Membership

The AVA membership year runs from 1 July to 30 June. Renew by 31 July to keep your benefits active without interruption.

AVA membership is open to any veterinary professional — registered veterinarians working across clinical practice, specialist care, government, research, industry, academia and beyond; allied professionals including veterinary nurses, technologists, practice managers, researchers and veterinary students enrolled in an accredited Australian degree. If you work in this profession in any capacity, there is a place for you here.

Allied professional members can choose any paid tier and access most of the same benefits as veterinarian members. Every tier includes all 19+ Special Interest Group communities, the AVA Member Hub, the Australian Veterinary Journal, national news, 24/7 counselling and wellbeing support, and a voice in AVA advocacy.

If you are considering All Access, you also unlock event discounts saving $400 or more per conference, exclusive education partner discounts, on-demand webinars and learning, HR and business advice, and the full resource library.

Veterinarian-only clinical tools and programs such as ACV Preg Check and Bull Check are not available to allied professional members as these are exclusively for veterinarians, in keeping with the AVA Constitution and are managed through the membership system automatically. Please also note that within the AVA Member Hub and SIG communities there are some veterinarian-only spaces and discussions.

If you are not sure which tier suits you, contact us at members@ava.com.au and we will help you find the right option for your needs and life stage.

The simplest way to think about it is: what do you need, and what do you attend?
All Access is right for you if you’re in active practice, attend AVA events or conferences, or rely on clinical tools in your day-to-day work. The Event Advantage discount saves $400 or more per event, so attending even one conference typically covers the price difference between All Access and Flexi.

Early career vets get significant discounts on All Access to make sure cost is never a barrier in the years when professional support matters most. If you graduated in the last three years you pay 70% off the standard rate, and in years four and five you pay 45% off. The full All Access benefits are included at every discount level.

Flexi suits members working part-time, on parental leave, or in government, academic or industry roles. You get the key practical tools including webinars, HR advice and Career Connect, without paying for benefits you might not need right now.

Connected is the right fit if you’re on a career break, retiring or working overseas. You stay in the community, keep your advocacy voice and maintain your professional identity.

Student membership is free for the full duration of your veterinary degree.

You know your circumstances best, so have a look at the full benefits and choose what fits. If you’re not sure, contact us and we’ll help you work it out.

Yes. Every member — across all tiers — can join any of AVA’s 19+ Special Interest Groups at no extra cost. Every member in every SIG gets access to the online community, member directory, news and reference resources.

What you can access within a SIG grows with your tier:

• Flexi and All Access members also get webinar recordings and SIG journals in digital format
• All Access members unlock the full suite: conference proceedings, accreditation, apps and digital tools, print journals , significant event discounts and more
• If you’re on Connected and regularly want webinars or SIG journals, that’s a good sign Flexi is worth a look. If you’re on Flexi and want conference proceedings or accreditations like BULLCHECK, All Access opens that up.

Please note that some SIG tools, programs and accreditations such as BullCheck and Preg Check are available to veterinarian members only, regardless of tier.

AVA wants to make sure cost is never a barrier to having the support, community and tools you need early in your career. New graduates receive a significant discount on All Access — AVA’s most comprehensive tier.

• Years one to three post-graduation: 70% off All Access, just $266 per year
• Years four to five post-graduation: 45% off All Access, just $488 per year

All Access gives you the full suite: clinical tools, unlimited CPD, webinars, SIG communities, the AVA Journal, EBSCO database, HR support, 24/7 counselling, Career Connect and Event Advantage pricing on conferences and events.

Your discount applies automatically when you join. 

Members holding Fellow, Honorary or Life Complementary status receive All Access membership at no charge. Nothing changes for you — your status and full access continue as before.

Under the new membership model, Life (retired) members are recommended to transition to the Connected tier at $266 per year — a saving of $43 or more on your current rate. Plus, you now get access to any of AVA’s SIG communities, so you can stay close to the corners of the profession you care most about.
Your decades of contribution to veterinary practice deserve recognition. As a thank you for your long-standing commitment to the profession, you’ll also receive an exclusive discount code to unlock the Event Advantage rate at AVA conferences and events (saving $400+).

Regardless of which tier you choose, every AVA member gets access to the following from the moment they join:

• All 19+ Special Interest Groups online community, member directory, news and events* 
• AVA’s national advocacy and policy input — your voice in the profession’s future
• 24/7 telephone counselling and wellness support for you and your household
• Mental health resources and THRIVE wellbeing programs and events
• National news and communications from the profession’s peak body
• AVA Member Hub — the national online community and member directory
• Leadership and governance opportunities across the AVA
• Emergency and disaster response resources and communications
• AVA Benevolent Fund access
• Australian Veterinary Journal (AVJ)
• Technical policies and other resources, help guides and fact sheets

*note special event discount pricing for SIG conferences is only available to All Access members

What you need depends on your membership category:

• Veterinarians: your state or territory veterinary board registration number, university and graduation date
• Allied professionals: a short application letter outlining your role in the  veterinary business supported by a veterinarian
• Students: your personal email, university and expected graduation year

Membership activates immediately on joining. You have instant access to all your tier benefits from the moment your application is confirmed.

You can pay annually online or over the phone using credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Annual membership can also be paid in monthly instalments — the total cost is the same as paying upfront and monthly payments are a 12-month commitment.

Monthly instalments are not available when joining mid-membership year.

You can upgrade at any time during the year — contact the AVA member services team, pay the difference between tiers and your new benefits start immediately for the remainder of the membership year.

Downgrades take effect at your next renewal date only. Mid-year downgrades and refunds are not available.

If you are joining AVA for the first time and part-way through the membership year, we will be able to arrange bonus months to ensure you get a full year of value, as we do not offer pro-rata membership.

If you have ever held AVA membership before and are reactivating, standard annual pricing applies from the date you rejoin. Bonus months, pro-rata and discounted catch-up rates are not available for returning members.

Payment for all mid-year joins is upfront annually. Monthly instalments are not available when joining mid-year.

Yes — welcome back. As you have been an AVA member before, standard annual pricing applies from the date you rejoin. Bonus months, pro-rata and discounted catch-up rates are not available for members who have previously held a membership.

AVA membership is an annual commitment and is non-refundable. Members on monthly payment plans are committing to the full annual amount.