Student ID card

How do I get one?

If you are a newly admitted student, you’ll need to upload a passport type photo (head shot) in the Mosaic Student Center > Personal Information > Demographics by July 16.

• Your student ID card is produced following enrolment.
• Please make sure your mailing address is updated in Mosaic by July 16.
• Your first card is free of charge.
• Subsequent cards after the initial mailing will be at a charge of $30.00 each.
• We aim to produce and mail all student ID cards for incoming students by August 20.
• If you are an incoming international student, we will let you know closer to September when your student card is available for pick up.
• Didn’t upload your photo by the deadline? Please do so as soon as possible and then submit a Service Request in your Mosaic Student Centre (drop-down menu under ‘other academic’) requesting your student card. You will be notified when it’s ready to pick up.
• If you are beginning your studies in January or May should also submit a Service Request for their student card once their photo is uploaded.

Photo requirements

To be considered acceptable, your uploaded photo must:

• Be recent and similar to a passport photo (head shot only, looking straight into the camera)
• Have a neutral or smiling expression
• Be in colour, in focus and of good quality (scanned photos of your driver’s license, passport or health card are not acceptable)
• Be on an uncluttered background and of you alone (no other people or animals permitted in photo)
• Not contain props (i.e. hats, sunglasses or graduation caps)
  Maximum file size of your photo must be 3MB or less to be successfully uploaded.

Uploaded photos not meeting the above criteria will be deleted, resulting in delays in receiving your student card.

Photo troubleshooting tips

Having issues uploading?

• Check your file size. If your jpg image is too big, you will get a generic error message. The file should be less than 3MB in size. Try picking a different picture with a smaller file size or resize your image in Paint or Photoshop.

Photo upload button not active or you need to upload your photo again?

• Contact us through our online chat, available at the bottom right corner of any page on this website during operating hours. A button will appear that says “Chat with us now”. Connect with a Student Service Professional Monday to Thursday between 10am and 3:30pm. MAC our chatbot is available to assist you 24-7!
• Open the photo in a photo editing software and ‘save as’ a jpg file and make sure the size is less than 3 MB. Please do not simply rename the photo file from .jpeg to .jpg, this will not change the file format.
• Before uploading the photo, clear your browser cache and/or change browsers (Chrome, Firefox or Edge) to try again. If the above still doesn’t resolve the issue, Please send a screenshot of the error message to uts@mcmaster.ca.

What if it’s lost or stolen?

If your card is lost or stolen, report it immediately by to the Office of the Registrar’s online chat or the MAC Express Centre (Commons 128) to have the card invalidated. Replacement cards can be created for a $30 fee.

Replacement cards

If you have lost or damaged your card, you can request a new card by following the instructions below:

1. Complete and save this form to your computer. Digital signatures are accepted.
2. Be sure to provide your full mailing address (including unit number) and update your address in Mosaic, if applicable.
3. Upload a photo to Mosaic
4. In your Mosaic Student Center, select ‘other academics’ and choose Service Requests from the dropdown menu, then ‘Create New Request’.
5. Attach the form to your Service Request.
6. Make a payment of $30 to your McMaster Student Account via online banking.
7. Return to the My Service Requests page to monitor updates.