Membership of Students' Union UCL gives you access to our clubs, societies, networks, many of our events and volunteering, and our other services. It is available by default to all current UCL students for free (though individual events and group memberships may have their own costs). 

As a student, you will be presented with a choice to join the Union during enrolment or re-enrolment. 

If you remember opting in then but don't have the ability to e.g. join clubs and societies when logged in to the Union website with your UCL account, it is likely there is merely a delay in the Union receiving data from UCL.

If you don't know if you opted in or not, or opted out but would like to opt in now, you can manage that via Portico - see below.

Please note:

  • This only applies to current UCL students.  If you are one of the following categories, you will need to apply for Visiting & Associate Membership:
    • if you are a visiting student from another University such as Dauphine Paris or NYU,
    • if you are a UCL staff member,
    • if you are on a short (non-degree) course,
    • if you are at the Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE),
    • or otherwise not a current student.
  • Make sure you have completed your enrolment/re-enrolment steps and are fully enrolled. We will not get confirmation of your student status until you have. You also may not be able to opt-in if you have time-limited enrolment.
  • You must be logged in with your UCL account when using our website to get member access.
  • It can take several days for you to become a member, because we are sent your data from UCL once you have opted in and have to wait for it to be received to confirm your student status.
  • Click here to read the Union's governing documents.
  • Click here to read the Union's data protection policy

Opting in to Union membership 

  1. Visit Portico and log in with your UCL sign-on.

  2. Visit the 'Students' Union UCL Membership & Information Sharing' section of your 'My Portico' page:

    'Students Union UCL Membership & Information Sharing' image on the right hand side of My Portico

  3. The page will tell you your current opt-in status. If you are opted in but cannot e.g. join clubs and societies, wait a few days and then let us know via our Contact Us form and we will check on your status.

  4. If you need to opt in, you will see an opt in button to opt in:

    Opt In button is the primary button on the page if you are opted out

Opting out of Union membership

Follow the instructions for opting in above, but you will see an 'Opt out' button.

Note that this will prevent the Union from providing its services to you automatically. 

I can't see either of these options

Please make sure you have checked carefully. If you are sure, you can request a manual opt in by checking this box and providing some details.

You must log in with a UCL account to submit this form.