Honorary Membership may be awarded to members who have made an outstanding contribution to the Society over an extended period and who are active proponents in fostering the aims of NZMS and microbiology in New Zealand. Honorary Members have all the rights, privileges and obligations of ordinary members, for life, and without the payment of annual subscriptions.

Honorary Membership may be nominated from time to time. The following excert from the Society's constitution explains the process of election:

"Any member may nominate any other person who has given service of outstanding merit to New Zealand microbiology for election as an honorary member. Such nomination shall be considered by the Executive Committee and if approved by a two-thirds majority of such Committee shall be submitted for election at a general meeting of the Society and shall be declared elected if a two-thirds majority at such a meeting vote in favour. Honorary members shall be entitled to all the privileges of ordinary membership for life and without payment of annual dues."

The society currently has a number of Honorary Members. The following list of Honorary Members of the Society gives links to information about their respective contribution to the history of our society. This information was kindly collated and provided by the authors of "The first 50 years: a brief history of the New Zealand Microbiological Society" (by Terry Maguire, Frank Austin, Sandy Smith and John Tagg)