Mutual recognition

If you currently hold one of the professional qualifications listed below, then you can apply directly for the equivalent grade of ICE membership and Engineering Council registration provided you achieved this by the standard route with a review or interview and not on the basis of recognition or transfer from another institution.

Please note: If you qualify with us by mutual recognition, you will not be able to use your title as the basis for registration with other engineering institutions or to use ICE's protected titles 'Chartered Civil Engineer' or 'Chartered Infrastructure Engineer'. If those options are important to you, you can choose to qualify with us directly by Professional Review and we will accept your professionally qualified status in lieu of completion of our own initial professional development. 

If you would like to know more about this option, please contact [email protected].

Creating an ICE account

Before you start, you will need an ICE account number. If you don’t already have one, please create a non-member account by registering with MyICE. This will enable you to make payments online and access information on our website tailored to your particular interests. You will find your account number within “My Profile” in your MyICE account.

When setting up your account, we will ask you submit your diversity data as part of an institution wide programme to monitor how well we represent and support our diverse members and applicants. That information will only be used in an aggregated form, and you will never be individually identifiable. You can opt to decline to answer each or any of the questions if you wish.

The application process

You should submit your application by one of the advertised deadlines.

We will process your application within one month and confirm if your application is complete and ready for assessment. If there is any missing information we will tell you and will not proceed with the assessment until it has been received.

The assessment itself may then take up to three months. During this time your name will be published on our Admission Procedure 3 list for 28 days, to notify others of your application for membership.

All applications for recognition are assessed for admission by ICE’s Exemption & Recognition Panel, who are qualified Members and experienced ICE Reviewers. They meet regularly throughout the year.

Once your application has been assessed, you will receive a decision letter by email from the Panel.

• If your application is successful you will be approved for membership and admitted following payment of your subscription fees. Providing you select the tick-box on the application form, your name will be published as a newly qualified member on our pass list and subsequently on the New Civil Engineer website.
• If your application is not successful we will explain why, and you may be invited either to provide more information or to attend an interview at a mutually convenient date and time. If you are ultimately unsuccessful after those steps and wish to appeal, you should follow our Appeals guidance.

What do I need to submit?

Please submit your application and supporting documents in one PDF document, no larger than 10mb, via the application portal, if you experience any problems please email us at [email protected].

The PDF document must include the following:

• Application form. Please complete a recognition application form so we have your details.
• Evidence of your professional experience in the field of civil engineering. Please provide a statement of no more than 1000 words describing your professional experience in the field of civil engineering. Please ensure your statement describes how your professional experience shows you have the knowledge and abilities defined by seven ICE attributes of a civil engineering professional registered in the UK. This must be countersigned by your lead sponsor.
• A copy of your CV. Your CV should be no more than 4 pages in length. It will be used to put your statement of professional experience in context.
• Copies of your academic qualifications. Please provide copies of your academic qualifications. We will cross check that information with your home institution, along with the membership / registration details given in the application form and may ask for clarification or information if required.
• Your CPD records. Maintaining professional competence through continuing professional development (CPD) is fundamental to ICE membership. Please submit an up-to-date copy of your CPD records with your application. We are happy to receive them in the format specified by your home institution. If your home institution does not require CPD, can you please submit a professional development record (PDR) for the past year and a 12-month development action plan (DAP). Please refer to our CPD guidance, which includes templates for your DAP and PDR.

In addition, ICE’s admission regulations require all candidates for professionally qualified membership to be supported by two sponsors. Please see the application form and the relevant sponsor statement of support for more details. Your sponsors will need to send their completed forms directly to [email protected].”

Application and membership fees

You will need to pay a mutual recognition application fee when you submit your application. Please refer to our application fees page for the current fee and the link to make that payment.

If your application is successful, we will ask you to pay the relevant ICE membership subscription fee and Engineering Council registration fee. Please refer to our subscription fees page.

Find out more about ICE membership fees

Begin your application

We hope the information above provides what you need to begin your application. If you do have questions, ICE's membership recruitment team (MRT) are available to help - find your local MRT contact details at www.ice.org.uk/nearyou or email [email protected] if you would like to discuss the application process in more detail.

When you are ready, you can start your application today by downloading the application form.

Start your application