Friends FAQs

Membership team opening hours

The Membership Office phone is open Monday to Sunday, between 11am – 4pm until further notice. Please do call us on 0207 300 8090 or email friends@royalacademy.org.uk as we are here to help. The RA is operating with reduced staff during this period so our response times may be a little longer than usual.

Will I receive a refund or extension on my Friends membership during the period the RA is closed?

Friends Memberships are a charitable donation and as such are non-refundable. We are also not offering extensions to memberships during this period . In this unprecedented time, we need your help more than ever. Thank you for your continued support as a Friend.

How can I renew my current membership?

Thank you for choosing to renew. You can renew your membership online and pay by entering either your debit/credit card information or by setting up a Direct Debit. You can also renew by calling the Membership Team on 020 7300 8090 or in person at the Membership Desk at the RA.

We will send you a renewal reminder in the post a month before it’s due to expire. If you already pay for your Friends membership by Direct Debit your membership will be renewed automatically, and you will be a sent a new card before the old one expires.

How can I join as a Friend?

We would be delighted to welcome you as a new Friend. Please join online or call the Membership Team on 0207 300 8090. Alternatively, please visit the Membership Desk located in the entrance hall in Burlington House.

Can you claim Gift Aid on a Friends membership?

As a Friend, you could help us even more – at no extra cost. As an independent charity which receives no government funding, we rely on the generosity of our Friends to continue. The government’s Gift Aid scheme allows us to reclaim 25p for every £1 of your membership. And all we need is your consent (no additional payments). You will be giving as much as £30 extra to the RA. Without paying a penny! Complete your Gift Aid declaration here, you can also indicate that you would not like to give Gift Aid and we can update our records accordingly. Please note. We are unable to claim Gift Aid on Gift Memberships or Young Memberships.

Will the Friends Membership Desk be open?

Yes. Please do however contact us in advance if you have any questions about your visit. Call us on 0207 300 8090 or email friends@royalacademy.org.uk as we are here to help.

Ticket Upgrades to Friends Memberships

If you decide to become one of our new Friends on the day of your visit and you have purchased exhibition tickets, we can deduct the cost of your ticket/s from the membership fee. This can only be offered on the day of visiting and at the point of membership purchase, providing that the membership is in the name of the ticket buyer. This cannot be applied to Gifted Memberships. We can deduct up to one ticket for a Young Membership, up to two tickets for a Standard Membership and up to four tickets for a Joint Membership. Please visit the Membership desk in Burlington House if you are interested in taking up this offer. Please see our terms and conditions.

Membership transfers

We are happy to consider a transfer of a Friends membership in exceptional circumstances. Please call the Membership Team on 0207 300 8090 or email friends@royalacademy.org.uk to discuss individual circumstances.

Update your membership details

To update us with your change of postal address, email address or phone number linked to your Friends membership account.

Please login in first to your Friends Membership account, members login with your email address associated with your membership. If you are unsure which email address you have used, then please give the Membership Team a call on 0207 300 8090 or email friends@royalacademy.org.uk.

Can I visit if I don’t have my membership card?

To protect you and our staff, we do ask that all Friends remember to bring their Friends membership card with them when they visit the RA.

What should I do if I’ve lost my card?

If you have lost your card, please go to the Membership Desk, email the Friends Team at friends@royalacademy.org.uk or call 020 7300 8090 so we can issue a replacement card.

Please note that, before issuing a replacement card or a day pass, we may need to verify that you are the account holder. You can either show us some ID with your name on it, e.g. a credit card, debit card or a driver’s licence? If your request is made over the phone, then we may ask some security questions to verify your account.

How many guests can I bring?

If you hold a Standard Friend or Young Friend membership you can bring one family member into the exhibitions. Friends with Joint membership may each bring one family member.

Under 16s have free entry to the exhibitions.

The main cardholder must always be present to allow entry, as membership is non-transferable.

What does the term “Family Member” mean?

HMRC rules refer to family members, not a guest of the family. The RA can only claim Gift Aid on the whole of the membership subscription if the right of admission is restricted to the individual Friend and members of the individual’s family. Please do call the Membership Team if you require further information on this on 0207 300 8090 or email friends@royalacademy.org.uk.

Are preview days affected by the coronavirus pandemic?

During Coronavirus, we cannot guarantee entry for all Friends to attend exhibition preview days due to the social distancing we must adhere to in the galleries. Attendance at preview days will therefore be given on a first come first served basis at the time of booking.

If you need to get in touch with any other questions, find full details of how to contact us here.