Kids

Under 11s
Under 11s can travel free on buses and trams at all times. They can also travel free on the Tube, DLR and London Overground, if accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket, pass or Oyster card.

Under 16s
Young people who are under 16 can get an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard that will allow them to travel free on buses and trams, pay half the adult rate on the Tube, DLR and London Overground and buy half-price Travelcard season tickets. The Oyster daily price cap means that they can travel all day on services where ‘pay as you go’ is available for a maximum cost of £1. Their 11-15 Oyster photocard will expire on Sept 30 following the end of the academic year in which they turn 16.

For further information on this scheme visit www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1020.aspx

For general information on Oyster visit www.tfl.gov.uk/oyster. If you are unable to find the information you require, you can contact the Oyster Helpdesk on 0845 330 9876.

Travel Without a Zip card
Under 16s can buy an Off-Peak Day Travelcard for £2 without the need for a photocard (no form of identification is required and they can be purchased from a ticket machine); for Under 16s travelling with a valid adult-rate Travelcard holder, the Off-Peak Day Travelcard costs just £1. This allows travel on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services within Zones 1-6, from 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on public holidays.
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16-17 year olds
All 16-17 year olds (whether London residents or not) can get a 16+ Oyster photocard that will allow them to travel at half the adult rate on buses, trams, Tube, DLR and London Overground. In addition, 16-18 year olds in qualifying full-time education, who live in a London borough, are eligible for free bus and tram travel with a 16+ Oyster photocard. (Qualifying full-time education means a minimum of 12 hours of guided learning per week, for a minimum of ten weeks, on further education courses such as A-levels (AS/A2), NVQ level 3 and the International Baccalaureate. Your school or college will be able to tell you whether your course qualifies.)

Further details are available at www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1018.aspx

How apply for free travel
If you live in London
If you live in London, you should apply for an 11-15 or 16+ Oyster photocard at your local Post Office. If it is your first Under 16s or 16+ Oyster photocard, or you are a 16+ applicant renewing your free travel concession, there is no fee. The card will be sent to the address given in your application within two weeks. If the card is lost, stolen or damaged, a replacement will cost £10 and can be obtained online at www.tfl.gov.uk/photocard or by contacting the Oyster helpline (0845 0170 330).

Young people wishing to benefit from free bus and tram travel need to re-apply at the Post Office at the start of each academic year. Applications for 16+ travel concession can be made at Post Offices from Sept 1 to June 30. Applications can be processed outside this time by contacting the Oyster helpline: 0845 330 9876.

Visitors to London
If you are planning a visit to London, you can apply for your Oyster photocard online at www.tfl.gov.uk/photocard, and collect it at a Travel Information Centre (www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/wheretobuytickets/travelinformationcentres/1086.aspx) when you arrive. You need to apply at least three weeks prior to your visit. Further options are available for groups (see www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/oneand3daytickets/2906.aspx).

18+
If you are older and coming to London to study, you may be eligible for the 18+ Oyster photocard scheme for students in full-time education. This scheme gives a 30 per cent discount on Travelcards and Bus Pass season tickets. Further information is available at: www.tfl.gov.uk/photocard

5-10 Oyster photocards
Parents may choose to obtain a 5-10 Oyster photocard for their child for various reasons: so that their child can travel free with an older sibling; to avoid having to ask a member of staff to let them through the gate; to purchase and use Travelcard season tickets on Oyster for use on National Rail services in London; because their child looks older (ie over 11).

5-10 Oyster photocard application forms are available at the Post Office. You can apply once your child is five. Once they are 10 years 11 months, they should apply instead for the 11-15 Oyster photocard. Applications are submitted at the Post Office in exactly the same way as for a 11-15 Oyster photocard.

Visitors from outside London can apply online at www.tfl.gov.uk/photocard to order a card for collection at a Travel Information Centre. They must apply a minimum of three weeks in advance. Replacements for lost or stolen cards are obtained at www.tfl.gov.uk/photocard or by calling 0845 0170 330 (a £10 fee is payable for duplicates).

What you need to take when you apply for a photocard
1. A completed application form.

2. A full-face passport photo.

3. Proof of age (valid passport/ID card from a European Economic Area/birth certificate).

4. Applicants for a 16+ Oyster photocard who are applying for free bus and tram travel also need a document that proves their address (it must bear the applicant’s name and address or the name of the applicant’s parent or guardian and the applicant’s address – eg, a recent utility bill, a council tax bill or a driving licence; mobile phone bills are not accepted).

Who needs a signature from their school?
For a 16+ Oyster photocard, the form requires the signature and official stamp of the applicant’s school or college.

For an 11-15 Oyster photocard, a school signature is only required if the applicant does not have a birth certificate or passport to prove their age.

Who needs to go to the Post Office?
Anyone can submit the application, whether for a 5-10, 11-15 or 16+ Oyster photocard.