Engineers Australia has established mutual recognition agreements (MRA) with engineering bodies around the world. If you’re a member of a reciprocal organisation, the MRA allows you to join Engineers Australia at an equivalent level of membership. You can also apply for the Chartered credential through this arrangement and in some cases join the National Engineering Register.
Under the MRA, formal academic qualifications must be recognised by both bodies under the Washington, Sydney or Dublin Accords. If your academic qualification isn’t accepted under one of the accords, you might need to complete a competency assessment.
Reciprocal organisations
Engineers Australia has MRAs in place in the following countries.
The MRA with Japan is a joint one between The Institution of Professional Engineers, Japan (IPEJ) and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
The Chartered Institution of Building Engineers (CIBSE)
The Institution of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST)
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS)
The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA)
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) – membership only
The Texas Board of Professional Engineers (TBPE) – membership only
How to apply
If your organisation is listed and your qualification is recognised by Engineers Australia, create an account and apply via the EA member portal.
You’ll need copies of the following documents to upload with your application:
- primary piece of identification, such as a passport photo page, current driver licence or copy of your birth certificate
- degree certificate (testamur) or previous assessment letter from us
- academic transcript
- current CV or resume
- membership number with the reciprocal organisation
- proof of Chartered status or registration with the reciprocal organisation
- evidence that you’re in good financial standing with the reciprocal organisation.
If you’re applying for Chartered or Registered credentials, you’ll also need to provide evidence of a minimum 150 hours of CPD over the previous three years.
Application outcome
Your application will take about four weeks to process to allow for a response from the overseas engineering body. You’ll receive an email when your application has been processed.
When you receive the acceptance email, you’ll need to login to your account on the member portal and pay the fee. Your membership won’t start until you pay the fee.
Learn more about becoming a member and membership fees.
If you have any questions about membership through MRA, please contact us.