18+ Student Oyster photocard

18 Plus Zip Oyster photocard

Benefits

Save 30% on adult-rate Travelcards and Bus & Tram Pass season tickets.

Who is it for?

You can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard if:

  • You're 18 or over
  • Live in a London borough during term time
  • Enrolled at a school, college or university registered on the TfL scheme or on a mandatory work placement in London

You must also be one of the following:

  • Enrolled on a full-time course with at least 15 tuition-led or structured learning hours a week. You must attend classes Monday to Friday only (not including evening classes) that span a minimum of 14 weeks on the same course (shorter courses repeated over 14 or more weeks aren't eligible)
  • Receiving an NHS Bursary as a full-time student. You must give your school, college or university evidence of your sponsorship so they can validate your application
  • Full-time postgraduate student, studying or writing up to more than 15 hours a week
  • Full-time student registered and studying on a higher education course at a school, college or university not registered with the TfL scheme but on mandatory work placement in London for at least 14 weeks
  • Sabbatical officer
  • Enrolled on a part-time course for at least 14 weeks and:

If your school, college or university is outside Greater London but you live in a London borough during term time and travel regularly, ask your school, college or university if they're registered on the 18+ Student Oyster photocard scheme.

If you were 18 on 31 August and live in a London borough, you may still be eligible for a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard.

How to apply

You apply online once you've enrolled with your school, college or university.

You need to provide:

  • Active email address
  • Student enrolment ID from your school, college or university
  • London borough address
  • Digital photo which must be a .jpg, .bmp or .gif file and less than 6MB

You pay an administration fee of £20 using a credit or debit card.

You can get a photocard valid for up to three years of your course.

We'll post your 18+ Student Oyster photocard to you once your school, college or university has approved your application.

You apply online and need to provide:

  • Active email address
  • Student enrolment ID from your school, college or university
  • Your work placement start and end date
  • Digital photo which must be a .jpg, .bmp or .gif file and less than 6MB

You pay an administration fee of £20 using a credit or debit card.

Once you've applied online, you need to send us a letter confirming your work placement status from your school, college or university.

Send the letter to:

Transport for London
Admail 4121
London SW1P 1AT

It can take up to two weeks to process your application once we've received your letter.

Check your application status

How to use and where to buy

Once you get your 18+ Student Oyster photocard, sign in to your photocard web account to:

You can also buy discounted Travelcards and Bus & Tram Pass season tickets at Oyster Ticket Stops, Tube stations and Visitor Centres. You can buy discounted Travelcards at some National Rail stations.

You can then start using it to travel. Make sure you touch in at the start of your journey and touch out at the end on yellow card readers. You only need to touch in on buses and trams. Find out more about touching in and out.

Use your photocard web account to manage your card or report a lost card.

Expiry

Your 18+ Student Oyster photocard expires when your course ends.

Your school, college or university will tell us if you're no longer eligible or your course end date has changed. Your photocard will then be stopped.

Get a Railcard

Save 34% on pay as you go off-peak fares and daily caps by adding a 16-25 Railcard or 26-30 Railcard to your 18+ Student Oyster photocard to travel on the Tube, London Overground, Elizabeth line and most National Rail services in London.

Schools, colleges and universities

Schools, colleges and universities must register on the TfL Scheme so their students can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard. The registration fee is £25 (non-refundable).

If your location is outside London, but your students regularly commute from a London borough, you may be eligible to register.

Check if you're eligible to register

Register on the TfL Scheme

Call 0343 222 1234 (call charges may apply) to register.

Support

Schools, colleges and universities already registered on the scheme which need support with their account should contact establishmentregistration@novacroft.com

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