Membership applications and renewals for 2023 are now closed 

ICOM membership runs on the calendar year (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

We will open for 2024 membership applications and renewals in mid-October 2023.

If you have any membership questions, please contact Louise Bevan, ICOM UK Membership Manager at membership@icomuk.org

Museums have no borders, they have a network.

Join the only global organisation in the museum field.  With more than 40,000 members in over 141 countries and territories, ICOM (International Council of Museums) is a unique global network of institutions and museum professionals that will open up new opportunities for you.

ICOM is the voice of museum professionals on an international stage and raises public cultural awareness through global networks and co-operation programmes.  Whether you are an individual or institutional member, your ICOM membership will grant you a number of advantages for your professional development and contribute to the future of the international museum community.

By becoming an ICOM member, you can access a range of professional membership benefits, including:

* A proportion of your Membership Fee goes to subsidise the cost of ICOM membership for museum professionals in developing nations.

If you have any questions about renewing your membership or joining ICOM, please contact us at membership@icomuk.org

Individual Membership (Voting)

Regular: £89

Retired: £45

Regular Individual membership is open to working museums professionals and consultants providing services, knowledge and expertise to museums as their main professional activity.

Retired Individual membership is open to individuals who have retired from professional museum work (in an institution or as a consultant), are no longer working in a paid capacity and do not intend to return to paid work.

Active museum volunteers may join as Regular Individual Members depending on their CV and a letter of recommendation from the museum(s) at which they volunteer.

Institutional Membership (Voting)

Institution I (3 x cards) < £30,000 operating budget: £299

Institution II (4 x cards) £30,000 – £100,000 operating budget: £399

Institution III (5 x cards) £100,000 – £1,000,000 operating budget: £599

Institution IV (6 x cards) £1 – £5 million operating budget: £699

Institution V (7 x cards) £5 – £10 million operating budget: £799

Institution VI (8 x cards)  > £10 million operating budget: £999

Institutional membership is open to museums and institutions in the UK and British Overseas Territories that comply with the definition of a museum as defined in Article 2.1 of ICOM’s Internal Rules https://icom.museum/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2017_ICOM_InternalRules_EN.pdf

It is a great way for your museum to invest in your staff, to benefit from international collaboration and to show your support for the wider museum sector.

Student Membership (non-voting)

Student: £40

Student membership is open to undergraduate, master and PhD students enrolled in a museum-related academic programme – museology, museum studies, museum education, museum management, conservation, art history, or equivalent museum-related subject course.

Supporting Membership (non-voting)

Individual: £339

Institutional (8 x cards): £2,400

Supporting membership is open to individuals and organisations providing substantial assistance to ICOM both financially and otherwise, due to an interest in museums and the international co-operation between museums.

Examples of supporting members include museum trustees and museum board members/board of directors, legal professionals representing museums, media (book and magazine publishers), architects and designers (and companies) providing services to museums but not as their main activity.

Who is not eligible to join?

  • Retired museum volunteers.
  • Any organisations or individuals participating directly or indirectly in dealing (buying or selling for profit, including commercial galleries) in art, cultural artefacts, natural or cultural heritage.

The ICOM Card

As an ICOM member, you will receive an ICOM membership card which gives you free access to many museums and exhibitions all over the world.  The ICOM card is one of the most widely-recognised membership programmes for museums in the world and is accepted at thousands of venues.  If you visit museums regularly, the ICOM Card will quickly save you the cost of your membership fee.

Acceptance of the ICOM card is discretionary.  If you plan to visit a specific museum or exhibition in the UK or abroad (especially popular museums and blockbuster exhibitions), we always recommend you contact the museum ahead of your visit to check if the ICOM card is accepted and if there is a booking procedure.  This is especially important during the current COVID-19 pandemic and as museums in the UK and around the world are subject to different operating rules.  Capacity will be limited for museum and exhibition entry for the foreseeable future.

In addition:

  • Institutions joining ICOM UK receive multiple membership cards that can be used by staff, as well as access to an international museum community where potential partnerships and programmes can be developed.
  • ICOM UK is a conduit for conversations and action on international issues such as material cultural heritage at risk in zones of conflict, intangible cultural heritage, professional development and ethical standards to guide practice in a changing world.
  • Priority booking and discounted tickets for the annual Working Internationally Conference, the only UK museums conference with a dedicated international focus.
  • Regular ICOM UK news bringing you the latest news and opportunities for working internationally.
  • Networking opportunities with other UK museum professionals interested in working internationally.