IITM BS ID Card and Admission Letter: What You Get and Where

IITM BS students get an ID card in electronic form, not a plastic card. The FAQ pages of all four programmes say it is provided "subject to conditions on use of ID card". Before that, you get an admission letter when you pass the qualifier, and a roll number with an official student email once your registration documents are approved. None of these works as a pass to use the IIT Madras campus.

What you get, and when

The admission letter

Both the DS and ES handbooks say that qualified candidates are told by email, WhatsApp and in their portal login whether they can register further. They add that an admission letter is generated for each qualified candidate. If you enter through JEE Advanced, the handbooks say you are issued the admission letter once your proof is found valid.

Know what the letter means. The DS handbook says clearly that the qualifier does not admit you to a degree. It admits you to the Foundation courses. Diplomas and degrees come only when you earn the required credits and meet the other rules. So the letter is your entry to the Foundation level, not a promise of the full BS.

Save a copy of the letter as a PDF and keep it with your payment emails.

Roll number, student email and "registration number"

Many students search for a "registration number". The official pages use two numbers instead:

• Application number. You get it when you apply. The FAQ asks for it, with your email ID and a screenshot, if something goes wrong after paying.
• Roll number. The DS FAQ says each learner gets a roll number and an official student email once the documents in the Foundation course registration form are approved. Your email is roll_number@ds.study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab) for DS or roll_number@es.study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab) for ES.

The DS handbook adds that your roll number stays the same even if you exit with a certificate and come back later.

You will also see batch codes in the handbooks, such as 24f3 for the September 2024 term and 25f2 for the May 2025 term. So f1 is the January term, f2 is May and f3 is September. See the academic calendar guide for how terms work.

The electronic ID card

It is electronic only. The FAQs do not mention a printed card sent by post.

It is on the exam ID list, with a catch. The official "Important Instructions for Exams" document lists the "BS Degree ID Card" among the original photo IDs accepted at the exam centre. The other options are Aadhaar, passport, driving licence, PAN card, voter ID, college ID and employee ID. But the same document says photos or digital copies of ID proofs on a phone are not accepted. Since the BS card is electronic, our advice is to carry one of the other listed IDs as well. More in what to carry to IITM BS exams.

It is not a campus pass. The DS FAQ says learners do not get access to IIT Madras campus facilities. The DS handbook ties campus entry and library membership to the alumni card, which only BSc and BS graduates get. See campus access for BS students.

It can be taken back. The DS handbook says that if a student cannot meet an academic milestone and is blocked from registration, the student ID card is revoked in the same term.

Keep your details correct

After each term's registration, the handbook gives a window to update your profile in the dashboard:

• Name: proof is your Class 12 or equivalent marksheet, or your highest degree certificate.
• Date of birth: proof is the ID card you gave in your application form.
• Photograph: checked against that same ID card.

The handbook says these details are used for academic records, certificates and official letters. For the final degree certificate, an IIT Madras letter dated 12 August 2025 says the name follows your Class 10 certificate. Read the name on your degree certificate and how to update your profile.

If you need proof that you are a student

The handbook's route is a bonafide certificate. These are issued every Thursday, and only if you have submitted the mandatory medical certificate. See transcripts and bonafide certificates.

Common questions

Will I get a physical ID card by post?

The FAQs of all four programmes mention only an electronic ID card. None of them mentions a printed card.

I passed the qualifier but cannot find my admission letter. What do I do?

Check your portal login first, since the handbook says a letter is generated for every qualified candidate. If it is not there, raise a support ticket with your application number and a screenshot.

Can I use the e-ID card to enter IIT Madras?

Not as a general pass. The FAQ says BS learners do not get access to campus facilities. For trips that are part of the course, such as ES lab visits, follow the instructions the programme sends for that visit.

Is my roll number printed on the admission letter?

The official pages do not say. They only say the roll number comes after your registration documents are approved, which is after the letter.