Membership Categories

The BDA offers the following types of membership: Full, International, Student, Affiliate, Associate and Alliance.

Full Membershipdietitian working with elderly man

To become a full member of the BDA you need to be, or have been, eligible for registration as a Dietitian in the UK. This means you will be either currently registered with the Health Professions Council, (HPC) previously registered or can demonstrate that you are eligible through education and training in the UK.

If you wish to apply for full membership, you should download the Full Membership Application form and return along with proof of eligibility for UK Registration to: The Membership Coordinator, The British Dietetic Association, 5th Floor, Charles House, 148/9 Great Charles Street Queensway, Birmingham B3 3HT.

International Members

This category has been developed to encourage sharing of nutrition and dietetic practice across the world.  If you:

  1. have undertaken recognised education and training in nutrition and dietetics overseas, and
  2. are not currently registered in the UK and are not practising in the UK, and
  3. are a full member of a dietetic association recognised by ICDA or EFAD or a member of a dietetics association which has similar aims to the BDA,

you are eligible for International Membership. 

If you are in this category and you obtain HPC registration to work in the UK, you must transfer to the full member category. 

If you are a UK trained Dietitian working overseas and a full member of the association of the country in which you practise, you can retain BDA full membership or become an international member.

You need to be aware that International Members cannot vote and professional indemnity insurance/Trade Union support is not included.

If you wish to apply for international membership, you should download the International Membership Application form and return along with proof of eligibility to: The Membership Coordinator, The British Dietetic Association, 5th Floor, Charles House, 148/9 Great Charles Street Queensway, Birmingham B3 3HT.

Student Membership

Dietitian measuring a childTo become a Student Member you need to be studying for a degree, postgraduate diploma or MSc in dietetics at an approved institution, which, when you qualify, leads to eligibility to be registered as a Dietitian with the Health Professions Council.

If you wish to join as a Student member you will need to download the Student Membership Application Form. Once you have completed this form you will need to have it signed by your course tutor or if on placement by the Head of the Dietetic Department where you are placement. Then send this along with a cheque for your Student Subscription to: The Membership Coordinator, The British Dietetic Association, 5th Floor, Charles House, 148/9 Great Charles Street Queensway, Birmingham B3 3HT.

Affiliate Membership

This category is open to:

  1. nutritionists who have undertaken a recognised degree in nutrition;
  2. dietitians trained overseas who are not eligible to be an International member; or
  3. UK citizens undertaking full training as a dietitian overseas.

If you would like to apply for Affiliate Membership, please download the Affiliate Application form and return to The Membership Coordinator, The British Dietetic Association, 5th Floor, Charles House, 148/9 Great Charles Street Queensway, Birmingham B3 3HT.

Associate Membership.

dietitian at workAssociate membership is open to anyone who is:

  1. a dietetic support worker working under the direct supervision of a dietitian;
  2. a nutritionist with a recognised nutrition degree working in a Nutrition and Dietetic Service with dietetic supervision or management, or
  3. a SENr registrant.  

If you are eligible for registration with the HPC through UK training and education, you will not be eligible for Associate membership and must be a full member.

If you would like to apply for Associate Membership, please download the Associate Membership Application form for Dietetic Assistants and return to The Membership Coordinator, The British Dietetic Association, 5th Floor, Charles House, 148/9 Great Charles Street Queensway, Birmingham B3 3HT.

For further information and an application pack, please e-mail your name and address to Membership Coordinator or telephone 0121 200 8067.

Alliance member

dietitian working with hospital staffThis membership is available to anyone with an occupational interest in nutrition and dietetics, who supports the aims of the British Dietetic Association and who is not eligible for membership in any other category. This would include food workers not supervised by a dietitian; catering managers and staff in any setting including health, care, schools, prisons, hospitality; doctors; nurses; Allied Health Professionals; food scientists or technologists; public health or health promotion staff or health trainers.

If you are in doubt then please apply for membership so we can consider your suitability.

If you would like to apply for Alliance Membership, please download the Alliance Membership Application form and return to The Membership Coordinator, The British Dietetic Association, 5th Floor, Charles House, 148/9 Great Charles Street Queensway, Birmingham B3 3HT.

Non-Practising Category

The Non-Practising Category of subscription was introduced in 1999 to enable existing full members to retain membership of the British Dietetic Association and keep themselves up-to-date with current information while taking a break from working.

As with all BDA subscriptions, the membership year for non-practising begins on 1 March. You will need to be accepted onto this category prior to the 1 March, as members cannot change onto this category part way through a membership year.

The non-practising form should be completed fully, and state exactly the reason you feel you may be eligible to pay this reduced rate. Please refer to the form itself for the criteria you need to meet to be eligible to pay the reduced category. The non practising form is sent out annually in the November Dietetics Today and is also available on the web site. This category is only available to existing full BDA members.