EUA is an association of European universities. The geographical definition of Europe used is that of the signatory countries of the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe. EUA therefore considers applications from all universities situated within this geographical area.
The 8th EUA General Assembly held on 28 March 2008 in Barcelona has adopted new statutes for the Association. These statutes set out new membership criteria and redefine the existing membership categories. Articles 6 and 7 of the new statutes describe the membership categories.
There are 4 different types of EUA membership and the possibility of ‘affiliate’ status:
Individual Full Members
Universities shall be eligible for individual full membership. In these statutes a university is understood to be a sustainable higher education institution that conducts research and provides degree programmes at two of the three Bologna cycles (BA, MA, doctorate). An institution is deemed to:
• be sustainable if it is in receipt of direct public funding or if it has been in operation uninterruptedly for five years;
• conduct research:
- if it possesses and exercises power to award doctoral degrees in its own right or participates actively in doctoral programmes on the basis of an inter-institutional formal agreement with a doctoral degree granting EUA member which has power to award doctoral degrees in its own right
- or if it participates actively in European research programmes or peer reviewed national research programmes;
• provide degree programmes if its operations meet the requirements of national quality assurance policy within the framework of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance.
Applicant universities need a letter of recommendation from the President of the National Rectors' Conference, or, if there is no National Rectors’ Conference, from three EUA full members from three different countries, to be sent together with their application. 
Fees: In 2011, the EUA General Assembly agreed to introduce a fee structure for individual members as of 2012 that reflects a more equitable and fair contribution from members in different countries, by basing subscriptions to a greater degree on GNP per capita income by country and on the size of institutions (based on student numbers). Fees can therefore vary from the baseline fee of 2,316 Euros to 5,327 Euros depending on the member’s country and size of the institution.
This new fee structure was also introduced to ensure the association can continue to respond to the needs of a broader and more diverse membership. The charter of membership benefits, as well as the overview of events and projects 2011/2012, demonstrates our commitment to constantly improving our service to Europe’s university community.
More information on the new fee structure that will be implemented for 2012 fees is available in this document.
are higher education institutions that award degrees at the first and second cycle level, but do not meet the research criteria set out above for full individual members. Applicant institutions must be members of the collective full member in their country (National Rectors' Conference) or be supported by the collective full member and a letter of recommendation signed by the President needs to be sent together with the application. Associate individual members have the same access as individual full members to all membership services and conferences; however, associate members do not have the right to vote in EUA's General Assembly or to hold elective office. The membership fee is calculated on the same basis as for full members.
A National Rectors' Conference representing the universities of a country shall be eligible to apply for Collective Full Membership. There shall be no more than one collective full member for each country *.
European networks of universities or other higher education institutions that demonstrate a sufficiently broad European representation, as defined by the Council in its Rules of Procedure, and are relevant for EUA in meeting its aims as defined in Article 3 shall be eligible to apply for collective associate membership. National associations of other higher education institutions if recommended by the full collective member of that country, shall also be eligible to apply for collective associate membership.
are European or other organisations with an interest in European co-operation in higher education. Decision on affiliate status is taken on a case by case basis and the membership fee is 970 € . This is an opportunity for organisations committed to the same goals as EUA to become involved in EUA's work and to benefit from EUA's membership services, information, conferences and projects.