The Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA) has opened its membership to eligible managing general agents, insurers and suppliers based outside the UK and Ireland, according to Insurance Business, a change that matters to association and institute professionals as a national trade body widens its membership while keeping its regulatory support national.

The MGAA is the trade association for managing general agents in the UK and Ireland, representing more than 500 organisations, according to Insurance Business. 

Insurance Business reported that the MGAA will consider applicants with a genuine interest in the UK and Irish markets, including established MGAs, insurers, suppliers and businesses considering setting up or buying an MGA there. Members will gain access to its community, market insight, events and networking, while regulatory and compliance support stays focused on the UK and Ireland.

The association said the move reflects the increasingly international nature of delegated underwriting, as reported by Insurance Business.

Mike Keating, chief executive of the MGAA, said in a statement reported by Insurance Business, “The MGA market is increasingly international, and we regularly hear from organisations outside the UK and Ireland that want to engage with our community.”

The change follows overseas capital moving into UK specialty insurance rather than a search for new members alone.

Specialty targets, including MGAs and Lloyd’s brokers, accounted for 28 per cent of UK insurance distribution deals by volume in 2026 but more than 85 per cent of deal value, according to M&A adviser MarshBerry. MarshBerry also said buyers this year have included overseas acquirers as well as private equity and domestic broking consolidators.

For the sector, an association that admits overseas members gives international buyers and capacity providers a direct route into its community, and gives UK members wider access to potential partners. For the sector’s trade bodies specifically, limiting regulatory support to home markets keeps the core service tied to its original members while the membership broadens.

Whether international members add capacity and distribution relationships for UK and Irish MGAs, rather than diluting the community’s focus, will indicate how far associations can open their membership across the sector.