Full and part-time

Information for Students

To apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard, you must be:

A full-time student enrolled on a full-time course, consisting of 15 or more tuition led and/or structured learning hours a week over a period of at least 14 weeks
Enrolled on a part-time course of least 14 weeks duration and be in receipt of a fee grant, course grant or be receiving help from the Access to Learning Fund as defined in the extract taken from A guide to financial support for higher education students in 2007/2008 (PDF 28KB) produced by the Department for Education and Skills
A full time postgraduate student (i.e. studying/writing up for 15 or more hours per week)
Working towards a research based degree such as a PhD or MPhil

Before you apply, please check that your university, college or school is participating in the scheme.

How do I apply?

Students at most education establishments can now apply for a 18+ Student Oyster photocard online. Please check to see if your education establishment offers online application s for 18+ Student oyster photocards. Applying online is much faster than paper (postal) applications. To apply online you need to be a fully-enrolled student with your education establishment. Please do not apply until you are sure you have fully-enrolled on your course and:

Have either paid your fees, or
Provided satisfactory evidence of sponsorship

If you apply before you are fully enrolled, your 18+ Student Oyster photocard application will be rejected and your application fee will not be refunded. If in doubt, check your enrolment status with your establishment before you apply online for your photocard. Applying online is quicker and easier. You need to be able to supply:

A digital passport sized photo, and
Pay a £5 fee by credit or debit card

When you apply, please use the name that you have used to register with your establishment. If you use a different variant of your name it may not be recognised by your establishment.

To apply by post you will need to obtain an 18+ Student Oyster photocard application form from your education establishment. 18+ Student Oyster photocard application forms (academic year 2007-2008), are only valid for applications received up to 31 July 2008. Applications received after 31 July 2008 will not be processed.

When completing the form:

Follow the 'How to complete your application form' instructions carefully. Last year, 15 per cent of applications were rejected. This was mainly because there were problems in accepting payment of the £5 fee or because they were incomplete

Please check that your cheque or Postal Order is correctly completed. If you are paying by credit/debit card, please ensure that you have entered the correct details

Use the name that you have used to register with your establishment. If you use a different variant of your name it may not be recognised by your establishment

When will I receive my 18+ Student Oyster photocard?

Your application will be processed and your 18+ Student Oyster photocard will be sent to the address you provide on your application. TfL will make every effort to process your application within seven working days of receipt. Please allow up to an additional five working days for postal delivery
Applications can be submitted up to four weeks before your 18th birthday or course start date. In such cases, your 18+ Student Oyster photocard will be despatched shortly before your birthday or course start date

Lost or Stolen 18+ Student Oyster photocard

If your 18+ Student Oyster photocard has been lost or stolen, you will need to re-apply to get a duplicate. You will need to pay a non-refundable fee of £5.

You can re-apply

online
on a paper application form via your college/university or
by phoning 0845 0170 330. (Calls from BT landlines will be charged with a minimum fee of 5.5p and then up to 4p per minute. Mobile and other network costs may vary).

If appropriate, a refund of the unused value of any ticket product or money to pay as you go balance on the lost/stolen Oyster photocard may be made. Contact the Oyster ticketing and Refunds Office, 55 Broadway, London SW1H 0BD or call 0845 330 9876*.'

General information

Your Student-rate travel concession will expire on your course end date or 14 October 2008 whichever is sooner
You only need a 18+ Student Oyster photocard if you can benefit from buying Student rate season tickets. If you live near your college or only make a few journeys it may be better to use Oyster to pay as you go at adult-rate. You can get a normal Oyster card online, from a Tube station, London Overground station, an Oyster Ticket Stop or a London Travel Information Centre. Some National Rail stations also issue Oyster cards
Once you have received your photocard you can change your PIN online
- If you already have an online account, sign in and select the `Change PIN` option
- If you do not have an account, select `Create online account from existing photocard`. Once you have set up your account, select the `Change PIN` option
- Alternatively, you can use the automated service on 0845 218 5262 or call the helpline on 0845 330 9876*
If your 18+ Student Oyster photocard will not work on the card reader, call the helpline on 0845 330 9876*
If you have a query once your application has been submitted or want to track the progress of your application, please call the helpline on 0845 330 9876* Alternatively, you can text your application reference number to 07624 809330. You will receive a response from our SMS service. Standard network charges apply

Read full Terms and Conditions

Helpline

For further details, call the helpline on 0845 330 9876*

* For BT residential customers, calls to the Oyster helpline will cost no more than 3.5p per minute, (current at May 2007). The price on non-BT phone lines may be different

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