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Complete online enrolment

Last updated: 17/07/2025 12:00

How to complete online enrolment and confirm your programme of study.

Congratulations on securing your place - we’re so pleased you’ve chosen to join our university community. We can’t wait to welcome here.

Before you officially become a Cardiff University student, you’ll need to complete online enrolment. You’ll receive an email around 3 weeks before your programme starts letting you know it’s time to enrol.

We recommend completing the online tasks as soon as you receive the email - it only takes about 15 minutes.

Get prepared

Before you begin, make sure you have the following ready:

  • your Cardiff University username and password
  • a photo or scanned copy of your identity documentation
  • an electronic passport-style photo of yourself for your student ID card
  • if applicable: your payment details (bank account, credit/debit card, sponsorship details)
  • if applicable: a UKVI Share Code to prove your immigration status
  • if applicable: Academic Technology Certificate (ATAS)

If you've applied for Student Finance, check that your university, course details, and tuition fee amount are correct on your notification of entitlement letter from your funding body. Find out how to update any incorrect details if needed.

Start the online enrolment process

To complete online enrolment, you will need to log into our student information management system (SIMS). You'll use SIMS to:

  • complete online enrolment
  • choose modules
  • request changes to your programme of study
  • maintain your personal details
  • access academic history
  • prove your student status and pay tuition fees
  • request an interruption of study (suspend study)
  • notify the university of your intention to withdraw

It's your responsibility to keep your details in SIMS accurate and up to date.

Your data held on SIMS is protected by the Data Protection Act 1998.

Help using SIMS

Make sure you're typing the url: https://sims.cf.ac.uk into the address bar not into a search engine.

If you're trying to log into SIMS from your place of work it might be blocked by the organisation. Contact your network administrator for advice.

Click on the 'forgotten password' link on the SIMS login in page. You will be sent a reset code sent to the email address or mobile that's held on SIMS from your application

If you've successfully entered in your username and password, but can't get past the extra security questions, check that you're entering the correct student number (found at top of enrolment communication).

Make sure you're entering your date of birth in the format dd/mm/yyyy.

Check that you are typing your Cardiff University username and password into the correct fields. If an error message appears, make a note of it and contact us for help.

Next steps

Once you’ve completed online enrolment, you’ll receive a confirmation email within 24 hours.

Shortly after, you’ll gain access to a range of Cardiff University digital resources, including IT systems, learning platforms, and essential software to help you get started. Complete your IT set up.

The final step in your enrolment is collecting your student ID card. You’ll be able to collect it from one of our collection points when you arrive in Cardiff. This is a mandatory step for all on-campus students.

Students’ Union Membership

When you complete online enrolment, you’ll automatically become a full member of the Cardiff University Students’ Union - a great way to get involved, meet new people, and make the most of your university experience.

If you’d prefer not to be a member, that’s totally fine. Under Section 22(2)(c) of the Education Act 1994, you can opt out by notifying the Academic Registrar via Student Connect. Just make sure to do this within:

  • 14 days of completing online enrolment, or
  • by the end of the second week of your first term - whichever comes first.

Contact us

If you need support at any stage of the enrolment process, we’re here to help.

If you're experiencing an issue in SIMS, please make a note of any error messages you see - this will help us resolve the problem more quickly.

Enrolment enquiries

If you have any questions about Student Finance or funding contact:

Student Funding and Advice team