ETH Card
Every student receives a personal, non-transferrable ETH card. This card serves as both a student ID card and an electronic pass (touchless RFID technology).
The card is issued for the entire duration of studies. Students also keep it
- if they change degree porgrammes within ETH Zurich;
- when they progress from Bachelor's to Master's degree studies;
- during a leave of absence;
- when they enrol for Teaching Diploma, Teaching Certificate, doctoral studies or for a continuing education programme.
Card replacement
The ETH card should be treated with care.
In the event of a technical defect, the card will be replaced free of charge. In order to check the defect, please present the card at the desk of the Registrar’s Office or send it by post.
In the following cases, a fee of CHF 25.00 will be charged for a replacement card:
Cards with technical defects are replaced free of charge. New cards are issued, subject to a fee of CHF 25.00, in the following cases:
- loss or theft
- if personal details change (name change / new photograph)
- damage
The replacement card can either be obtained directly at the desk of the Registrar’s Office or ordered in the webshop.
If your card is no longer legible, please send a photo of the front and back to or show it at the desk of the Registrar’s Office.
Validation and validity period
The card should be validated every semester at one of ETH Zurich's validation terminals following semester enrolment in myStudies.
Note: The normal enrolment deadline - by the end of the second week of the semester - applies here. ETH Cards validated in the previous semester are only valid until the end of the second week of the semester following.
After enrolment the matriculated person automatically receives a set of matriculation confirmations by post. One of these may serve as a validation substitute in special cases where validation is required, but cannot be undertaken personally.