Membership is open to all zoos and aquariums in Europe and the Middle East 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 population management programme participation, animal husbandry practices, ethics, staff quality, 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 or Middle East country, that maintains suitable standards of management and animal husbandry and complies with all other EAZA Standards.
Associate Membership - can be granted to professional organisations or groups deemed fit by the EAZA Council. Zoos and aquariums that fulfill the criteria put forward for Full Membership but are not located in a European or Middle East country can also become Associate Members.
EAZA offers the following forms of Associate Membership: Non-Public, Zoo/Aquarium, Education-based and Conservation-based, as well as Associate Membership for Zoo staff organisations and Membership-related organisations.
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.
Temporary Membership Under Construction - granted to zoos and aquariums that are under construction and want to apply for Full Membership directly after opening.
Candidate for Membership - can be granted to 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.
Honorary Membership - can be awarded, to the discretion of EAZA Council, to any individual, representative of a professional organisation or any other institution, whose activities and actions have greatly benefited the association.
Corporate Membership - granted to companies supplying goods and services to zoos and aquariums.
Benefits of Membership
Being a Member of EAZA demonstrates your commitment to everything a modern zoo or aquarium should be: progressive centres of excellence for conservation, learning, research, and animal welfare. By joining EAZA, you can access all the resources and collaborative work listed in our Benefits of Membership brochure, which can help your institution realise its full potential in all aspects of running a zoo or aquarium.
Benefits in summary
- The prestige that accompanies membership of an association that includes some of the world’s leading zoos and aquariums
- Access to the continent’s most important conferences and forums for zoos and aquariums
- Discounted rates for EAZA Academy courses, state of the art professional development education for zoo and aquarium specialists
- Usage of the EAZA website, an online forum that allows Members to work together and share knowledge
- Accreditation to reinforce your credentials as a modern, progressive institution
- Access to and involvement in EAZA’s breeding programmes for over 400 species
- Support and assistance from the EAZA Executive Office, a full service facility in Amsterdam staffed by specialists in three main areas:
- Conservation and Population Management: providing support on issues involving animal collections and conservation both at the institution and in the field
- Communications and Membership: supporting Members with the latest news from across the network, internal and external communications and all membership issues
- European Union Policy: support on EU policy and engagement for Members from our representative office in Brussels
Applying for Membership - Three Steps
Each year many zoos and aquariums in Europe and the Middle East 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 Species360 and the majority of their animal collection should be submitted into ZIMS. The three-step procedure is outlined as follows:
- A detailed Accreditation Questionnaire, which can be obtained from the EAZA Executive Office (joni.hut@eaza.net), should be completed and returned along with a non-refundable application fee. This document will be reviewed by the EAZA Accreditation Team. If the application is complete and meeting all requirements, the applicant institution can proceed to the next stage.
- A Screening Team consisting of two professional staff members of EAZA Member institutions and an EAZA Executive Office rapporteur 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.
- A Screening Report produced by the Screening Team will be submitted to the EAZA Membership & Ethics Committee. This Committee will review the report and make a recommendation to EAZA Council, after which 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.
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 2012, existing Members must also participate in a cyclical re-accreditation procedure in order to maintain their membership.
Note: Please be aware that the application procedure for Associate Membership is slightly different (including a different membership fee scheme), and might be simplified depending on the type of Associate Membership. If you would like to receive additional information or apply as an Associate Member, please contact joni.hut@eaza.net. Full explanations about membership categories and the accreditation and decision-making processes can be found in the Membership and Accreditation Manual.
Costs of Membership
In addition to the application fee of €525 and the entrance fee of €785, EAZA Members are obliged to pay an annual membership fee. Members are classified into eight categories according to their membership category and the number of paying visitors to their institution.
In April 2019 the Annual General Meeting agreed to change the timing of the fees to a calendar year from 2021. The planned schedule was:
- December 2020 - Members will be invoiced for the full 2021 fee. The invoice will have 1 January 2021 as invoice date, the deadline for payment will be 31 March 2021.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Annual General Meeting in 2020 agreed a revised schedule:
- December 2020 - Members will be invoiced for the full 2021 fee. The invoice will have 1 January 2021 as invoice date, the deadline for payment will be 30 June 2021.
In addition, it was agreed not to apply the standard 3% annual increase to allow for inflation related to regular core expenses.
Details about the specific membership structure and fees are in this document.
Please email info@eaza.net if you have any further questions.