Renewals FAQs

Membership renewal invitations are sent two months prior to your membership expiry date, with details of existing subscriptions and membership option (e.g. Chartership) and how to pay.

When this period ends, we offer a generous 'grace period', during which members can still renew their membership and regain access to their membership benefits.

The grace period for renewing membership will end six months after the expiry date. This final deadline is set in accordance with the Society's Regulations.

If your membership expired less than 12 months ago, please contact our membership team to discuss your options by emailing membership@geolsoc.org.uk or calling +44 (0)207 434 9944 (Mon–Fri 9.30am-5pm).

If your membership expired over 12 months ago, you will need to re-apply using our online form and be re-elected.

If you are unable to access MyGSL, you may need to reset your password. Select 'Login', then 'Forgotten Password'.

Enter your email address and select 'Request Password Reset'. You will receive an email with instructions on how to set a new password.

Still unable to login? Please contact membership@geolsoc.org.uk to ensure that we have your correct email address on record.

• Read about benefits of membership
• Read about Fellows' access to the Lyell Collection

You can update your address, name and other details in MyGSL. If you would like to speak to someone about changes, please contact membership@geolsoc.org.uk 

You can manage your journal choices within MyGSL. To talk to someone about changing your subscription details, please contact membership@geolsoc.org.uk

You can sign up to receive emails alerting you to the publication of each new issue in the Lyell Collection.

Find out more on the Fellows Access page.

The Geological Society's owned and co-owned journals moved to electronic-only publication from January 2021. This means that the Journal of the Geological Society, Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, Petroleum Geoscience, Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis and Geo-Energy are now only available online.

The removal of print will be accompanied by a move to a continuous publication model that will allow the authoritative version of articles to be published more quickly. Alongside modernisation of the Society's publications and improvements to author service, there are compelling environmental reasons to cease printing journals and so help to reduce the Society's carbon footprint.

Print copies will continue to be produced for other journal titles and books, including Geological Society of London Special Publications.

Information on how to access your chosen online journal(s) can be found on our Fellows' access page.

Email the Society at renewals@geolsoc.org.uk. If your payment method is Direct Debit, you should do this immediately so we can stop your instalment(s) from being collected.

A comprehensive list of all membership fees can be found on the membership fees page.

You may need to update your personal details in MyGSL to ensure that you do not receive an incorrect invoice.

You may also have been sorted into a new price category according to our membership fee structure.

Fees for 2025 are calculated using your employment status and the year in which you completed your first degree in Earth sciences or related subject. Where we do not hold this information, we automatically apply the full membership fee (£247).

If the information we hold is incorrect, please email renewals@geolsoc.org.uk.

You can find out more about fee categories on our fees page.

Retired Fellows fees will no longer be automatically applied based on age. Fellows will be able to apply for the reduced retired member rate if they are retired and not offering services (on a professional level), irrespective of their age.

If you are retired and not offering services, you are eligible for a discount. To apply the discount, please update your employment status in MyGSL to 'retired and not offering services', then email renewals@geolsoc.org.uk to request an updated payment link.

More information about the retired Fellow rate can be found on the membership fees page.

We can offer the following reduced fees for Fellows:

• Income less than £25K - £87
• Income less than £10K - £50
• Fellows on maternity leave (first year only) - £0

Please email renewals@geolsoc.org.uk with your details and income if appropriate.

If you are retired and no longer practising, you may qualify for a reduced CGeol fee (£23).

Please update your employment status in MyGSL and email renewals@geolsoc.org.uk requesting a change to your renewal invoice.

If you are a Direct Debit payer, please email at least 15 days before the first collection date.

Please contact renewals@geolsoc.org.uk.

Please add a note to tell us what you are studying, where you are studying (including the department) and the date you expect to finish.

Yes, you will receive a receipt by email. This will normally be sent once your payment is processed, to the email address attached to your membership.

Please contact the membership team with your new account details at least 15 days prior to the collection date.

Please contact the membership team with your new account details at least 15 days prior to the collection date.

We are working towards aligning your first Direct Debit renewal payment to the start of your membership, which needs to be done in two stages. Last year, we moved the first collection from 10 November to 5 December. This year, we are moving to 1 January, which will align to the start of your membership.