ID cards

During the first week of term (30th September - 4th October), the ID Card office is open between 08.00-16.00.

During usual hours, the ID Card Office is open from 09.30-13.30 Monday-Fridays on the Sherfield Building ground floor. Please ensure you follow the steps from the correct category on the main page in order to collect your ID card.

Preventing unauthorised access

Our Access Control Policy outlines the importance of restricting access to certain areas within the College, not every area is suitable for every person. Be conscious of who is entering behind you. If you're not sure, you can ask to see their ID card. If they don't have one, kindly inform them that entry without proper identification is prohibited and advise them to approach Security.

It is vital not to loan your card to others. Any individual found in possession of a card not assigned to them will have it confiscated.

When leaving us, it’s imperative that you return your card to ID Office. This ensures it is safely deactivated and marked as returned in our system. Failure to do so may result in charges being applied.

Take care of your card

To maintain the integrity of the chip inside your card, it's important to keep it separate from Oyster cards, magnetic cards, and phones.

We offer lanyards and card holders for your convenience.

We understand that there are circumstances where you may need to replace your card. The process varies depending on the reason. Regardless of the circumstances, it is imperative that you inform us of your CID or card number. 

Lost cards

If your card is lost, it's crucial to report it to the ID office immediately by e-mailing id.card@imperial.ac.uk with your CID or card number. We will deactivate it to prevent fraudulent use. The first replacement is complimentary, but subsequent replacements will incur a £10 charge. You can pay by card at ID Office or the team can email you a link to pay.

We don’t accept cash payment.

Stolen cards

In the event of theft, report it to both the ID Office and the police without delay. You'll receive a Crime Reference Number from the police, which we require to issue you a new card. Failure to provide this number may result in a charge.

Damaged cards

Should your card become damaged or stop working, bring it to ID office for a replacement, If the damage was intentional, a £10 fee will apply regardless of whether it's the first replacement. If you don’t have the card anymore. It will be treated as lost, with potential charges.

Updating details

If you need to update any details on your card, you must provide proof of these changes to either the Registry or Human Resources. Once the updates are made in their system, please allow 24 hours for the changes to synchronize with our system. It's important to note that we are unable to make any alterations to your card information at the ID Office. After the changes have been processed, kindly return your card to receive an updated one.

Amending access

To request access, please contact your department directly. Access requests must be submitted and approved by the Departmental Administrator or Building Manager. Please note that we do not accept access requests via phone or in-person, all requests must be documented for proper record-keeping and accountability.

During Welcome week, the ID card office is open 8am - 4pm

If you uploaded your ID card photo early enough, your Imperial ID card should be ready and waiting for you when you arrive.

Students living in Imperial halls

If you're moving into Imperial halls of residence, your Imperial ID Card will be waiting for you to collect when you arrive. If you did not upload your photo in time, you will be issued a temporary card which may cause issues in your first week so make sure you've uploaded your photo in time! 

Students not living in Imperial halls

If you are not living in Imperial halls, your Imperial ID card will be available from your academic department when you arrive. Your department should be in contact with details on how to collect your card. If you do not hear from them, get in contact with a department administrator to find out what to do.

If you did not upload an ID card photo in time

You will need to have your photo taken in-person at the ID Card Office at South Kensington who will be operating extended opening hours during the first week of term (8am-4pm). After taking your photo, the ID Card Office will print your card and deliver it to your academic department who you should contact for details on how to collect your card.

During Welcome week (30th September- 4th October) new students will need to collect their ID card from their department if they are either not staying in halls or failed to upload their ID card photo ahead of the deadline (3 days before the start of their course) and needed to get their photo taken in person.

The department should be in contact with details on how to collect these cards. Make sure to check your emails and email your departmental administrator for more information.

There may be several reasons as to why you are unable to collect from your halls or department. Here are some of the common issues:

a.         You didn’t upload you ID Card photo in time – photos need to be uploaded at least 3 days prior to the course starting in order for them to be printed and sent to their halls/department.

b.         Technical issue

c.         Are you a returning student/ taking 2nd course? If you have previously been issued an ID Card that was not returned at the end of your course, you will not be able to receive a new card. You will need to go to the ID Card desk and declare it lost and then get a new one made for free. If you have previously had a replacement, you will be asked to pay £10 for a new one.

a.         Was the photo too big? Images can only be a maximum of 30KB

b.         Have you ever uploaded an image to My Imperial before? If so, it’s not possible to change your image and the only way to get an alternate photo is to get a new one in person.

Due to the high volume of people queuing for ID cards during welcome week, we operate with a one photo only policy, no retakes will be given providing it is a satisfactory photo.

New staff (South Kensington)

For individuals without a College Identifier (CID), such as contractors or cleaners, a photo ID card is necessary for access to controlled areas within the College.

To initiate the issuance of an ID card, departmental representatives should email the ID Office with the following details:

• Full Name
• Company
• Required access
• End Date (maximum 1 year)

If no end date is specified by the department, the card will be valid for one year. At the end of this period, the department can request an extension.

Upon request, ID Office will set up the card and notify the department of the card number.

To complete the process, individuals must present to ID Office the card number along with a digital or printed copy of a signed Day 1 Safety Induction form for photo taking and card printing.

No appointments are necessary; we offer a walk-in service during our opening hours.

All cards must be returned to the ID Office upon the end of the contract or if the individual leave before the card expires. Failure to return the card may result in charges.

For other visitors, the department is responsible for setting up a contingent worker request, with instructions available on the ICT website.

Departments are responsible for managing guest cards and are required to maintain accurate records in case of any future inquiries. If a visitor needs access to sensitive areas, they should be provided with a photo ID card, as detailed in the previous section.

Below are some essential guidelines for guest cards:

• Guest cards are supplied to departments at a cost of £5 each and can be re-used as many times as they wish.
• The departmental representative should e-mail ID Office, providing the guest card number, required access permissions, and the activation and deactivation dates.
• If access is needed to areas beyond the department's scope, authorisation from the relevant department is necessary.
• For guest cards issued for periods exceeding 5 days, the authorising department must conduct a safety induction for the guest.
• If a guest card is returned before the specified deactivation date, prompt notification should be sent to ID Office to deactivate it.
• Loss or misplacement of guest cards must be immediately reported to the ID Office via email.
• Regular audits of guest cards are conducted, and any cards that cannot be accounted for will be cancelled in the access control system.