Access Cards

Student / staff cards provide access to the campus and various labs and buildings on campus. Keep your card with you at all times. It must be presented upon request and during examinations and tests.

Student cards

Your student card is an identity card, transaction card, and access card – all in one! With your unique student card, you can purchase meals at your residence’s dining hall, access campuses, academic buildings such as the libraries, and verify your identity before writing tests and examinations.

The process for obtaining your student card before the start of academic lectures is detailed on the Registration webpage. After academic lectures have begun, student cards can be obtained from the Student Service Centres on the respective campuses. Please note that student cards can only be issued 24 hours after completing the registration process. To collect your student card, you must bring proof of your identification with, such as a government-issued ID, passport or driver’s licence.

Your first student card is issued free of charge, but should you lose or damage your card and a replacement is required, a fee will be charged.

Staff cards

Once a new staff member’s appointment becomes official and their record is active on the UP system, staff can collect their new personnel card at the Student Service Centre. An ID document will be required to collect the new card.

The first personnel card is issued free of charge. In the event of loss or damage, a fee will be charged for a replacement card.

Contractors and visitor’s cards

Applications for access for visitors and contractors must be captured on the UP Portal on Permission Manager.

The Permission Manager system allows users nominated by the relevant Dean or Director to manage the access rights of external users for their departments. These nominated users can also request special access rights for specific individuals for a limited time, such as during campus closures. Only users with the appropriate privileges are authorized to manage these access rights.

Access cards for contractors and visitors are issued at a cost of R120-00 at the Student Service Centre. No cards will be provided without proof of identification and payment. A prior arrangement with the Student Service Centre is required before costs of contractor's cards can be invoiced.

Questions about student or access cards?

Queries can be directed to [email protected]