associate Membership within a one to two year timeframe.

Candidate for Membership - can be granted to zoos under construction (not yet open to the public) and to those institutions that are working towards compliance with EAZA accreditation standards. Institutions in this category are offered a range of technical assistance and consultancy, mainly provided and supervised by the EAZA Committee on Technical Assistance and Animal Welfare.

Honorary Membership - can be awarded to any individual, professional organisation or group as the EAZA Council deems fit.

Corporate Membership - granted to companies supplying goods and services to zoos and aquariums.

Applying for Membership - Three Steps

Each year many zoos and aquariums in Europe apply for membership of EAZA. Applicant institutions go through a thorough accreditation procedure which may take up more than one year. The procedure includes completing an extensive Accreditation Questionnaire and a screening mission on site.

A zoo or aquarium wishing to join EAZA should review the key policies and standards of the association to ensure that it meets the requirements for membership, or is likely to be capable of doing so within a reasonable timeframe. You should note that all applicants must be a member of ISIS and the majority of their animal collection should be submitted into ARKS. The three-step procedure can be outlined as follows:

1. A detailed Accreditation Questionnaire, which can be obtained from the EAZA Executive Office(sietske.veenman@eaza.net), should be completed and returned along with a non-refundable application fee of €500. This document will be reviewed by the EAZA Membership & Ethics Committee which decides whether the institution can proceed to the next stage.
2. A Screening Team consisting of two professional staff members of EAZA member institutions and an EAZA Executive Office reporter will visit the applicant institution to determine whether it meets the required standards. The applicant institution is obliged to pay all travel and accommodation expenses for the Screening Team.
3. The Screening Mission Report produced by the Screening Team will be submitted to the EAZA Membership & Ethics Committee with advice on whether or not to award a certain category of membership. The Committee will then make a recommendation to Council, after which the Council makes the final decision on membership. If the applicant institution is accepted as a member of EAZA it will be obliged to pay an entrance fee of €750.

EAZA is a growing organisation and its standards are constantly reviewed and upgraded. Applicants and members alike should regularly review the currently applicable standards and policies and should contact the EAZA Executive Office if further guidance is required. As of 2009 steps are being taken towards the introduction of a voluntary reaccreditation scheme for all members.

Costs of Membership

In addition to the application fee of €500 and the entrance fee of €750, EAZA members (Full, Associate and Temporary) are obliged to pay an annual membership fee - the membership year runs from July 1st. Members are classified into nine categories according to the Gross National Product of the country in which they are located and the number of paying visitors to their institution in the previous year.

 EAZA Membership Fees 2010/2011

The fee should be paid before August 1st. Members that pay their  membership fee after this date, are obliged to pay €100 administration costs. Besides financial implications, certain membership services may also be terminated until payment has been received.