General information
Student ID is one of the two essential student documents in Poland.
Electronic student ID card, called ELS in Polish, is a chip card of a uniform layout in use at all universities in Poland. An ELS features your details, photo, student number and residence. Information about your student status and programme is also stored on the card. As all documents in Poland, student ID card is issued in Polish.
You will be requested to return your ID as you graduate from the program.
The main purpose of the student ID is to confirm your student status and identity. It secures your access to dorms, university libraries, computer facilities, laboratories, etc.
In Warsaw, students may encode their public transportation travelcards on ELS. ELS may also be used to cover parking fees in the city centre as well.
ELS entitles holder to various discounts, the most known of which are the public transportation reductions on:
- domestic railway tickets (37% reduction on domestic rails apart from express/IC trains for students of 26 years and under)
- urban transportation (50% discount in Warsaw regardless of age).
Yet, if you fail to present your student ID during ticket control on board, or if it is invalid or damaged, your ticket will be considered void and you will be fined.