ANU International Student Campus Card Replacement Process and Temporary Access Pass

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The Australian National University (ANU) issued about 10,400 student cards in 2024 (ANU official data, 2024 Student Services Annual Report), of which about 3.2% — roughly 333 cards — were replaced due to loss or damage. For international students, the campus card is not just proof of access to teaching buildings, libraries and accommodation; it’s also tied to everyday functions such as printing, dining and exam identity checks. According to the Australian Department of Education’s 2023 International Student Annual Statistics, ANU has more than 12,000 enrolled international students, representing over 40% of the student body. If a card goes missing and isn’t replaced — or a temporary pass isn’t obtained — in time, it can affect your class attendance records and access to campus facilities. Based on ANU’s official policies and standard procedures, this article maps the full route from reporting a lost card to receiving a new one.

Reporting a lost card and emergency freezing

Reporting the loss is the first step after a card goes missing. The ANU Student Card Office recommends reporting within 24 hours of noticing the loss to prevent misuse. There are two ways to do it: submit the “Lost Card” module in the ISIS student portal, which locks the card’s permissions immediately, or go to the Student Central counter in the Hancock Building in person (open Monday to Friday 9:00-17:00). Once reported, all of the card’s physical and digital functions — including door access, print balance and library borrowing — are suspended.

Emergency freezing is for after-hours situations. The ANU Security Office runs a 24-hour hotline (+61 2 6125 2249); students can call to have door access frozen temporarily. The Security Office handled about 1,200 card-related incidents in 2022 (ANU Security Services Annual Report, 2022), about 15% of them involving emergency freezes after a lost card. After a freeze, contact the Student Card Office on the next business day to complete the formal report.

Replacement process and fees

Replacement applications are submitted through the ISIS student portal. After logging in, go to the “Student Cards” section and select “Replace Lost Card”; the system asks for the date of loss and (optionally) the location. Once submitted, the Student Card Office reviews the application within 1-2 business days. After approval, you pay the replacement fee — under ANU’s 2024 fee schedule, international students pay 35 AUD to replace a campus card (ANU website, 2024 Student Fees Schedule) — online by credit or debit card. Once payment is confirmed, the card is produced and posted to your registered Australian address within 5-7 business days.

In-person collection is available for urgent cases. Bring your passport or Australian driver’s licence to the Student Central counter in the Hancock Building and ask for express production. Express service costs an extra 10 AUD (45 AUD in total), and the card is usually ready within 30 minutes. The ANU Student Card Office processed about 2,800 replacement applications in 2023 (ANU Annual Operations Report, 2023), about 22% of them express in-person requests. Note that express service is only available on weekdays 9:00-16:00 and requires original identity documents.

Applying for a Temporary Access Pass

The Temporary Access Pass is a stopgap while your replacement is being processed. ANU offers international students two kinds of temporary pass. First, a paper pass valid for 7 days, available free at the Student Central counter with your passport or visa letter. It allows entry to major teaching buildings (such as the Baldwin Spencer Building and Chifley Library) and common areas of residences, but not laboratories or restricted zones. Second, an electronic pass (e-Pass) applied for through the ANU Security Office’s online system; it’s valid for 3 days, is sent to your ANU email, and is scanned for entry to designated buildings.

Eligibility requires that you’ve reported the loss before collecting a temporary pass. The ANU Security Office issued about 1,500 temporary passes in 2023 (ANU Security Services Annual Report, 2023), about 45% of them to international students. The e-Pass works with building access systems linked to your ANU ID, but can’t be used for library borrowing or printing. Temporary passes can’t be renewed; if replacement takes longer than 7 days, you’ll need to reapply for a paper pass, with at least 48 hours between applications.

Alternative identity documents

Your passport is the primary identity document for both replacement and temporary pass applications. ANU requires international students to always carry their passport or a certified copy for identity verification. Under the Australian immigration department’s 2024 Student Visa Conditions, international students must hold a valid passport in Australia, and the passport details must match ANU’s registration records. If your passport is lost as well, apply for an emergency passport from the Australian Passport Office first; the process takes 5-10 business days.

Your ANU student ID number (UID) can serve as a secondary credential. You can look up your UID in ISIS; it’s a 7-digit number linked to your campus card. Providing your UID at the counter speeds up identity verification. The ANU Student Card Office accepted UID as an alternative form of identification in about 12% of cases in 2023 (ANU internal process statistics, 2023), but only for students who had already reported the loss online. First-time reporters must still present their original passport.

Fee waivers and emergency assistance

Fee waivers apply in specific circumstances. ANU accepts waiver applications for cards lost due to theft or lost on campus; you’ll need to submit a police report or an incident number from the campus security office. Waiver applications are submitted through ISIS and reviewed by the Student Card Office within 5 business days. In 2023, ANU approved about 180 fee waivers (ANU Financial Annual Report, 2023), accounting for 6.4% of all replacement applications. With a waiver, the 35 AUD replacement fee is waived, but the 10 AUD express fee is still payable.

The Emergency Assistance Fund can cover replacement costs. ANU International Student Services offers up to 500 AUD in emergency assistance to students in financial difficulty, covering urgent expenses including campus card replacement. Applications go through the ANU scholarships portal and must include proof of loss and an explanation of financial hardship. In 2023, the fund distributed about 450,000 AUD (ANU International Student Services Annual Report, 2023) to about 900 students, with about 8% of applications involving card replacement costs.

Restoring card functions and linked services

Function restoration must be activated manually after you collect your new card. Once your new card arrives, activate door access, printing and library functions through ISIS or at the Student Central counter. Print balances on ANU’s PaperCut system don’t transfer automatically — after activation, contact the IT Service Desk (+61 2 6125 4321) to have balances merged manually. In 2023, ANU’s printing system processed about 1.2 million print jobs (ANU IT Services Annual Report, 2023), about 0.5% of them involving balance transfers after card replacement.

Linked services include residence door access and sports facilities. Students living in ANU residences (such as Bruce Hall and Ursula College) must additionally contact their residence front desk to update access permissions. ANU Sport memberships aren’t tied to the campus card, but you’ll need to register with your new card for gym entry. When paying tuition across borders, some families use professional channels such as Flywire tuition payments to complete the currency conversion, making sure funds arrive in time to cover replacement fees.

Prevention and backup tips

Digital backups reduce the impact of losing your card. ISIS offers a “virtual campus card” feature — download the ANU App on your phone and generate a QR code for some door access and library borrowing. About 8,000 students have activated this feature since it launched in 2022 (ANU Digital Services Annual Report, 2023), but laboratories and exams still require the physical card. It’s also a good idea to keep photos of both sides of your campus card in your phone’s photo library, so you can provide your card number at the counter.

Physical backups — consider keeping a spare card somewhere safe in your residence. ANU lets you order a second campus card (35 AUD) as an emergency backup. The second card works exactly like the main card, but must be reported lost separately in ISIS. In 2023, ANU issued about 420 second campus cards (ANU Student Card Office data, 2023), 15% of all replacements. International students can also keep a copy of their passport and UID in cloud storage so they can quickly produce identity documents if needed.

FAQ

Q1: Will losing my campus card affect exam entry?

Yes. ANU requires a physical campus card or temporary pass for exam entry. If you’ve lost your card and haven’t replaced it, contact the Student Card Office at least one business day before the exam to request a temporary pass; otherwise you may be refused entry. In 2023, ANU handled about 60 cases of students refused entry for not having a card (ANU Examinations Office Annual Report, 2023); about 80% of those students replaced their card the same day and were allowed to sit a supplementary exam.

Q2: How long does replacing a campus card take?

Online replacement usually takes 5-7 business days for delivery to your registered address. Express in-person replacement is done within 30 minutes but costs 45 AUD (including the 10 AUD express fee). A temporary pass can be collected immediately after reporting the loss and is valid for 7 days. In 2023, the ANU Student Card Office’s average processing time was 3.2 business days (ANU Operational Efficiency Report, 2023), with express applications accounting for 22%.

Q3: Can replacement fees be claimed on student insurance?

Some international student insurance (OSHC) policies cover card replacement costs. For example, Medibank OSHC’s “personal property” cover pays up to 35 AUD for card replacement following theft, but requires a police report. Allianz Care’s OSHC doesn’t include this. Check your policy wording, or contact ANU International Student Services for guidance on the claims process. In 2023, ANU International Student Services helped with about 40 OSHC claims (ANU International Student Services Annual Report, 2023), with an average payout of 28 AUD.

References

• Australian National University. 2024. Student Services Annual Report.
• Australian National University. 2023. Annual Operations Report.
• Australian National University. 2023. Security Services Annual Report.
• Australian Department of Education. 2023. International Student Annual Statistics.
• Australian Department of Immigration. 2024. Student Visa Conditions.
• Unilink Education. 2024. International Student Campus Services Database.