European Student Card enters final transition year before new QR-code logo becomes mandatory in January 2028
By Muntasir • Published May 16, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Study Abroad, Study in Europe, Education News & Policy
Erasmus+ students use either the old hologram European Student Card or the new QR-code version through 31 December 2027. From 1 January 2028, only the new QR-code card works.
📩 New card carries a QR code, the EU flag, and the words "European Student Card".
⏱️ Both card versions work side by side until 31 December 2027.
🎓 From 1 January 2028, the QR-code card becomes mandatory.
The QR code links to the ESC Router for instant status checks.
A pilot tested a fully digital, verifiable card version in autumn 2025.
Two cards, one transition year
If you study through Erasmus+, you carry a European Student Card that proves your mobility status to universities, libraries and services abroad. The card is switching from a hologram design to a version with a QR code, the EU flag and the words "European Student Card" printed on it. See the official European Student Card page .
The scheme dates to 2016, when the EU launched it as a project to give Erasmus+ mobility students one recognized proof of status across host countries. Your home university issues the card through its Erasmus+ or international relations office before you leave for your host institution. It then works as proof of student and mobility status when you check into student housing, register at the host university, or use campus services there.
Both versions work side by side through 31 December 2027. From 1 January 2028, only the new QR-code card counts as valid, according to ErasMAG's explainer for students . That makes 2026 and 2027 the two years to expect either design in circulation, with 2027 the last full year before the switch becomes mandatory.
Why the QR code matters
Scanning the QR code connects to the ESC Router, the system behind the card, and confirms your student and mobility status right away. That replaces slower manual checks and cuts down on forged or outdated cards, since staff at a host university or transport provider verify your status on the spot instead of trusting a printed hologram.
A digital card in testing
Alongside the physical card switch, the Commission piloted a fully digital version of the European Student Card between September and November 2025. Thirteen card issuers across nine countries took part, including 12 higher education institutions and one national research and education network. Full results are on the Commission's pilot page .
Participants tested two ways to issue the digital card: through the central ESC Router, and directly through their own institution's systems. Six organizations finished issuance through the Router, two finished the direct route, and three tested both. Feedback flagged gaps to fix, including the ability to revoke a credential and clearer verification screens, before a wider rollout follows. The Commission frames the pilot as a step toward a digital version that exists alongside the physical card rather than a full replacement, at least for now.
What to do now
If your card already shows the hologram design, keep using it. It stays valid until the new logo becomes mandatory on 1 January 2028. If your university issues the new QR-code card during your exchange, it works everywhere the hologram card did, plus faster checks wherever a host institution adopted the ESC Router scanning system.