Joining the Society

How to join

If you wish to become a member of the Society, please use the relevant online form below. Should you have any difficulties in accessing these, please use either the direct link to the Membes membership system or contact the Society’s secretariat.

There are separate forms for applicants for:

  • Fellowship — for residents in NSW/ACT, interstate, and overseas
  • Full Membership — for residents in NSW/ACT, interstate, and overseas
  • Associate Membership — for full-time students and those under 25, and relatives/partners of Full Members or Fellows.

For further information about these categories of membership, and particularly the assessment criteria for Fellowship, please consult the Membership Categories page. 

Nominators and seconders

To become a member of the Society, you must be nominated and seconded by a Full Member or a Fellow of the Society.

Applications for:

  • Associate Membership and Full Membership require only a nominator.
  • Fellowship require both a nominator and a seconder.

Should you wish to join the Society and do not know a Fellow or a Full Member personally, please consider attending a face-to-face meeting of the Society, as listed on our Events pages, and meet or be introduced to any of the many Members and Fellows who attend these events. 

You may also contact the Society’s office and we can arrange for an introduction. 

Preparing and submitting your application

To assist you in completing the relevant membership form, please read the joining guide before filling in the online form. This will help you assemble the information required in advance since partially completed forms cannot be saved. 

Fellowship applications require additional information relating to the assessment criteria. This is best prepared in advance of filling in the form.

Note that for a Fellowship application, your nominator will be requested to provide written comments that attest to the strengths of your application, in terms of the assessment criteria. Your nominator should therefore be familiar with your work and professional contributions.

The processing of your application commences immediately after you have submitted the joining form and made payment (see fees), either by:

  • credit card—only Visa and Mastercard are accepted
  • electronic funds transfer—referred to as payment on invoice.

Assessment process

All applications are assessed according to the Rules by the Fellows and Members Assessment Committee (FMAC) which makes recommendations to the Council of the Society.

The FMAC meets four times a year, normally two weeks before Council Meetings. Recommendations from the FMAC that are agreed to by the Council are then put before the next Ordinary General Meeting of the Society for consideration and approval by the membership.

Two weeks after the Ordinary General Meeting at which your application is considered, you will be notified of the outcome. Should your outcome be unsuccessful, your membership payment and joining fee will be refunded.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Royal Society of New South Wales and trust that you will enjoy and derive benefit from the wide range of activities undertaken by the Society.

Online Forms

Membership Fees for 2025

The schedule of membership fees for 2025 is  summarised in the table below. The fee structure reflects the geographical location of members.

For new Full Members and Fellows, there is a joining fee of $50 in addition to the annual membership fee. For new Associate Members, the joining fee is waived.  Fees for members who join the Society in the latter half of a year are reduced by 50%.

Membership Class  Joining Fee    
(incl. GST)  
  Annual Fee    
(incl. GST)  
Associate Membership
(under 25 or full-time student)
$0$52
Associate Membership (
close relative of a full member)  
$0$52
Full Member (NSW and ACT)$50$156
Full Member (Interstate*)$50$104
Full Member (Overseas**)$50$104
Full Member (Retired)$50$104
Fellow (NSW and ACT)  $50$260
Fellow (Interstate*)  $50$156
Fellow (Overseas**)  $50$156
Fellow (Retired)$50$156

Notes:
(*)  Interstate refers to residence in other than NSW or the ACT
(**) Overseas refers to residency in a country other than Australia.

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