5-10

Does my child need an Oyster photocard?

Your child needs a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard to travel free on Tube, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail routes

• If travelling without an adult, or
• If they look older than 10

A £10 administration fee is payable at the time of application.

Your child doesn't need an Oyster photocard

• To travel free on buses and trams
• To buy child-rate cash singles, returns and Day Travelcards
• If travelling with an adult who has a valid ticket, Freedom Pass or Veterans photocard or who is using pay as you go (up to four children per adult)

If your child has a Child or Under-14 Oyster photocard

They pay child-rate fares on the Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail.

If you order a replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged Child or Under-14 Oyster photocard, your child will be issued with a 5-10 Oyster photocard instead. They can use this to travel free on Tube, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services.

A £10 fee applies for all replacement Oyster photocards.

• Terms and conditions 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard

Getting a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard

• I live in London
• I live outside London
• Tracking your application
  

I live in a London borough

You can apply online or at the Post Office.

Online
If you are the parent or guardian of an applicant who lives in a London borough, and we can verify the information you provide, apply online and your child's 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard will be posted to you. 

When you apply you'll need:

• Your and your child's machine-readable passport numbers
• A digital photo of your child. It must be a true likeness and they should not be wearing anything that covers their head, unless worn for medical or religious reasons 
• Credit or debit card to pay the non-refundable £10 administration fee (cheques not accepted)

• Apply here

At the Post Office
You can get a green 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard application form from any Post Office in London. 

Fill in your form and take it to the Post Office at least two weeks before your child needs the Oyster photocard.

Take with you:

• A full face passport-type photo of your child. Inkjet quality photos are not accepted. It must be a true likeness and they should not be wearing anything that covers their head, unless worn for medical or religious reasons
• £10 for the non-refundable administration fee (cheques are not accepted)
• Proof of your identity and address, which must be one of the following and dated within the last three months:
  - Residential utility bill
  - Council tax bill
  - Bank, building society or credit card statement
  - Council or housing association rent book or statement
  - Driving licence (full or provisional)
   Proof of age of the child, either:
  - Passport
  - ID card from a European Economic Area country
  - Birth certificate

You must provide the original document as we don't accept photocopies.

We'll send your child's 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard to you.

I live outside London

UK customer
If you live in the UK, but outside London, you can order your child's 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard online and we will send the card to you, provided we can verify your personal information.

You need to apply on your child's behalf as we'll need information about both you and your child.

When you apply you'll need:

• Your and your child's machine-readable passport numbers
• A digital photo. It must be a true likeness of the child and they should not be wearing anything that covers their head, unless worn for medical or religious reasons
• Credit or debit card to pay the non-refundable £10 administration fee

If we are able to verify your details and your child's age online, we'll post the 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard to the address supplied. Allow two weeks for delivery.

If we are unable to verify your details or your child's age online, you'll have to collect the photocard from a Travel Information Centre. You'll be able to select a Travel Information Centre during the application process. Please allow four weeks for your application to be processed.

• Apply here 

Non UK customers
If you don't live in the UK, you'll need to apply online.

We're unable to post Oyster photocards overseas, so you'll need to select a Travel Information Centre to collect your child's photocard from.

Allow a minimum of four weeks to apply for your card. You can apply a maximum of three months prior to the collection date of the card from the Travel Information Centre.

To apply you'll need:

• A digital photo of your child. It must be a true likeness and they should not be wearing anything that covers their head, unless worn for medical or religious reasons
• Credit or debit card to pay the £10 fee

When you collect your child's photocard from a Travel Information Centre, you need to present proof of identity for your child. This can be either:

• Valid passport
• ID card from a European Economic Area country
• Birth certificate

• Apply here 
• 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard terms and conditions

Tracking your application

• Check online if you have a web account
• Text your application reference number to 07624 809325. You will receive a response from our SMS service. Standard network charges apply and can vary considerably. Please check with your mobile phone provider

If your photocard doesn't arrive within two weeks, please call 0845 331 9872, quoting your application reference number.

How do I use a 5-10 Oyster photocard?

Touching in and out

To avoid paying too much, make sure your child touches their card on the yellow card readers. It's a bit different for each type of transport.

• Find out more about touching in and out.

Travelling without a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard

They don't need to have their card if they're:

• Using buses and trams
• Travelling with an adult on Tube, DLR and London Overground services
• Using a child-rate Day Travelcard
• Paying cash for single or return tickets

At all other times they need to have their Zip Oyster photocard.

Cardholders must always touch in on the yellow reader on buses and trams and additionally touch out when using other services, such as the Tube and National Rail services.

Problems using an Oyster photocard

We can only deal with queries from the parent/guardian who completed the application.

If the Oyster photocard does not work, please call our helpline on 0845 330 9876.

If your child's 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard is worn and more than two years old, you can get another one free by calling the helpline on 0845 331 9872.

PIN number

The PIN number attached to the 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard is on the paper application form.

It's the same last four numbers of the form's application reference number.

If you apply online, you will be prompted to select the answer to a security question. You'll need this if you contact us with queries about the 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard and also if the card is going to be reported lost, stolen or damaged.

Changing your PIN online

Once you've received your photocard, you can change your PIN online by creating a photocard account and using the 'Change PIN' option.

Expiry date

Your child's 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard will expire the day before their 11th birthday.

To continue to get free travel on buses and trams and child-rate travel on Tube, DLR, and London Overground services, you will need to apply for an 11-15 Oyster photocard. You can do this up to a month before they turn 11.

Applying for a new card

If you order a new or a replacement card, the existing photocard will stop working shortly after the new photocard has been issued. The replacement photocard should arrive before the existing photocard is stopped.

If it doesn't, the 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard holder will need to buy tickets (where required) until it arrives. We will not refund the cost of these tickets.

Changing the photo

The photo must be a good or recent likeness of the cardholder. You can change the photo online if if the child is no longer recognisable from the photo. It costs £10.

Lost, stolen or damaged cards

• Find out what to do if your 5-10 Oyster photocard is lost, stolen or stops working