Identification and Personal Information

Identification and Personal Information

The following sections include information regarding McGill ID cards, updating your personal information, and more.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 29, 2023) (disclaimer)

Identification (ID) Cards

Identification (ID) Cards

As a student registered at McGill, you are required to present an ID card to:

  • write examinations;
  • use libraries and student services, including certain laboratories;
  • access residence buildings;
  • access meal plans; and
  • access the inter-campus shuttle bus.

The Student Identification card is the property of the University, for use by the cardholder only, and is not transferable. If you withdraw from all of your courses, you must return it to Enrolment Services (or the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Student Affairs Office, Macdonald Campus).

  • New students must be registered for at least one course to obtain an ID card.
  • You must allow for at least 24 hours after you have registered for your first course before requesting an ID card.
  • If you do not register for consecutive terms, you should retain your ID card to avoid having to replace it when you re-register.
  • If your card has expired, there is no charge for a replacement if you hand in the ID card.
  • If you change programs or faculties, there is no charge to issue a new card if you hand in the ID card.
  • If your card has been lost, stolen, or damaged, there is a replacement fee; please see the Student Records website for an exact fee amount.
  • If you need security access to labs or other facilities, please contact the Area Access Manager (AAM) of the building in which the room is located. To find out who the AAM is, consult the Find the AAM list on the Security Services website.
Note for Continuing Studies: You must allow at least one day after you have registered before applying for your ID card. An ID card will not be issued to you if you have any outstanding fees. You may obtain your ID card at the Client Services office of the School of Continuing Studies. If you withdraw from all of your courses, you must attach your ID card to the withdrawal form or return it to the Client Services Office of the School of Continuing Studies.

ID Card Schedule for the Downtown Campus

ID Card Schedule for the Downtown Campus

The locations and opening hours of ID card centres can be found on the Student Information website at mcgill.ca/student-records/personal-information/id.

  • New students can obtain their ID card 24 hours after registering for their first course. Registration dates for new students can be found here.
  • Returning students must be registered for at least one course and may present themselves at an ID card centre during their operational hours at any time in order to obtain a replacement card. Please refer to the following site for information on the Downtown Campus ID Centre: mcgill.ca/student-records/personal-information/id.

ID Card Schedule for the Macdonald Campus

ID Card Schedule for the Macdonald Campus

New students can obtain their ID card 24 hours after registering for their first course. Registration dates for new students can be found here.

  • The Macdonald Campus ID Centre is in the Student Affairs Office, Laird Hall, Room 106.
  • Information on when the ID Centre is open can be found here.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 15, 2024) (disclaimer)

Legal Name and Legal Sex Designation

Legal Name and Sex Designation

Legal Name

Legal Name

Your legal name is the name that will appear on your degree, diploma, or certificate upon graduation, and on your e-bills, tax receipts, and official transcript. It is also used by the Government of Quebec to create a Permanent Code.

After confirming your offer of admission and registering at McGill, the name provided on your admission application is validated and, in the event of a variation, updated to match the legal name appearing on one of the following documents:

Canadian or Permanent Resident Students:

  1. Canadian birth certificate, copy of an act of birth, or citizenship card or certificate

    (Note: A Canadian passport is not acceptable)

  2. Canadian Immigration Record of Landing (IMM 1000 or IMM 5292 or IMM 5688 and Permanent Residence card)
  3. Marriage certificate issued outside of Quebec—translated into English or French by a sworn officer if in another language

    (Note: Quebec marriage certificates are only acceptable if issued prior to 1984)

  4. Certificate of Name Change or Certificate of Change of Sex Designation and Name issued by the Quebec Directeur de l’état civil or applicable force in any Canadian province

    (Important: must be submitted along with a driver's license or health card indicating the name change)

International Students:

  1. Canadian Immigration Study or Work Permit
  2. Certificate of Acceptance of Quebec (CAQ)
  3. International passport (Note: For students in non-degree programs or programs that are less than 6 months; for name changes acceptable if submitted with a Certificate of Name Change)
  4. International birth certificate (with an official translation in English or French)
  5. Letter from international student's consulate or embassy in Canada
  6. Marriage certificate issued outside of Quebec—translated into English or French by a sworn officer if in another language (Note: Quebec marriage certificates are only acceptable if issued prior to 1984)
  7. Certificate of Name Change or Certificate of Change of Sex Designation and Name issued by an official government authority outside of Canada

    (Important: must be submitted along with an international passport or driver's license indicating the name change)

In the case of a variation in the spelling of the name among these documents, the University will use the name on the document that appears first on the above list.

Should McGill require a copy of one of the documents listed above, both or all sides of the document must be copied and presented.

In order to update the legal name on your student record you must:

  1. Complete a Personal Data Change Form
  2. Provide us with a copy of the appropriate legal document with the updated legal name (if we don't already have a copy); the list of acceptable documents is listed above
  3. Submit the completed form and copy of the legal document by email attachment (PDF or TIFF format) to permcode [at] mcgill.ca

Legal Sex Designation

To update your legal sex designation, you need to:

  1. Complete a Personal Data Change Form
  2. Provide us with a copy of the appropriate legal document with the updated legal sex designation (if we don't already have a copy); the list of acceptable documents is listed in the Legal Name section above
  3. Submit the completed form and copy of the legal document by email attachment (PDF or TIFF format) to permcode [at] mcgill.ca
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Aug. 21, 2024) (disclaimer)

Preferred First Name

Preferred First Name

At McGill University, a student is registered under their legal name as it appears on their legal documents,—such as a birth certificate or study permit—that have been provided to the University. This name will be used on documents such as an official transcript and diploma.

Your preferred first name is a name by which you are normally addressed and is different from your legal first name. The Preferred First Name Procedure enables students to use an alternate preferred first name for certain purposes while studying at McGill.

Students who wish to use a preferred first name should enter this information into Minerva as soon as possible in order to ensure that their preferred first name is used as widely as possible.

The preferred first name is displayed on all unofficial university documents and tools, such as:

  • McGill ID cards
  • Class lists
  • Student advising transcripts
  • For a complete list of examples, please refer to Student Records

The student's legal name must appear on official university documents, such as:

  • Official university transcripts
  • Reports to government
  • Letters of attestation
  • Diplomas and certificates
  • Tuition fee e-bills
  • For a complete list of examples, please refer to Student Records

It is important to note that making a request to use a preferred first name at McGill does not change a student's legal name in the McGill student record or records with government authorities.

You can provide a preferred first name on your application for admission or, once admitted, on Minerva, under the Personal Menu. From the Personal Menu, select Name and Pronoun Change and then add your preferred first name in the preferred first name field.

You can also request that your preferred first name be part of your McGill email address by submitting an Email Alias form in IT's Service Now. For further details, see Student Records, which includes the Preferred First Name FAQ.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 15, 2024) (disclaimer)

Verification of Name

Verification of Name

You should verify the accuracy of your name on McGill's student records via Minerva (mcgill.ca/minerva). To do this, go to Personal Menu > Name and Pronoun Change, where you can make minor corrections such as changing case (upper/lower), adding accents, and spacing. You can also add a preferred first name that is different from your legal first name, and it will be used internally at McGill. For more information on the Preferred First Name Procedure, see mcgill.ca/student-records/personal-information/name-gender.

You cannot change your legal name via Minerva. To change your legal name, please refer to Student Records. A legal name change request must be submitted along with official documents (see Legal Name and Legal Sex Designation). To add a preferred first name, see Preferred First Name.

Note for Continuing Studies: Requests for such changes must be made by presenting official documents (see Legal Name and Legal Sex Designation) in person at the Client Services Office, School of Continuing Studies.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 15, 2024) (disclaimer)

Updating Personal Information

Updating Personal Information

It is important to keep your McGill record up to date with your personal information, especially a mailing or billing address, as these are used by the University year-round. Upon initial registration, students are prompted to provide this information. Every six months thereafter, students are prompted to update this information as needed.

You must update your address(es) and/or telephone number(s) and emergency contact information on Minerva under the Personal Menu.

If you need to change important personal information that requires the University to verify official documents—such as a name change, gender, or a correction of your birth date—refer to the instructions at mcgill.ca/student-records/personal-information/name-gender. Macdonald Campus students can request changes in person at the Macdonald Campus Student Affairs Office, Laird Hall, Room 106.

Note for Continuing Studies: If you need to change important personal information that requires the University to verify official documents, such as a change to your name, gender, citizenship, or a correction of your birth date, you must go in person (as soon as possible) to the School of Continuing Studies Client Services Office. Such changes can only be made in person at the School of Continuing Studies, Client Services Office, 688 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 1199.
Note for Nursing: A Quebec address and telephone number are required for Nursing students on Minerva to meet OIIQ registration requirements.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 15, 2024) (disclaimer)

Online (Distance) Programs

Online (Distance) Programs

Students registered in exclusively online (sometimes referred to as 'distance') programs are required to declare where they are geographically located while studying for every term they are registered in the online program. For students pursuing an online program, location while studying is considered — along with the fee residency status (i.e. Quebec Resident, Canadian or International) — when determining what fees are charged.

The following programs are designed to be offered exclusively online and, with some exceptions, are not offered on one of McGill's campuses:

*: This program is self-funded
**: This program may also have an on-campus equivalent. Only students in the online version of the program must use Minerva to submit a declaration of location for a registered term.
Students in the online version of any program listed above, except those that are self-funded, will pay tuition as follows:
  1. Students studying within the province of Quebec will be subject to the rates established by the government for in-province students, according to their proven fee residency status.
  2. Students who are located outside Quebec while studying will be subject to deregulated tuition rates.

Most regular university charges will apply to all students in all online programs, but certain fees may be reduced or eliminated for students located outside the province while studying. For example, the Athletics & Recreation Fee is not charged to students located outside Quebec, and International students located outside Quebec but within Canada may request to opt-in to the International Health Insurance through mcgill.ca/internationalstudents/health.

Online program students must self-declare their location while studying for every term they are registered in the online program via Minerva under Student Menu > Location of Study - Online (distance) program. Students are notified by email that the Minerva form for the upcoming term is open and can be accessed. The form opens to all registered students in the above programs on:

  • Fall term: July 16
  • Winter term: November 16
  • Summer term: March 16
Once a student has declared their location for a given term, they cannot use Minerva to update the information for that term if it should change. To make a change to the declaration:
  • Students in a Continuing Studies program should call 514 398-6200 or email info.conted [at] mcgill.ca.
  • All other students should contact Service Point at mcgill.ca/servicepoint/contact.

Students will be asked to support their application for a change in location with appropriate documentation which can include, for example, Quebec Medicare Card, Quebec Driver's License, rental agreement, mail addressed to them at a Quebec address, etc. If the change of location occurs by the last day of classes in the Fall/Winter terms, and August 15th for the Spring/Summer terms, then the change will affect that term. After these dates, a student must wait for the opening of the new term to make the new self-declaration for the new term. If the proof cannot be provided by the last day of classes for the term of the requested change, then Enrolment Services reserves the right to refuse the application.

Where it is determined that a student has falsely declared themselves to be in Quebec, then the University reserves the right to re-assess tuition at the deregulated rates for their program and — in addition — the student would be subject to the rules contained in the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Aug. 21, 2024) (disclaimer)
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 29, 2023) (disclaimer)
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