How to Get the 16-25 Railcard for International Students

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Getting around the UK easily when you’re an international student doesn’t need to be a hassle. There are plenty of public transport options and even many bicycle lanes if you’re a fan of cycling! However, if you want to explore further afield a bike might not cut it. If you know you’ll be doing a lot of travelling in and out of different cities and want to save yourself some money, a 16-25 Railcard might be the one for you. Keep reading to find out the following:

👉🏻What is a 16-25 Railcard?

👉🏻How to apply for a 16-25 Railcard

👉🏻Who is eligible for a 16-25 Railcard?

👉🏻How to use the 16-25 Railcard

👉🏻When can the 16-25 Railcard be used?

👉🏻Where can the 16-25 Railcard be used?

What is a 16-25 Railcard?

A 16-25 Railcard is just that - a railcard for 16-25 year olds to use on their train journeys. You can save a ⅓ on all rail travel plus get extra benefits such as the ability to save up to 50% on theatre tickets and a free tastecard membership for 3 months! All you need to do is choose either a 1-year ticket for a total cost of £30 (as of May 2024) or a 3-year ticket for a total cost of £70 (as of May 2024), and you’ll save an average of £182 per year on train fares!

How to apply for a 16-25 Railcard

If a Railcard sounds like something you’d be interested in, applying for one is pretty simple. You can buy a 1-year railcard online or at a physical train station ticket office. For the 3-year Railcard, this can only be completed online. Visit the 16-25 website and fill out their online application. All you’ll need is the following:

✅Proof of ID - UK driving licence, passport, or EEA National Identity Card

✅A valid debit or credit card (or cash if you’re buying at the station)

✅A passport-style photograph - this can be a selfie, but make sure you don’t use any filters!

✅The Railcard app already installed on your device (only do this if you want a digital Railcard)

✅Mature students will also need to fill out The Mature Student Application Form

If you choose to do your application online, once you have completed the form, you’ll receive an email with your download code for the digital Railcard. If you want a physical Railcard, please allow up to 5 working days for it to be delivered to you. 

If you’re a mature student and have applied for the Railcard you’ll need to allow for 5 working days for your application to be approved.

Who is eligible for a 16-25 Railcard?

You might think who’s eligible for a 16-25 Railcard is pretty simple - 16-25 years old. Right? Well, there’s a little more to it. 

Firstly, anyone can apply for a 16-25 Railcard, whether you’re from the UK or you’re an international student. Plus, if you’re a mature student over the age of 25, you can still apply for a 1-year Railcard; you’ll just need to prove your student status and that you’re in full-time study. Secondly, if you’re approaching your 25th birthday, you can still apply. In fact, you can apply for a 1-year Railcard up to and including the day before your 26th birthday. You’ll still be able to use the Railcard up until its expiration date, even though you’re no longer 26. However, if you want to purchase a 3-year Railcard, the latest you can do so is the day before your 24th birthday. This means the expiry date will be sometime around your 27th birthday. 

How to use the 16-25 Railcard

Using the Railcard is simple. All you need to do is purchase your tickets using your Railcard—saving yourself ⅓ of the original ticket price—and then make sure you’ve got the Railcard with you when you travel. Unfortunately, if you don’t have the Railcard on you when you travel, you might have to pay the full price.

When can the 16-25 Railcard be used?

You can travel and use the Railcard at any time and any day, but a minimum fare of £12 will apply to all journeys made Monday through Friday between 4:30 a.m. and 9:59 a.m. This excludes Advance fares and does not apply on public holidays or throughout July and August.

Where can the 16-25 Railcard be used?

You can use the Railcard on the following:

✅Standard Anytime Day (single and return tickets)

✅Standard Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak (day, single and return tickets)

✅Standard and First-Class Advance tickets

✅Oyster Cards - Off-Peak pay-as-you-go tickets on National Rail, London Underground, Overground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services

✅Anytime Day Travelcards

✅Express Trains to the airport

✅Hop-On and Hop-Off fares

✅Caledonian Sleeper

✅Combined rail/sea journeys

For more information on where you can use the 16-25 Railcard, please visit the Railcard site.

UniHomes and all bills included accommodation

Once you’ve got your Railcard sorted and made travelling super easy and affordable, it’s time to make your student accommodation easy too! Luckily, here at UniHomes, we advertise a huge range of properties throughout the UK with bills included - finding your perfect student home couldn’t be simpler! You won’t need to think about setting up bills and dealing with suppliers, as we’ll do this for you. We’ve made finding your perfect home just as simple as using your international student Railcard.

If you want hassle-free student accommodation, take a look at the range of properties on our site, or contact us with any questions you may have. We would love to help you find your next student home.