No. ITU does not offer membership to individuals in any capacity. In addition to Member States, ITU offers membership solely to legal entities such as corporations, international and regional organisations, associations, and academic institutions active within the field of ICTs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
ITU Membership Eligibility
Yes, a corporation can have memberships through its subsidiaries or branches. The subsidiaries or branches must be separate legal entities to join as ITU members. They can participate in relevant ITU activities in their respective country/region, as well as global activities.
Yes. Approval of membership applications is a prerogative of Member States, and ITU is not involved in the process – except in the case of international and regional organisations. Applications that are not approved by the relevant Member State are not processed by the ITU Secretariat.
Application Process
- Determine the right participation modality (optional)
To determine the type of Membership that best fits your organisation’s needs, please contact the Membership Team (membership(at)itu.int). - Complete and submit the application form
Fill in and submit the online Application Form, then email a signed copy to membership(at)itu.int. - Obtain national administration approval
– Applications from companies, organisations and academia must be approved by the relevant national telecommunication administration (usually the relevant telecom authority or regulator) in the Member State where your organization is based.
– Once we receive your signed application, ITU will forward it to the relevant national administration for approval and copy you in the communication, so they can contact you directly if needed.
– You are also welcome to inform your national administration of your intention to join ITU or follow up on your application. A full list of national administrations is available here. - Pay the membership fee
Upon approval by the national administration, you will be asked to pay the applicable membership fee. New members must pay one year’s membership fee in advance, calculated from the first day of the month in which your membership becomes effective. (In your second year, the fee will be prorated to reflect this advance payment.) - Membership confirmation
Your ITU membership becomes effective once both the approval and payment have been received.
For your application to be valid, it must be signed by a senior official/manager, with the authority to sign legally binding agreements with third parties on behalf of your company/organisation, including payment of fees.
Applications must be approved by the relevant national administration. The timeframe may vary depending on the internal procedures of each administration. By following up on your application with your national telecommunication administration, you may help reduce delays in the approval process and start participating in ITU activities sooner.
Applications from international and regional organizations do not require approval by a Member State and are usually processed within a few weeks by the General Secretariat of ITU in Geneva (Switzerland).
Fees & Payment
Here is a guide to the cost of different types of membership. The fees vary depending on the options selected and the location/nature of the company/organisation, as outlined in our “Terms & Conditions”. For more information and/or guidance, please contact membership(at)itu.int.
| Sector | Sector Member | Associate | Academia |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITU-R (Radiocommunication) | CHF 31’800 CHF 3’9751 |
CHF 10’600 | CHF 3’975 CHF 1’987.502 |
| ITU-T (Standardization) | CHF 31’800 CHF 3’9751 |
CHF 10’600 | |
| ITU-D (Development) | CHF 7’950 CHF 3’9752 |
CHF 3’975 CHF 1’987.502 |
1 Developing Countries with annual per capita income <2,000.00 USD (UNDP), not yet joined either or both Sectors and shall not be subsidiaries of a multinational corporation with HQ in a developed country.
2 Developing Countries & LDCs
Yes. Regional and international organisations may be exempted from financial contribution subject to reciprocity and several criteria, such as being a non-profit-making organisation. The full criteria are available here.
Reduced fees are also available for members located in developing countries, as well as for companies or organizations that qualify as SMEs.
For further information, please contact membership(at)itu.int.
SMEs can participate either as Sector Members or Associates in any of ITU’s three Sectors. ITU provides for reduced fees for SMEs that wish to participate as Associates. To be eligible for these reduced fees, companies must be approved by their respective Member State as meeting national criteria for an SME. In addition, they must have fewer than 250 employees and annual revenues below CHF 15 million.
Learn more here.
Membership fees are payable in Swiss francs (CHF) and must be paid through a bank transfer upon issuing of a bill. ITU needs to receive the required funds prior to activating a new Membership.
All our contributions are invoiced in Swiss francs (CHF) and are payable in Swiss francs (CHF). Under certain exceptional circumstances, and upon prior acceptance of the ITU Financial Department (FIN-Debt(at)itu.int), we may accept US Dollars or Euros.
Membership is automatically renewed every year, with payment of fees due before 31st of March of each year. For more information, please refer to our Membership Terms and Conditions.
General Procedure
Yes, for all official correspondence relating to your membership and participation, you need to designate an official contact.
Yes, you can establish user accounts to access ITU documents for as many of your colleagues participating in ITU activities and events as required.
To change the official contact name, or contact details, please notify membership(at)itu.int.
No, it’s a standard agreement that cannot be modified.
Upon receipt of national administration approval and advanced payment for the first year of Membership.
To change your membership status, you need to notify the Membership Team at membership(at)itu.int
You will be required to sign a new Membership Agreement. This will include a recalculation of your dues for the new financial year, payable before 31st March of the year where your full membership takes effect.
Membership of ITU will tacitly be renewed each 31st March, unless official notification by the Member company/organization has been received by the ITU General Secretariat. Cancellation takes effect six months following the end of the month of the date of receipt of the official notification by the Secretary General of the ITU. Your membership can be cancelled by filling in the membership cancellation form.
