This practical tool aims to support Member States in applying the concept of membership of particular social group (MPSG) as one of the 1951 Geneva Convention grounds of persecution in the examination process of applications for international protection. This soft convergence tool provides guidance in applying the same legal criteria and common standards when determining who qualifies for international protection. The guide provides a set of principles and their application, structured in four main parts: legal basis of the concept of MPSG; legal analysis of the MPSG definition; the nexus between MPSG and presence or absence of persecution; commonly encountered profiles for which MPSG might be considered.