Membership terms and conditions of the Antwerp ZOO Society (Koninklijke Maatschappij voor Dierkunde Antwerpen, hereinafter referred to as KMDA)
Article 1: ZOO membership
A person is a member of KMDA if he/she is in possession of a validly issued membership card in his/her name for a period of one year. The membership price is set by the KMDA management.
Any person who is 18 years of age or older can be registered as a member of KMDA and can choose between a personal or a family membership. Children between the ages of 3 and 17 can be registered as a member of KMDA if one of his/her parents has concluded a membership agreement with an annual family contribution and he/she lives at the same address and is unmarried. Children under the age of 3 have free access to the parks (Antwerp ZOO, Planckendael ZOO).
1.1. ZOO membership with annual personal contribution
A ZOO membership, and by extension a membership card, is strictly personal. A membership card is registered in the name of the member, and also features a photograph.
It is strictly forbidden to let any other person use this personal card.
1.2. ZOO membership with annual family contribution
A membership card is issued to the name of the family members who, in accordance with this article, are covered by the family membership. A family includes parents and unmarried children aged under 18 (on the date when the membership was purchased). Unmarried children aged 18 or older residing at the same address (and who are themselves childless) can only take part in the family membership subject to payment of an additional annual contribution (*) set by the management.
An unmarried brother, sister, father, mother, grandchild or au-pair of the member, officially living at the same address, can also enjoy the benefits of the family membership subject to payment of an additional annual contribution (*) set by the management. In this case, an extract of family composition must be presented. Each family member covered by the family membership who is older than 3 years will receive a personal membership card with a photo.
The purchaser of a membership for minor children is expected to have parental authority over these children.
It is strictly forbidden to let any other person use this personal card.
(*) On 1 January 2023, this contribution was €50 per person.
Remark
Divorced or no longer cohabiting couples have the option to purchase a family membership which will also cover their unmarried children, under the age of 18, who do NOT live at their address, but at the address of their ex-partner (see 1.3.c below). This is possible on presentation of the child’s birth certificate or a marriage booklet. Every child aged 3 or older will receive a personal membership card featuring his/her photo.
Please note that the former spouse CANNOT be included in the family membership; the family membership will be granted to one of the two partners. The membership will only be adapted to the new family situation at the end of the period of validity. This shall be done at the request of one of the partners. Personal disputes do not fall under the responsibility of KMDA. The other partner will be able to purchase his or her own individual or family membership.
1.3.a Membership for persons aged 60 or older
To be eligible for the reduced rate for persons aged 60 or older, the following conditions must be met:
• If this concerns a family membership, one of the partners (married or officially cohabiting couple) must have reached the age of 60 on the day of purchase;
• If this concerns an individual membership, the individual must have reached the age of 60 on the day of purchase.
1.3.b Membership for persons with a disability
To be eligible for the reduced rate for persons with a disability, at least one member of this person’s family must be in possession of a European Disability Card.
KMDA is entitled to request a copy of this card for the purposes of inspection and confirmation of the disabled person’s status as such. This copy will be destroyed within 14 days of the purchase of the membership card.
1.3.c ZOO membership for single-parent families
In order to be eligible for the reduced rate for single-parent families, the following conditions have to be met: the account master must be single, divorced, widow/widower or one of the partners renounces his/her membership.
The person who buys a membership for minor children is expected to have parental authority over these children.
1.3.d ZOO membership for foster families or adoption families
In order to qualify for the foster family membership, the following conditions apply:
Only children who were officially allocated by the court or the youth centre to a family, for a period of at least 50 days per year, can also enjoy the benefits of the membership. It is sufficient for the foster or adoption family to present an official certificate issued to the name of the child assigned to them;
Every time a new child is adopted or accepted into a foster family, new proof must be presented;
Care homes or other institutions are not eligible for a foster family subscription (=adoption), only families.
The purchaser of a membership for minor children is expected to exercise parental authority or have foster (or other) custody over these children.
1.3.e ZOO membership for students
In order to be eligible for a student membership (*) the following conditions apply: students are defined as anyone between 18 and 25 years of age who can present proof of enrolment at an educational institution for the current academic year.
The content of the student membership is identical to the individual membership, except for the extra benefits, received by the renewer under certain conditions.
A student membership cannot be combined with other special deals, promotional activities or benefits. KMDA is entitled to request a copy of the proof of enrolment for the purposes of inspection and confirmation of the student’s status as such. This copy will be destroyed within one month of the purchase of the student membership card.
(*) On 1 January 2023, the price of a student membership was €50.
1.4. Commencement of the membership
A ZOO membership is always concluded for one year, not necessarily coinciding with the calendar year. The management is entitled to set the membership start date. All memberships purchased after 01/04/2013 are valid for 365 days as of the day of purchase.
1.5. Shareholder memberships
A person is considered to be a shareholder member if he/she is the holder of a paid membership and at least one share in NV KMDA Onroerend Patrimonium. The share must be registered or deposited at KMDA. The KMDA management will include a statement of shareholdership on the membership card. A shareholder member is allowed to bring along two persons to Antwerp ZOO or Planckendael ZOO free of charge during normal opening hours, to which a maximum applies of 10 persons per calendar year.
A shareholder’s invitees must always be accompanied by the shareholder. Neither a spouse nor a member of the shareholder’s family can act in the place of the shareholder member.
1.6. Theft or loss of a membership card
Should a membership card be lost, a duplicate can be requested for which a fee will apply as set by the management (**).
In case of theft, a duplicate can be obtained free of charge upon presentation of the official police report.
(**) On 1 January 2023, this fee amounted to €5.
1.7. Abuse
In case of abuse of the membership card (e.g. allowing another person to use it) it will be irrevocably withdrawn without entitlement to a pro rata reimbursement of the remaining period.
The management is always entitled to exclude a member from membership if he/she has performed acts contrary to the interests of the association. No justification shall be required for this decision.
1.8. Death
In the event of the death of a member, his/her membership will be terminated. A pro rata refund of his/her contribution can be requested for the period remaining after this person’s demise.
A deceased person’s membership can be transferred to and continued by one of his/her heirs, provided the membership contribution is adjusted in accordance with the current membership conditions.
1.9. Use of the membership card
Every member is required to show his/her membership card to the access control staff in order to gain access to the park at every visit. The first time a member forgets his/her membership card, a free entrance ticket will be provided by KMDA. If a member forgets his/her membership card again within a 365-day period, this member will be required to buy an entrance ticket at the price set by the management (***).
(***) On 1 January 2023, the price for an entrance ticket for member who has a forgotten his/her membership card was €5.
1.10 Photos on membership cards
For a membership card to be valid, it must feature a photograph of the relevant member. This photo can be a copy of the photo on this person’s identity card. The purpose of this photo is to be able to identify the ZOO member. This photo will be kept by KMDA but will not be distributed among external parties. The photo will be retained by KMDA for the duration of the membership plus a subsequent period of 5 years. Upon expiration of this retention period, KMDA will proceed to erase the photo.
1.11. Discounts for business members
KMDA concludes agreements with a number of employers through which their employees are entitled to a discount upon purchase of a ZOO membership. To receive this discount, employees must complete a form made available by their employer. KMDA will retain this form for 2 years following the purchase, after which it will be destroyed. Additionally, KMDA will provide the employer with this form for the purpose of consultation at the employer’s demand.
KMDA will never provide a refund for the value of this discount on an existing membership. A business discount must be requested prior to the purchase of this membership.
To be eligible for a business discount, the employee entitled to the discount must be included in the membership. The business discount is strictly personal. It cannot be passed on to friends or family members, nor can it be applied to two individual memberships within the same family.
Article 2: Benefits
1. Persons with a valid membership card have daily free access to the parks (Antwerp ZOO, Planckendael ZOO) during the term of their membership on every day that the parks are open (currently 365 days a year), except in case of force majeure, during the hours set down by the management (as posted at the entrance gate and additionally on www.zooantwerpen.be and www.planckendael.be). Access to nocturnal events or events outside normal opening hours is not included.
2. Persons with a valid membership card can also take part in the events organised for them in the different rooms (concerts, lectures, films, etc.). For some of these initiatives, an additional contribution has to be paid, which is determined by the management. More detailed information is also provided on the website or on MyZoo.
3. A membership card may also entitle the holder to additional benefits. These benefits are listed on www.zooantwerpen.be and www.planckendael.be. KMDA is not responsible for any changes to the content or duration of benefits offered by external partners.
4. Grandparent members can take their grandchildren aged 3 to 17 to the ZOO by purchasing a special “grandchildren’s card” which can be used for 10 visits. The price of this card is determined by the management (****). This grandchildren’s card is valid exclusively for Antwerp ZOO and Planckendael ZOO. All grandchildren must be accompanied by their grandparents at all times. This card is not valid for godchildren, nieces or nephews. It is reserved exclusively for a card holder’s grandchildren. All children under the age of 3 can enter the parks free of charge.
5. Benefits in the shops and in the restaurants of Antwerp ZOO and Planckendael ZOO are subject to presentation of a valid membership card.
(****) On 1 January 2023, this contribution amounted to €75.
Article 3: Data protection laws
KMDA will comply with all applicable data protection laws, whether national, European or international, for all personal data received.
Personal data is taken to mean all information about an identified or identifiable natural person. An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by means of an identifier (name, identification number, location data, an online identifier or one or more elements specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, psychological, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person).
For the purposes of data protection law, consent will be requested from the holder of parental responsibility for the lawful processing of personal data. This only applies to children under 16 years of age. If the child is over 16 years of age, his/her consent to lawful processing shall be sufficient.
Personal data is collected in order to guarantee optimal use of a membership card. This data will be retained for up to 5 years as from the membership’s expiration date. After this period, KMDA will anonymise this personal data.
If an account was created by the member at the time of purchase, the member’s personal data will be retained for up to 2 months as from the date on which the account was deleted by the member. After this period, KMDA will anonymise this personal data.
Every member has the right at any time to access his/her personal data, as well as to correct, limit, supplement or delete his/her personal data, free of charge.
Every member may object to the processing of his/her personal data for serious and legitimate reasons if KMDA has no legal or public interest in the processing. KMDA can always be contacted at the following email address: privacy@kmda.org.
If you wish to file a complaint arising from a violation of your personal data, you must contact the supervisory authority. For this purpose, you can contact Data Protection Authority at Drukpersstraat 35, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, www.privacycommission.be or commission@privacycommission.be.
Article 4: Information and marketing mails
KMDA will send several informative emails to the email address provided during the membership validity period. The purpose of these informative emails is to inform members of changes in the park, parking facilities, prices, practical information, thank-you messages and so on.
KMDA will warn membership holders of the pending expiration of their membership by sending them an email several weeks prior to this expiration date. KMDA will also send persons whose membership is expired several letters following the expiration date of their membership.
Marketing emails are subject to the voluntary consent of the membership holder. Marketing emails are emails with a commercial message that are sent on a regular basis. The consent given may be withdrawn at any time without giving any reason.
Article 5: General provisions
1. The purchase of a membership implies unconditional and full acceptance of the membership terms and conditions of the association.
2. The purchase of a membership implies unconditional and full acceptance of the park regulations applicable at our parks. The park regulations can be consulted at the entrance to our parks or at www.zooantwerpen.be or www.planckendael.be.
3. Members are forbidden, unless they pay the fixed admission fee, to bring persons into the parks or the rooms if they do not have a free admission right on the basis of these regulations.
4. Inappropriate behaviour during a visit authorises the management to temporarily or permanently withdraw the right of access. Persons causing any injury or damage will be fully liable.
5. The organisation of concerts or cultural and recreational events is subject to the present circumstances and available resources. The management shall not make any commitments in this respect.
6. In the event that Antwerp ZOO or Planckendael ZOO are closed for a certain period due to force majeure, the price of the membership cannot under any circumstances be proportionally recovered.
7. For all circumstances not provided for in these regulations, the management is authorised to take all adequate measures in the interest of the Association and its members.
September 2023