Student ID card /chip card
Update (28 March 2024)
From April 2, 2024, chip cards will no longer be issued to new students. Enrolled students can now download their student ID card from myHAW: myhaw.haw.tuhh.de
The existing chip cards remain valid and should continue to be used as library cards. Students who are newly enrolled at HAW Hamburg for the summer semester 2024 will receive the HIBS library card.
Chip cards can also be revalidated and then continue to be used as a personalized student ID card.
The semester ticket will be made available as a digital ticket via the HVV in the summer semester 2024 as part of the changeover to a discounted Deutschlandticket.
FAQ regarding the chip card
How do I extend/validate my chip card?
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'Validation' means updating your student ID card for the new semester. To do this you need to place the card in a validation station. The card will be checked, and if the data is accurate it will be printed with the new 'valid until' date (the end of the semester). The semester ticket will also be updated. Please check the printed details following validation.
If the new details are not correct, please contact the Chip Card Services Office.
Before extending the chip card, the validation station checks that you are permitted to re-register, whether you have re-registered properly, and whether the semester contribution has been paid.
Where can I validate my chip card?
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Bergedorf Campus (Lohbrügger Kirchstraße 65)
- 1 x main building, outside lecture hall S, room 0.45
- 1 x main building, to the left of the cafeteria entrance
Berliner Tor Campus
- 2 x Berliner Tor 5, foyer
- 1 x Stiftstr. 69, ground floor, outside room 77
Finkenau Campus
- 1 x Finkenau 35, ground floor, corridor
- 1 x Finkenau 35, basement, rear exit
How can I use the chip card as a library card?
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You can also use your student ID card (chip card) as a library card at the HAW Hamburg libraries.
- If you do not already have a library card, please use the online registration form to apply for one. To activate your chip card, please then come to one of the HAW Hamburg libraries and bring your chip card as well as your personal picture ID card (or your passport and residence certificate). If you do not have Internet access, you can also fill out the application form at one of the libraries.
- HAW Hamburg students can also obtain library cards for the libraries at other Hamburg universities, in some cases free of charge. Please contact the specific library for more information.
How do I pay with my chip card?
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All tills in the cafeterias and cafes are fitted with little grey card readers which allow you to pay with your chip card.
To top up your card, you can use the machines at the entry to the cafeteria at Berliner Tor 7 and at the entry to the Bergedorf cafeteria. You can also top up your card or have the balance paid out at the tills in the cafeterias or cafés.
Exception: In the Finkenau cafeteria, you can use your card to pay only. We do not currently have the facilities there to pay out your card balance.
In the event of theft, the e-wallet can be locked. Please note, however, that the card is like cash and we cannot refund any funds used by or paid out to others.
How do I look after my chip card?
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Your chip card is a high-tech piece of ID, so please look after it carefully!
The card can be damaged if you expose it to heat (direct sunlight, washing machine, the microwave) or bend it (by using it as an ice scraper, carrying it unprotected in your back pocket, etc.). Please also remember that your semester ticket is only valid if the photo is clearly identifiable and the writing legible.
The rewritable TRW (Thermo-ReWrite) strip at the bottom front of the card is especially sensitive to abrasion and scratches, similarly to a DVD or BlueRay disc. This is why it is important to carry your card in a card holder. Free holders are available from the Chip Card Services offices.
Name change, defective card, loss or theft of card – how do I get a replacement?
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A replacement card will be issued free of charge in the following cases:
- Name change
- Electronic malfunction of an otherwise undamaged card
- Theft that has been reported to the police and assigned a file number
To receive your replacement card, please bring the completed form (see below) and valid ID to the Chip Card Services Office.
A replacement fee of €30 will be charged in the following cases:
- Theft that has not been reported to the police
- Loss of card
- Mechanical damage, e.g. worn out TRW strip, bent or cracked card
Please transfer the €30 fee to the following account:
Recipient: HAW Hamburg
IBAN: DE78 2000 0000 0020 1015 45
BIC: MARKDEF1200
Reference: 3510102050-1 first name, surname
To receive your replacement chip card, please present confirmation of payment (a stamped copy of the paper transfer receipt or a printout of your online account) together with your completed application form (see below) and valid ID at the Chip Card Services Office.
Chip Card Services Offices
Contact us via email:
chipkarte (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de
Mailing address:
HAW Hamburg
Chipkarten-Servicebüro
Stiftstraße 69
20099 Hamburg
Chip Card Services Office
Bergedorf Campus
Ulmenliet 20, room 0.09
T +49.40.42875-6133
Closed until further notice
Chip Card Services Office
Berliner Tor Campus
Stiftstrasse 69, room 0.77
T +49.40.42875-9865
| Mon - Wed | 9:00 am–12:30 pm 1:00–3:00 pm |
| Thurs | 10:00 am–12:30 pm 1:00–3:00 pm |
| Fri | 9:00 am–12:30 pm 1:00–2:00 pm |
Data protection and technical information
How is my data protected?
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A chip card system necessitates the storage of personal data, otherwise it will not function properly. To adequately address this critical aspect, particularly with regard to student privacy, the Student Union, the HAW Hamburg Executive Board, and the project managers have agreed on the following points:
- The amount of personal data stored shall be kept to a minimum.
- The student ID card shall not be used to store personal data or a record of card use.
- Wherever possible, card use shall not be recorded.
- Where card use is recorded, this shall be done exclusively on an anonymised basis (for example, using the card number).
- Card-use history shall only be accessed in exceptional cases – for example, in criminal investigations.
- Card-use logs can only be accessed by a specified group of people in accordance with the two-person rule and the use of a split password (i.e. the log data can only be accessed when a member of the Staff Council (Personalrat), who knows one part of the password, and a member of staff from the Chip Card Services Office, who knows the other part of the password, are present).
- Consultation with the Hamburg Data Protection Officer shall take place regarding all aspects of the project related to data protection on the basis of a risk analysis and process description.
The conditions governing the processing of students' personal data and access to log data are defined in agreements between the Student Union and the Executive Board.
When you receive your electronic student ID card, you will also receive an individualised data record that clearly lists which personal data will be processed.
What technical measures are taken to ensure data protection?
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The HAW Hamburg staff responsible for the project have chosen a secure chip card technology for the student and staff ID cards. We are not using the 'MIFARE classic' RFID chip, which has come under fire for being 'hackable'. Instead, we use the 'MIFARE DESfire' chip in all HAW Hamburg chip cards.
The MIFARE DESfire chip has its own processor and is therefore able to meet much stricter security requirements. The encryption procedure is based on the proven advanced encryption standard and is activated on the chip card three times with three different keys each time the card is used (Triple DES). The key length is 128 bits, compared to 48 bits for the MIFARE classic.
In simple terms, this means that if it took one minute to decrypt a 48-bit key, decrypting a 128-bit key would take so long that the universe could re-form multiple times.
Are movement profiles generated?
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No! The individual card applications (cafeteria, access, library, printing and copying) are completely separated in the card's chip. The electronic applications can only access that part of the card for which they have the required keys. Just as you cannot open your letterbox with your door key, the card reader for electronic access to particular rooms cannot access the e-wallet.
How long is my photo stored?
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Your photo is deleted directly after the card is issued. If you require a replacement card, the Chip Card Services team will take a new photo.
How large is the chip card's range?
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The chip card cannot be located, as the transmission range of the RFID chip is only 10 cm. The radio communication is also encrypted.
What information is printed on the chip card?
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- Photo (CMYK)
- Doctor title (if applicable)
- First name
- Surname
- Surname prefix (e.g. 'von' or 'de')
- Title (e.g. 'Count', 'Baroness', etc.)
- Student number
- Chip card serial number
- Period of validity (printed on card when it is validated)
- HVV semester ticket
- Library account number (on the back)
- Library barcode for borrowing (on the back)
What information is stored on the chip card?
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- Status (HAW Hamburg student)
- Personal ID number (for cafeteria discount)
- Student number
- Valid from (date of validation)
- Valid until (end of the semester for which the semester contribution has been paid)
- Library account number
- Access number
- Access sequence number (for replacement cards)
- Chip card serial number
- Cafeteria project number (for use in cafeteria till system)
What information is stored during card use?
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The food and drink you pay for in the cafeteria is recorded under the chip card serial number. This number cannot be matched to a person either by a payment system or by the staff of Studierendenwerk Hamburg. This 'anonymous number' will only be matched to the cardholder and provided to the investigating authorities in the event of a serious crime.
When you enter and exit electronically secured areas using the card access system, the date, time and access ID are saved. This log data is automatically deleted after six weeks. The data will only be accessed and analysed in the event of a crime such as theft or vandalism. Access to this data is protected by a split password: one part of the password is held by the Staff Council (Personalrat) and the other part by the Chip Card Services Office (which administers the chip cards).
Who has access to chip card data?
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The only people with access to your card data are the staff of the HAW Hamburg Chip Card Services Office. This data is only accessed to produce the card and to provide chip card support. All staff have signed a written statement requiring them to protect the confidentiality of this data.
