Become a
Member
This area is dedicated to national climbing and mountaineering organisations interested in becoming a member of the UIAA. The UIAA represents 99 member organisations from 77 countries on six continents and welcomes applications for new memberships with the scope of becoming an even greater global mountain network.
Types of
Membership
The UIAA does not accept individual memberships. Only national climbing and mountaineering associations are eligible to join the UIAA as a full (active) member.
Active/Full Members and Associate Member
For each country, only one mountaineering association has the full right of vote at the annual UIAA General Assembly (Active/Full Member). More than one mountaineering association from a country can become an Associate Member without voting rights, except on financial matters, provided they are of national or relevant regional importance. A decision on the admission of such associations will only be made after consultation with the member association which holds the voting rights of the relevant country and having due regard to that association’s comments.
Observer Members
The UIAA also has Observer Members who do not have the right to vote but are eligible to participate in certain services. Observer members are generally other international organisations rather than national climbing federations. Observer Members who do not have the right to vote are eligible to participate in Mountain Qualification Labels (UIAA training) courses. Further details on pricing will be provided in due course.
MEMBER STATUS
FULL / ACTIVE
One (1) per country
Voting Rights: Full
Commission Representation: Yes
MEMBER STATUS
ASSOCIATE
No quota, agreement with full/active member
Voting Rights: On Financial Matters
Commission Representation: Yes
MEMBER STATUS
OBSERVER
No quota, agreement with full/active member
Voting Rights: None
Commission Representation: Yes
Discover in-depth details on the benefits of being part of the UIAA, the Global Mountain Network.
How much does it cost?
- Membership fees are on a sliding scale and calculated based on the number of members that belong to an individual federation.
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The minimum fee for 0-300 members is 535 Swiss Francs (CHF) while the maximum for the federation with around one million members is approximately 26,000 Swiss Francs (CHF).
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In general matters, only Active members may vote, each holding 1 (one) vote. In financial matters such as membership and admission fees, annual accounts and budget (AoA Art. 11.3), both Active and Associate members may vote, with voting rights weighted by federation membership size as set out in the voting scale table.
Scale | Numbers of Members | Membership Fees (CHF) | ||
From | To | Minimum | Maximum | |
1 | 1 | 150 | 535 | 860 |
2 | 151 | 300 | 861 | 1380 |
3 | 301 | 1000 | 1381 | 2330 |
4 | 1001 | 4000 | 2331 | 3740 |
5 | 4001 | 16000 | 3741 | 5950 |
6 | 16001 | 65000 | 5951 | 9600 |
7 | 65001 | 250000 | 9601 | 15000 |
8 | 250001 | 1000000 | 15001 | 24000 |
9 | 1000001 | 2000000 | 24001 | 26000 |
10 | 2000001 | 26000 | 26000 |
UIAA Membership Application –
Timeline & Procedure
Membership to the UIAA is a decision of the General Assembly (GA), which is held once a year, normally in late October.
Phase 1: Application Process
- Step 1: Submit application Complete the online form.
- Step 2: Interview Online interview with UIAA Executive Board member and your UIAA Continental Representative.
- Step 3: Management Board review UIAA Management Board reviews your application and makes a recommendation to the GA.
- Step 4: Application fee 500 CHF invoice issued (credited toward first-year membership if approved).
Phase 2: General Assembly Decision
- Step 5: Attend GA You’re invited to the General Assembly where the vote takes place.
- Step 6: Present to GA Deliver a short presentation on your federation and why you’re joining (format: video, slides, or Q&A — we’ll advise).
- Step 7: Vote GA votes on your admission based on Management Board recommendation.
- Step 8: Membership begins If approved, membership starts 1 January of the following year.
Interested in becoming a member?