As a fully enrolled student, you may be eligible for various forms of discounted travel - Below you can review which kinds are available and their criteria.
Following a cyber security attack on the Transport for London (TfL) website, TfL closed their application portal meaning there have been delays in applying for and processing Oyster card applications.
As of 31 October 2024, TfL have now re-opened the 18+ Student Oyster photocard scheme for applications. All fully enrolled students are now welcome to submit an application. You may need to provide accurate programme start and end date which you can find in your My Details page in MySIS, under the heading 'Programme Details'.
Please be advised that, due to the volume of applications expected during the first few weeks of November, Queen Mary aims to approve all requests sent to us by TfL within 10 working days, although we will approve faster than this where possible.
TfL have advised that students keep a record of any additional fares they have paid due to not being able to apply. Once new photocards have been issued, TfL will provide guidance on how to apply for a refund.
An 18+ Oyster Card entitles you to a 30% discount when you buy a weekly or monthly travelcard.In order to apply, you need to be at least 18 years old and meet the eligibility criteria specified by Transport for London website. There is a charge of £20.00 for each application. Please check the TFL terms and conditions before you apply for the 18+ Oyster card to make sure you are eligible. If you are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please contact us at oyster@qmul.ac.uk for more information.
Following a cyber security attack on the Transport for London (TfL) web site, there will be delays in applying for and processing Oyster card applications.
https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/we-re-doing-maintenance-on-our-photocard-website
Please note that during busy periods, such as enrolment, it may take two weeks for us to validate your application.
You need to apply for an Oyster Card online by logging onto the TFL website. In order to complete your application online, you will need a passport sized digital photograph of yourself available to upload from your computer along with credit or debit card details for paying the £20.00 application fee. You will also need your student ID number (this is your nine digit student number on the front of your student card).
For all undergraduate and postgraduate students, please make sure that you select the Queen Mary - Non Research Student option when making your application. We cannot approve placement applications.
Please note that we cannot approve applications for the pre-sessional course. We will ask that you wait until full enrolment on your main Programme in September before applying.
Please ensure that the details you enter match those on your student record, including full name. If they don't match, your application will be rejected by Queen Mary.
TfL will ask Queen Mary to confirm that you are fully enrolled. Please make sure you do not apply for your 18+ oyster card until you have fully enrolled. If you apply before you enrol your application will be put on hold, and it will take longer for your application to be validated by Queen Mary. Please note if you are temporarily enrolled we will not validate your application.
Once your application has been validated by us, TFL will process the rest of your application and will then send your card to the address you provided. If you have not received your photocard after three weeks, call the TFL helpline to check the status of your application.
If you are a full-time research student, you can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard via the Transport for London website. Go to the 18+ Student Oyster page, check that you meet the application criteria and apply online. When you are prompted to select your institution from the dropdown menu, please ensure that you select 'Queen Mary University of London - Research Students'.If you select "Non Research Students", your application may be rejected. Please do not apply for a "placement" card.
You no longer need to re-confirm your multi-year 18+ Student Oyster photocards with TFL via the TFL website in September/October. Instead, in November Queen Mary will inform TfL which students have not re-enrolled and those 18+ Oyster photocards will be stopped.
If you are returning after resitting out of attendance or from an interruption, please make sure that you have fully re-enrolled on your course before re-applying for an 18+ Oyster Card to avoid delays in your application being approved. Please also ensure that the details you enter on the application form match those on your student record, including your full name. If they do not match your application will be rejected by Queen Mary.
If the duration of your course changes (e.g. you change from a 3 year course to a 4 year course) you may need to submit a new 18+ Oyster card application so that the additional time is covered.
If you have any questions about the 18+ Oyster Card scheme, please email oyster@qmul.ac.uk
With a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard you can:
Please click here for further information on the 16+ Zip Oyster photocard eligibility criteria.
If you're aged between 16 - 25 or if you're over 26 and a full time student studying for over 15 hours a week, at least 20 weeks a year (distance learning and part-time courses do not qualify), you could be eligible for the 16 - 25 rail card. You must be fully enrolled and not have an outstanding debt with Queen Mary in order for us to approve your application.
Linking your rail card and your Oyster card
You can also add this discount to your standard Oyster card or your 18+ Student Oyster photocard to get a 34% discount on single off-peak pay-as-you-go fares on London Underground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services.
Peak times are from 06:30 to 09:29 and from 16:00 to 18:59 Monday to Friday. During peak travel times, some journeys cost slightly more. Your rail card will not get you a discount during these times.
For example: a single Tube journey within zone 1 or between zones 1 and 2 outside the hours of 06:30 to 9:29 and from 16:00 to 18:59 or on a weekend would cost £2.40. With a rail card linked to your Oyster card, the same journey would cost £1.59. Journeys made within those hours (during peak times) would cost £2.90, regardless of whether or not your Oyster and rail card are linked.
You can use TfL's Single Fare Finder to work out how much single Tube journeys would cost without being linked to a rail card.
Due to the £30 fee when you buy a rail card, it is worth considering whether or not you would use the discounts it gives you often enough for it to be worth the money.
How do I link my railcard and my Oyster card?
To link your Oyster card and rail card, you need to take your Oyster card and your rail card to an Underground station, Overground ticket office or some National Rail ticket offices and ask the staff to add your discount entitlement to your Oyster card. It will be valid until the expiry of the rail card.
You should be aware that once your Oyster has a discount attached to it, you can no longer share it with or lend it to other people as it is only valid with the associated discount card.