Your UBCcard is your official student identification, and it comes in 2 forms. Both are free to get.
1. Digital UBCcard
Your digital UBCcard is valid as photo ID for anywhere that you may need to show your identity at UBC, other than when writing exams.
Digital cards expire on the same day as your physical card.
2. Physical UBCcard (valid for 5 years)
You'll also receive a standard physical version of your UBCcard. This is required to:
- Prove your identity when writing exams
- Request discounts at particular campus food vendors
- Borrow library material and access library services
- Print via Pay for Print at various locations across campus
- Access locked buildings on weekends and evenings
If you’re living in residence
Apply for your UBCcard by Aug 12 (Sat) at 11:59 pm PDT and receive it in your residence welcome package.
Meal plans: If you have a Residence meal plan (first-year students) or a UBCcard Value Plan (upper-year students), you’ll need your physical UBCcard to make purchases at the residence dining hall and at participating locations on and off campus.
How to apply for your UBCcard
Apply for the card online. Once your application is processed (usually in around 3 business days), you’ll be able to access your digital UBCcard by logging into your UBCcard account. If you're not living in residence, you will receive an email when your physical UBCcard is available for pickup at the Access Desk in the UBC Bookstore.
Where you can use your UBCcard
You can show your UBCcard to get discounts both on and off campus, and free entry to certain campus attractions. However, check with each vendor in advance to see if the digital version of your card would suffice.
In terms of campus attractions, your UBCcard grants you free admission to places like:
- The Beaty Biodiversity Museum
- The Museum of Anthropology (MOA)
- UBC Botanical Garden and Nitobe Memorial Garden
Off-campus spots and online businesses where you can enjoy student discounts—typically by showing your UBCcard as a form of student ID—include:
- Retail stores like Champion
- Tech venues like Henry’s
- Music platforms like Spotify Premium and Apple Music
- Nerdy niches like the Vancouver Aquarium
- Various spots in Wesbrook Village
(Honestly, wherever you shop, it can be worth it to ask about student deals—you never know when a discount might be available!)
If your physical card goes missing
Can’t find your card or suspect it’s been stolen? Uh-oh. Visit the UBCcard “Lost/Stolen Cards” webpage to apply for a new one—you will be required to pay $15 for this replacement (unless you have a police file number to indicate that your card was stolen).
