Losing your doctoral credentials can make it difficult to access discounts on rail travel, the library, and other services available to doctoral students. Fortunately, losing your ELD plastic card does not mean losing your doctoral status. You can report the document missing and apply for a new credential. Moreover, starting in June 2026, the mDoctoral Card is also available, which means you don’t always have to create a physical duplicate. We explain what to do if you lose your ELD, how much it costs to reissue it, and whether you can still use discounts while waiting for a new card.
In short – the most important information:
If you notice that you do not have your doctoral degree certificate with you, first check the places where you have recently used it. The document may have remained in the library, the laboratory, the office, or the dean's office.
If it is not possible to find him, report the loss of your credentials at the unit that runs the doctoral program.
Usually the appropriate matter is handled by:
It is not worth delaying submitting the application, because a physical ID card can serve more functions than just confirming your status as a doctoral student.
At some universities, the ELD is also used as a library card, an identification document allowing access to the building, or a carrier of services related to urban transport.
If your credentials allowed you access to rooms or other systems, ask to have these features blocked as well.
No. Losing the physical document does not affect the doctoral student's status itself.
If you are still studying in a doctoral program and have not lost your eligibility, you remain a doctoral candidate regardless of whether you have a plastic identification card.
However, it should be remembered that Having the status of a doctoral student and being able to document it are two different matters.
During ticket check or when using selected services, it may be required to present a valid ID. Therefore, it is worth ensuring access to mLegitmacja or having a new card printed.
The way duplicate documents are issued can vary between universities. Some institutions accept applications electronically, while others require a personal złvisit to submit documents.
For example, the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin describes the procedure for exchanging and issuing duplicate copies of identity cards for both students and doctoral students.
Contact the doctoral school and inform them that your ID has been lost, stolen, or destroyed.
Prepare the basic information:
The employee of the unit should provide you with instructions on how to proceed.
If you need a new plastic card, you will need to złsubmit an application.
Depending on the university, the document may be titled „Request for the issuance of a duplicate of the doctoral degree certificate” or „Request for the exchange of the Electronic Doctoral Degree Certificate”.
The application may require the submission of a statement of loss of the document.
Some universities allow you to use the photo stored in the system. Others may require it to be updated.
Before making a transfer, check the current rules for issuing duplicates at your institution.
The amount of 33 zł, known from the procedures regarding student ID cards, should not be automatically accepted. For ELD, different information appears on the university websites.
If a fee is required, transfer it to the account indicated by the university and keep a receipt.
After receiving the application, the university will prepare a new card in accordance with its procedure.
The lead time may depend on the availability of the badges, the method of personalization, and the organization of the unit's work.
For example, UMCS informs about the possibility of receiving a duplicate after 5 working days from the fulfillment of the required conditions.
However, this is not a term that applies to all Polish doctoral programs.
After receiving the credentials, verify the correctness of the data and the technical condition of the document.
If ELD is being used in library, parking, or access systems, check that all the necessary functions are activated.
In the case of traditional ELD, the validity is confirmed by the authorized entity by updating the electronic data and placing the hologram.
In the case of an ELD duplicate, one should not use a single amount without checking the rules of the specific university.
Various information about fees can be found on the official websites of individual institutions.
University | Published fee for an ELD duplicate |
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin | 33 zł |
University of Warsaw – PhD students admitted as of October 1, 2018. | 0 zł |
SGGW – fee indicated on the ELD support page | 25,50 zł |
The differences may arise, among other things, from the rules regarding previous doctoral studies and current doctoral schools. Not all university instructions must apply to the same group of doctoral students.
Important: The above table shows the rates published by the universities, and not the unified statutory price list for 2026. Before payment, you must confirm the current amount and the basis for its collection at the appropriate unit.
The duplicate of a doctoral degree certificate should not be confused with a duplicate of a doctoral degree. These are two completely different documents, and the rules for their issuance are separate.
Not always. From June 30, 2026, the basic form of the document confirming the status of a doctoral student is the mLegitymacja available in the mObywatel application.
This means that a doctoral student can use the digital document without having to carry a plastic ELD card.
If you lost your physical ID card, but you have an active mID card, you can still confirm your status using the phone.
Therefore, there is not always a practical need to order a new plastic card.
However, a duplicate ELD may be useful if:
Even if you do not intend to create a duplicate, you should report the loss of the card in accordance with the rules of the doctoral school.
If you don’t already have a digital document, you can try adding it to the mObywatel app.
To this end:
In the case of doctoral students, there is no need to obtain a QR code or an activation code from the university.
The data needed for the status verification come from the POL-on system.
If the ID is not available, it is worth contacting the doctoral school and asking them to check the data is up to date.
Yes, provided that you still have the appropriate authorization and can confirm it with the required document.
Doctors up to the age of 35 are entitled to a statutory 51% -hour rail pass for certain journeys.
If you lose your plastic ELD but have a valid doctoral student ID card, you can present the digital document during the check.
There are a few rules to remember:
Just reporting the loss of the card at the deanery does not replace a valid ID during the inspection.
If you do not have either a physical ELD or an active mLegitimation, it is best to check with the carrier before purchasing a discounted ticket to see if you can document your entitlement.
A certificate confirming education at a doctoral school should not be treated as a universal substitute for a passport for statutory rail discounts.
Carriers require certain documents confirming qualifications.
Therefore, in the event of losing your ELD card, it is best to access mLegitimacy as soon as possible or resolve the issue of issuing a new card.
It may happen that a few days after reporting the loss of the ELD, you find the document at home or receive information about its recovery.
However, do not assume automatically that it can be used again.
If the university managed to invalidate the previous card or block its electronic functions, you should follow the administration's instructions.
It is best to perform three actions:
If a duplicate has already been prepared, the university may require the return of the old card.
The same should be done when the ID card was stolen and then recovered.
In the case of physical doctoral credentials, the validity of the document is confirmed by the authorized entity.
According to the rules for traditional ELDs, this includes an annual update of the data in the electronic system and the placement of a hologram in the appropriate field.
If you receive a new card after losing the previous one, the university is responsible for preparing it properly and confirming its validity.
You don't have to buy stickers yourself or transfer holograms from an older card.
ELD holograms are available in various models and graphic variants. For this reason, they are also of interest to collectors.
Our store offers the following products: ELD doctoral holograms in collector's editions, These include editions with markings 30-09-26 and 30-09-27, as well as earlier series.
Collector's items are intended solely for hobbyist purposes. They do not constitute official confirmation of the validity of the identity card and cannot replace the procedure for issuing or renewing the document by the university.
Simple loss of an ELD does not automatically mean that you need to report the matter to the police.
If the document simply disappeared, the most important thing is to inform the university and secure any electronic functions associated with the card.
The situation could be different if the ID was stolen along with a wallet, an identity document, or other cards.
In such a case, it is worth:
However, the doctoral degree certificate itself is not the same document as a personal ID card.
The cost depends on the rules of the respective university and the situation of the doctoral student. For example, UMCS charges 33 PLN zł, while the University of Warsaw informs that duplicate copies are issued free of charge to doctoral students admitted as of October 1, 2018. The current fee should be confirmed at the doctoral school.
Some formalities can be completed electronically, but the way applications are submitted depends on the university. Some institutions require the documents to be personally delivered or the ready-made card to be picked up.
There is no single deadline for all universities. For example, UMCS informs that the new ELD can be received after 5 working days from the fulfillment of the required conditions. In other institutions, the preparation time for a new ELD can be longer.
Yes. A doctoral student’s valid ID is a separate document confirming their status as a doctoral student. They can use it regardless of the physical ELD, provided they maintain the appropriate credentials.
Not always. If the digital document is sufficient to confirm the status of a doctoral student, a new plastic card may not be necessary. Exceptions are situations where the ELD performs additional functions at the university.
Simply losing the ID card does not entail a statutory penalty. However, fees may be incurred for issuing a duplicate. A separate issue is the consequences of using discounts without the required document.
Yes. A doctoral student's valid ID can be used to verify their status during ticket checks. However, they still need to meet the conditions for the discount, particularly regarding age and doctoral student status.
Contact the issuing authority and determine what to do with the card found. You should not use the previous ID if it has already been invalidated or blocked.
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The Hologramykolekcjonerskie24.com editorial team has been specializing in the topic for over 10 years. collectible holograms and patterns related to educational documents. We are preparing practical guides on ELS student holograms, doctoral ELDs and school-based ones, and their dates, variants, safeguards, and histories.
The published content is based on reliable sources regarding the Polish education system, applicable legal regulations, regulations of the relevant ministries, and official information provided by universities, schools, and public institutions. We regularly update the materials to reflect changes in regulations, document templates, and policies applicable in Polish education.
The website is informational and collector-oriented and is not affiliated with any university, school, ministry, or other public institution.
