Q: Can you reclaim tax on your membership subscription?
A: Yes, in the UK you can reclaim tax on your RIBA Membership subscription if you use your membership to do your job, or it’s helpful for your work. To find out if you’re eligible and how to claim, visit the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) website.
Q: When does the subscription year start and end?
A: The subscription year runs from 1 January until 31 December.
Q: As a previous member, If I re-join the RIBA, do I need to pay membership fees for the years I was not a member?
A: No, you will not be charged any membership fees for the period you were not a current member.
Q: If I join or re-join the RIBA, will I have to pay for 12 months of membership, even if I join half way through the RIBA?
A: No, membership fees are calculated pro rata for the remaining months of the calendar year for anyone joining for the first-time or re-joining the RIBA.
Q: How do I renew my membership each year?
A: You will receive a renewal notification by email or post well before the end of your subscription year. If you have provided us with a valid email address and pay by Direct Debit, you will receive a renewal notification by email informing you of when your first payment will be taken for the new membership subscription year and the amount. If you have not provided us with a valid email address, you will receive the same renewal notification by post.
If you have provided us with a valid email address and pay by any other method you will receive a renewal notification by email, informing you of the amount and how to renew. If you have not provided us with a valid email address, you will receive the same renewal notification by post.
Q: Do you provide any support to members experiencing financial difficulty, or a change in personal circumstance?
A: Yes, we can provide members who are experiencing financial difficulty or a change in personal circumstances, which has affected their ability to pay a full rate of subscription, with a temporary reduction in their subscription fee.
To be eligible for a reduced rate of subscription you must be earning £25,000 per annum or below, after tax, from all forms of income. Proof of income must be substantiated through providing at least one form of stated supporting documentation. You must substantiate your circumstances each year through completing and returning an application form and supporting documentation. However, if your situation is fixed, on medical grounds, and you are unable to get any other job for which your work experience, skills, training, and education would make you qualified, then you will not be asked to apply for a reduction in subscription each year. In your application, please provide a letter from your local GP/Doctor/Hospital or relevant health professional which states that you are unable to get any other job for which your work experience, skills, training and education would make you qualified. For more information on applying for a reduced rate of subscription and to apply, please refer to the reduced rate application form.
Q: What happens to my membership subscription if I move outside the UK?
A: RIBA Members residing outside of the UK pay less than Members residing in the UK to reflect the fact you won’t have access to all location-based benefits. If you move during the subscription year, please ensure that you update your contact details by logging into My Account on architecture.com. Your membership subscription will be changed to reflect your change in location when you come to renew your membership again the following year.
Please note that you will not be entitled to a reduction of subscription fees for the year in which your place of residence changes. Please also note that a member practising in a country outside the United Kingdom may be required to be a member of, or registered by, that country’s professional or regulatory body for architects. If this is the case the Royal Institute recognises that a member’s first obligation will be to comply with the rules of conduct published by the local professional or regulatory body.
Q: What happens to my membership subscription if I move to the UK?
A: RIBA Members residing in the UK pay the UK rate. If you move during the subscription year, please ensure that you update your contact details by logging into My Account on architecture.com. Your membership subscription will be changed to reflect your change in location when you come to renew your membership again the following year.
Please note that you will neither be liable to pay an additional subscription fees for the year in which your place of residence changes, nor eligible for a refund. Please also note that Chartered Members who are also registered in the United Kingdom are subject to The Architects’ Code, published by the Architects Registration Board.
Q: If RIBA stop, or I stop, my membership with outstanding fees owed to RIBA and I decide to re-join in the future will I be allowed?
A: Yes, however you may be required to pay all the arrears due at the time of stopping your membership before you can re-join. Please note that this includes any outstanding fees for the current or proceeding subscription year, pro rata up to the point of your membership being stopped.
Q: If I want to continue to be a member of the RIBA but my employer stops paying for my membership, what should I do?
A: It is expected that an employer will have an agreement in place with their employees which forms part of their terms of employment regarding payment of professional membership subscriptions.
Providing the membership has been paid for in full for the current subscription year, your membership will continue until the end of the current subscription year. If there are any outstanding fees owed, or fees left to pay for remaining months of the current subscription year, you will be required to pay those fees to continue your membership.
Q: If I no longer want to be a member of the RIBA, and me or my employer pays for my membership, how do I stop my membership?
A: Your membership is an annual subscription and it will continue until the end of the current subscription year. If you would like to stop your membership you must inform us before the end of the current subscription year. We will then ensure that your membership stops automatically at the end of the current subscription year.
If you would like your membership to stop before the end of the current subscription year, please inform us and we will stop your membership. However, we will not be able to refund subscriptions to you or your employer except in exceptional circumstances, at our discretion. If you stop your membership with outstanding fees on your account, you may be required to pay those fees before re-joining in the future. It is expected that an employer will have an agreement in place with their employees which forms part of their terms of employment regarding payment of professional membership subscriptions.
If you stop your membership with outstanding fees on your account, you may be required to pay those fees before re-joining in the future. It is expected that an employer will have an agreement in place with their employees which forms part of their terms of employment regarding payment of professional membership subscriptions.
Q: Do you provide any support to members who have recently qualified?
A: Yes, to support recently qualified architects during the first five years after qualification, we apply a significant discount to the full Chartered Membership rate. This applies for the first five years from the date of qualification. The date of qualification is the year in which a person qualifies as an architect and becomes eligible for Chartered Membership.
