16-18

Can I get a 16+ Oyster photocard?

If you're 16 or 17

Your parent/guardian can apply for a 16+ Oyster photocard for you, which will allow you to travel at reduced rate on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services.

If you were 18 or under on 31 August 2012

You may be eligible for a 16+ Oyster photocard which gives free travel on buses and trams as well as reduced rates on Tube, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services.

To be eligible for free bus and tram travel, you must:

• Be in full-time education
• And live in a London borough

Full-time education criteria:

• At least 12 hours of guided learning per week, between 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, for at least 10 weeks on further education courses at Level 3 or below in a sixth form college, academy, further education college or other training provider  
• Examples of Level 3 courses include A levels (AS/A2), vocational awards such as BTEC or City & Guilds qualifications at level 3 and the International Baccalaureate. It can also include apprenticeships and training courses funded by the Education Funding Agency provided the student is 18 or under on 31 August 2012. Your school, college or training provider will be able to confirm if the course qualifies

You're not eligible for free bus and tram travel if:

• You don't live in a London borough and/or
• You're not in full time education 

If you were under 16 on 31 August 2012
You can apply for an 11-15 Oyster photocard that you can use to travel free on buses and trams and to buy child rate Travelcards. You can continue to use the 11-15 Oyster photocard after you turn 16, until the expiry date printed on the front of the card.

• Terms and conditions 16+ Oyster photocard

How much do I save with a 16+ Oyster photocard?

If you have a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard you can:

• Buy child rate 7 Day, Monthly or longer period Travelcards and Bus & Tram Passes
• Travel free on buses and trams (if eligible)
• Pay as you go at half the adult single fare on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services

Travelling on National Rail

On most National Rail routes you will be charged the adult pay as you go rate. The pay as you go tariffs on National Rail map (PDF 65KB) shows how you will be charged on National Rail routes. You will you pay the full adult pay as you go rate on routes in red and half the adult rate on routes in green.

You can also get a 16-25 National Railcard and add the discount entitlement to your 16+ Oyster photocard.

• This gives a 34 per cent discount on off-peak pay as you go single fares on Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services in London. It also gives a 34 percent discount on off-peak daily price caps. If you have a 16-25 National Railcard discount added to your 16+ Zip Oyster photocard you must always carry them both when travelling
• If you have the 16-25 National Railcard discount added to your 16+ Oyster photocard, Oyster will automatically work out the cheapest fare depending on how and when you travel

Find out how much you'll pay for single journeys on Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services in London.

You can show your 16+ Oyster photocard to pay the discounted adult Boarding Pass fare on the Emirates Air Line.

How do I apply for my 16+ Oyster photocard?

• Residents of a London borough
• UK Applicants outside London
• Non UK applicants
• Application status

If you're under 18, your parent or guardian must apply on your behalf.

Residents of a London borough

If you live in a London borough, you can apply online or at a Post Office.

Apply online

If you're the parent or guardian applying on behalf of a 16-18 year-old who lives in London, you can apply online.

To apply online you will need:

• An active, valid email address
• A colour, digital photo of your child
• Debit or credit card to pay the £10 administration fee

You will be asked for your child's machine readable passport number. If your child does not have a machine-readable passport and you can't complete all the application steps online you may be prompted to:

• Download and print off a verification letter
• Get the verification letter signed and approved by your child's education establishment
• Take the verification letter to the Post Office along with required documentation and pay the £10 administration fee

• Apply online

Applying at a Post Office

You can collect a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard application form from a Post Office in London.

If the applicant is eligible for free travel on buses and trams, their school, college or training provider must confirm they meet the education criteria.

You should then submit the completed application at a Post Office in London.

To apply at a Post Office, you will need:

• Proof of your address, which must be one of the following:
  - Residential utility bill (dated in the last three months)
  - Current council tax bill
  - Bank, building society or credit card statement (dated in the last three months)
  - Council or housing association rent book or statement
  - Driving license (full or provisional)
• Proof of applicants age, which must be one of the following: 
  - Passport
  - ID card from a European Economic Area country 
  - Birth certificate 
  - Driving license (full or provisional)
  - Biometric Residency Permit
• Proof of education status - the education part of the application needs to be signed and stamped by your child's school/college

You must provide original documents; we don't accept photocopies.

We will send the 16+ Zip Oyster photocard to the address you provide.

If you provide an email address on your application, we will create a web account for you. We will send you an email with instructions on how to log in and activate your web account. You can then manage your card online, order a replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged Oyster photocard, change the photo on an Oyster photocard or order an Oyster photocard for another child.

UK applicants outside London

If you're the parent or guardian applying on behalf of a 16 or 17 year-old who lives outside London, you need to apply online.

To apply online, you will  need:

• An active, valid email address
• Your child's machine-readable passport number
• A digital photo of your child
• Credit or debit card to pay the £10 administration fee

If we're able to verify your child's age online:

We will post the 16+ Zip Oyster photocard to the address you provide. It can take up to two weeks for the photocard to be delivered.

If we're unable to verify your child's age online:

You'll have to collect the photocard from a London Travel Information Centre. You can select a Travel Information Centre to collect from during the application process. It can take up to four weeks for your application to be processed.

• Apply online

Non UK applicants

If you're the parent or guardian of a 16 or 17 year-old who lives outside the UK, you need to apply online.

We can't post Oyster photocards outside of the UK, so you need to select a Travel Information Centre to collect the photocard from during the application process. 

You must apply at least four weeks in advance of collecting the Oyster photocard. You can apply up to three months before the collection date.

To apply you will need:

• An active, valid email address
• A digital photo of your child
• Credit or debit card to pay the £10 administration fee

You need to bring your confirmation email and proof of the applicants' age when collecting the Oyster photocard from a London Travel Information Centre. This can be either:

• Passport
• ID card from a European Economic Area country 
• Birth certificate 
• Driving license (full or provisional)

You must provide original documents - we don't accept photocopies.

• Apply online
• Terms and conditions 16+ Oyster photocard

Application status

If you want to check the status of your application, you can:

• Log into your web account
• Text your application reference number to 07624 809330. You will receive a response from our SMS service. Standard network charges apply and can vary considerably. Please check with your mobile phone provider

How do I use my 16+ Oyster photocard?

Make sure you carry your Oyster photocard with you or you'll have to pay adult fares. You'll need to add pay as you go credit or a season ticket to your 16+ Oyster photocard, unless you have the free bus and tram concession and will only be using those services.

Touching in and out

To avoid paying too much, make sure you touch your card on the yellow card reader. It's a bit different for each type of transport. You may get a penalty fare if:

• You don't touch in and out correctly
• You don't have a valid ticket or enough pay as you go credit on your Oyster photocard for your journey

 If your Oyster photocard is not accepted, you may be asked to pay a cash single fare.

• Find out more about touching in and out

Behaviour Code

You must keep to the rules in our Behaviour Code, which you sign up to as part of the application process. If you don't, we can withdraw your travel concession and Oyster photocard.

Problems using your Oyster photocard

Your Oyster photocard will stop working if it has a negative pay as you go balance.

• Find out where you can check your pay as you go balance

If your Oyster photocard does not have a negative balance and is not working, call our helpline on 0343 222 1234. We can only deal with queries from the 16+ Zip Oyster photocard holder or the parent/guardian who completed the application.  

PIN numbers and security questions

Your PIN number is on your paper application form. It's the same as the last four numbers of your form's application reference number.

If you apply online, you won't have a PIN number. Instead, the parent/guardian who applies has the option to select the answer to a security question.

You need this if you contact us with queries about your 16+ Zip Oyster photocard or if you need to report the photocard as lost, stolen or damaged.

Once you have received your photocard, the parent/guardian who applied can change the PIN online by creating a web account and using the 'Change PIN' option.

Expiry date

If you have a 16+ Oyster photocard with free travel on buses and trams
Your photocard will expire on 30 September 2013; this is printed on the front of the photocard. Until that date the cardholder can travel free on buses and trams and pay as you go at half adult rate on other TfL services.

• Full details of the fares for 16-18 year olds

If you have a 16+ Oyster photocard without free travel on buses and trams (half rate only)

Your photocard will expire on the day before your 18th birthday; this is printed on the front of your photocard. Until that date you can pay as you go at half adult rate on all TfL services.

Applying for a new card
If you order a new or a replacement card (for example, if you're reapplying for free bus and tram travel at the start of the academic year or replacing a lost photocard), your existing one will stop working shortly after your new photocard has been issued. The replacement photocard should arrive before the existing photocard is stopped. If it doesn't, you'll need to buy tickets until it arrives. We will not refund the cost of these tickets.

Changing your photo

The photo on your Oyster photocard must be a true likeness. If you are no longer recognisable from your photo, then you need to update it. It costs £10 to update the photo online.

Lost, stolen or damaged cards

• Find out what to do if your 16+ Oyster photocard is lost, stolen or stops working

Information for schools

If your students apply for a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard with free travel on buses and trams, you must endorse their application. You can do this by:

• Signing and stamping the paper application form from a Post Office. The applicant can then submit the application at a Post Office
• Sign and stamp the verification letter. The applicant can then submit their application at a Post Office
• Approve the application online. You will have received information on how to approve applications online if you were invited to join the pilot online scheme. If you are having difficulties contact us on 0343 222 1234. Only education establishments who have chosen to process online applications can do so

Your school doesn't have to be in a London borough but for students to be eligible, they must:

• Live in a London borough, and
• Be in full-time education, and
• Be aged 18 or under on 31 August 2012

Eligibility

Full-time education criteria:

• The student must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 hours of guided learning per week between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday-Friday for a minimum of ten weeks, on further education courses at Level 3 or below in a school sixth form, sixth form college, academy, further education college or other training provider
• The student must live in a London borough - If they are in full time education, but don't live in a London borough, they're not eligible for free bus and tram travel

What to do when authorising a verification letter or paper application form

• Check that the student meets the criteria above
• Sign and stamp the student's verification letter or application form

What not to do

• You should not sign application forms or verification letters if the applicant isn't a London resident
• You should not approve applications for students not enrolled on a course at your establishment

If the applicant is 18 and does not live in London, they are not eligible for a 16-18 Oyster photocard.

Your DfE or UPIN number

You will be asked to enter your DfE or UPIN number when authorising applications. This the three digit LEA code and your four digit school ID.  Check your DfE number by using your school's postcode. Please note this has previously been called the DfES and DCSF number.

If you don't have a DfE or UPIN number, enter the code RETP08 in the box and write the name of your establishment on the form, in capital letters, within the school stamp box. You must also stamp the form.

• Check your DfE (formerly DfES) number by searching using your school's postcode

If your students are aged 18 or over

If you have students aged 18 or over and don't live in a London borough, they are not eligible for the 16+ Oyster photocard scheme. However they may be eligible for the 18+ Student Oyster photocard scheme.