Temporary Access Pass for students

If you are unable to use your chosen primary or secondary Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) method, you can gain temporary access to set up a new method yourself without contacting IT Support.

This service is only available to undergraduate students and postgraduate taught students.

MFA relies on an additional device, phone, or browser to verify your identity to allow you to access many University IT systems, including email.

By using the Multi-Factor Authentication Temporary Access Pass, undergraduate students and taught postgraduates will be able to arrange for a one-time password to be sent to your personal (non-Cardiff University) email address. This pass will remain active for one hour to allow you to set up another method.

If you no longer have access to your authentication method, or you have a new device, phone number, or web browser you will need to use the Temporary Access Pass.

If you still have access to your old device, please read our guidance on what to do.

You will need to make sure that your personal email are up to date in SIMS to receive the Temporary Access Pass.

Using the Temporary Access Pass

Visit password.cardiff.ac.uk using your university username and password – your username is your student number with a c prefix, for example: c1436578.
Select the Multi-Factor Authentication Temporary Access Pass button.
You will be presented with your personal email address partially obscured for security reasons.
When you receive the code, visit the MFA Account Manager.
Sign in using your university email address and password. You will be prompted to enter the Temporary Access Pass. Enter the Temporary Access Pass you received to your personal email – if prompted to authenticate via the app, please select “I can’t use my Microsoft authenticator app right now” and enter the code sent to your personal email address.
Remove the method you no longer have access to from the list of methods provided.
Select add method and follow the on-screen steps.
When you are prompted to use MFA to access your University IT account you can use the method you have just set up.

Don’t get locked out

There are some steps you can take to make sure you can always access your account when you need to:

when you get a new phone make sure you set up MFA on your new device before you get rid of your old device. You’ll need your old device one last time in order to authenticate and set up your new device for MFA
when you finish setting up MFA in the first instance, do not delete the MFA authenticator app – you will need this on an ongoing basis to authenticate in the future
make sure you set up both a primary and secondary authentication method
follow our instructions for what to do if you get a new phone number, device, or web browser

Help and support

Students

If further support is required, please book an appointment for over-the-phone help with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

Staff

If further support is required, please book an appointment for over-the-phone help with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).