Apple extends developer membership fee exemptions to Australia, Canada and more

Apple has extended membership fee waivers for the Apple Developer Program to eight more countries.

In a post to its developer website Apple said:

We're pleased to announce that Apple Developer Program membership is now available at no cost for eligible organizations based in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mexico, and South Korea. Nonprofit organizations, accredited educational institutions, and government entities that plan to distribute only free apps on the App Store can request to have their annual membership fee waived.

Apple initially introduced fee exemptions back in 2018. Organizations can request a fee waiver based on certain conditions. On eligibility Apple states:

You can request to have the annual Apple Developer Program membership fee waived if you're a nonprofit organization, accredited educational institution, or government entity that will distribute only free apps on the App Store and is based in an eligible country. Apple will review your request and contact you to let you know whether your request is approved.

The waivers are available to both new and existing members. However, Apple does not give either full or partial refunds to existing memberships, so if an organization is already a member, they'll reap the benefit when their membership renews.

The initiative is also only available to organizations that plan to release free apps. If you release a paid app, you'll have to pay the annual fee of $99. Waivers are not available to members of the Apple Developer Enterprise Program, or individuals.

Here's a full guide on how to enroll your organization in Apple's Developer Program, and apply for fee waivers.

The news means fee waivers are now available in 13 countries in total: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China mainland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States.