Information for students

18+ Student Oyster photocards are only available by application through education establishments that are participating in the 18+ Student Oyster photocard scheme. A fee of £5 applies.

Many education establishments offer their students the chance to apply for a photocard online, which is much faster than postal applications, but these have to be authorised by the establishment concerned.

We cannot be held liable for delays in the authorisation of online applications.

Find out if your school or college offers online applications for 18+ Student Oyster photocards

To resolve failed payments for postal applications please call 0845 331 7892** between 08:00-20:00 seven days a week

Read the full Terms and conditions

A special application process applies for placement students.

Find out more about:

Online applications
Postal applications
When will I receive my 18+ Student Oyster photocard?
How to use your 18+ Student Oyster photocard
Failed 18+ Student Oyster photocards
Lost or stolen Oyster photocards

Online applications

You can apply online if your school or college offers online applications for the 18+ Student Oyster photocard. This is the quickest and easiest way to apply. Applications must not be submitted more than four weeks before your course start date or your 18th birthday.

You can only apply after you have enrolled with your school or college. You must be sure that you have fully enrolled on your course and that you 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 school or college before you apply online. You need to be able to supply:

A digital passport-sized photo
A £5 fee by credit or debit card

When you apply you must use the name you used to register with your school or college, because any variant of your name may not be recognised and your application could be rejected.

Postal applications

If you are unable to apply online, you will need to get an 18+ Student Oyster photocard application form from your school or college.

When completing the form you must:

Carefully follow the 'What to do' instructions on the front page. Last year, 15 per cent of applications were rejected mainly because they were incomplete or there were problems accepting the £5 fee
Check that your cheque or postal order is correctly completed or that you have entered the correct details for your credit or debit card
Use the same name that you registered with your school or college, because any variant of your name may not be recognised and your application could be rejected

When will I receive my 18+ Student Oyster photocard?

We can only process your application once it has been authorised by your establishment.

We will make every effort to process your application within seven working days of authorisation. Please allow up to an additional five working days for delivery. If you have not received your photocard within two weeks of submitting your application, call the helpline on 0845 330 9876*. You can also check the status of your application by texting the application reference number to 07624 809356 (text messages are charged at your standard network rate)
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
Once you have received your 18+ Student Oyster 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
If you have a query once your application has been submitted or want to track the progress of your application, please call the helpline or text your application reference number to 07624 809330. You will receive a response from our SMS service (text messages are charged at your standard network rate

How to use your 18+ Student Oyster photocard

When travelling on Tube, DLR and London Overground services, you must always touch in on a yellow reader at the start and touch out at the end of every journey. When travelling on buses and trams, you must always touch in on a yellow reader at the start of every journey. If you do not, you may be liable to a Penalty fare or prosecution.
You only need an 18+ Student Oyster photocard if you can benefit from buying student rate season tickets. If you live near your school or 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 standard Oyster card online, or from Tube stations, London Overground stations, Oyster ticket stops, London Travel Information Centres and some National Rail stations.

Failed 18+ Student Oyster photocard

If your 18+ Student Oyster photocard will not work on the yellow card readers, call the helpline on 0845 330 9876*.

Lost or stolen photocards

If you lose your 18+ Student Oyster photocard, or if it is stolen, you will need to re-apply to get a replacement. You will need to pay a non-refundable fee of £5. You can re-apply online, by postal application form via your educational establishment or by telephone on 0845 331 9872*

If appropriate, a refund of the unused value of any ticket product or pay as you go balance on the lost or stolen Oyster photocard may be made.

Contact: Oyster Ticketing and Refunds office

55 Broadway, London SW1H 0BD
Tel: 0845 330 9876*

Read the full Terms and conditions.

Helpline

For further details call the helpline on:

Tel: 0845 330 9876*

* For BT residential customers, calls to the Oyster helpline will cost no more than 3.5p per minute (current at November 2008). The price on non-BT phone lines may be different.

** Calls from BT landlines will be charged with a minimum fee of 5.9p and then up to 4p per minute. Mobile and other network costs may vary.