FAQ
ISIC / ITIC / IYTC
Online
It is possible to purchase your ISIC / IYTC / ITIC online. You can purchase your product in the UK here.
If you have any problems purchasing your product, or have any questions, please contact us at help@isic.org.uk
We aim to process all applications in 7-10 days, but in reality we are usually faster than this. Our working hours are Monday-Friday 8.30am-4.30pm and we do operate a Christmas closure. We do not offer a priority processing service at present. Once your application has been successful, you will receive an email and you can access your Digital Card immediately via the ISIC app.
Depending on the postal system in your local area, it usually takes 2-3 weeks to process your online application and deliver the physical card to you.
The cards all offer similar international benefits. The cards look slightly different and a minority of brands only make their offers available on a particular card – this is clearly marked in the ‘discounts’ section of our website – you can see the availability of each offer in the terms and conditions.
ISIC cards are available to anyone aged 13 or older who is studying full time in a learning environment (school, college, university, apprenticeship, professional qualification). Full time is classified by ISIC as 15 hours a week or more for at least 3 months of the year.
IYTC cards are available to anyone aged under 35 in the UK. Applicants under the age of 16 also need to provide their legal representative’s identity card (ID card or passport)
ITIC cards are for Teachers and Professors (or equivalent role) who work 18 hours per week or more for at least 1 year.
ISIC
The ISIC is only available to full time students (13yrs+), so you must be able to prove you are currently studying full time at school, college or university.
When applying please provide one of the following documents:
- A copy of your university or student identity card, clearly dated and indicating you are a full time student
- A signed and dated letter on official university or school stationery stating you are studying there full time.
- A screenshot of a online education portal clearly showing your name, recent date or course dates.
Apprentices:
- We need documentation from your employer / place of study confirming your apprenticeship status. This could be a screen shot from the Gov apprentice portal, Apprenticeship agreement documents or other dated document showing your current apprenticeship.
You will also need:
- Proof or your date of birth (for example: passport, birth certificate, Official Identity Card issued in your country of residence)
- If you are under 16 you will also require your Parent/Guardian's proof of ID.
- A recent passport sized photograph of yourself
IYTC
The International Youth Travel Card (IYTC) is for youth and young adults aged up to and including 35 years old who are not fulltime students.
To get an IYTC you must be able to prove your age with one of the following documents:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Official Identity Card issued in your country of residence
You will also need a recent photograph of yourself.
ITIC
The International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC) is for full time teachers or professors.
To prove your full time teaching status, you will need a letter on official school or university stationery. This must state that you are employed at a recognised UK school, college or university for at least 18 hours per week, for a minimum of 1 academic year.
You will also need a recent passport sized photo of yourself.
The ISIC card is proof of student status and can be used to identify yourself in different places in multiple counties worldwide. However, some countries may require a different form of personal identification so please check with the local regulations in advance if you are travelling there. Please note, the ISIC card is not accepted as a form of identity in the U.S., where only government issued forms of identity are accepted in all parts of the country.
Unfortunately we cannot force a brand to offer a discount. All discounts are presented on our site and app in good faith and we are not responsible for third party organisations.
We take refusal of a promoted discount via our App or website very seriously. In order to fully investigate, please contact us and explain what happened and where with as many details as possible. We will fully investigate the matter.
How long is my card valid for?
Your card is valid for one year from issuance, and we will send you an email to advise you that your card is about to expire closer to the time.
Once your application has been successful, you will usually receive your card within 7-10 working days, depending on the postal service you selected. Please do allow up to 21 days for delivery. We do offer 1st class postage for an additional £1, which can be selected when you apply. If you still don’t have your card after 21 days, please contact us at help@isic.org.uk .
We are only able to issue physical cards within the UK.
If you are based outside of the UK but studying online at a UK based organisation we are able to issue a Digital Card only.
A replacement card can be issued at the cost of the physical card £4.99.
Please contact help@isic.org.uk and we will advise if we are able to assist.
Firstly, please check your spam folder! If your email is not in the spam folder, please check that you have inputted your email address correctly. If you are still having problems, please contact us at help@isic.org.uk
Please check that you have correctly entered your name as per your ISIC application, and are using the same email address as you bought your ISIC card with. Please also check that you have input your ISIC card number correctly too!
If this still doesn’t work please contact us at help@isic.org.uk so that we can look into it.
The card in the app can be displayed even when the device is not connected to WiFi or mobile data. The card is stored in the phone’s cache for 120 days. If there is no internet or mobile data access, the last version of the card can be displayed in offline mode. After 120 days offline, the user will be notified that an internet connection is required to display the card.
Current operating system requirements are as follows:
Android 9 or newer
iOS 15.0 or newer
Your personal data related to the digital card is safe in the Alive App. During electronic verification of discount eligibility, personal data is not sent to the discount provider (carrier, merchant, or other institution). Only the eligibility is verified against our cardholder database (NCDB – National Card Database, or CCDB – International Card Database), and the discount provider receives only information whether the holder is eligible or not.
The scope of personal data checked depends on the conditions for discount eligibility (for example, the card type, its validity, age, etc.). You can read more about how your personal data is used in the Privacy Policy.
Apple and Google unfortunately do not currently offer any technical solution that would allow us to transfer the card with all its security features into their environment.
We are sorry. In the first instance, we would encourage you to get in touch with help@isic.org.uk to see if we can resolve any issues that you have. Because our card is personalised, we are outwith the 14 day cooling off period laws, however we do honour this for virtual cards. Please notify us within 14 days of purchase so that we can refund you. For physical cards, please return the physical card within 14 days of receiving it to ‘ISIC Support, NUS Alive Ltd, Merseyway Innovation Centre, 21-23 Merseyway, Stockport, England, SK1 1PN. All physical cards are subject to a £3.99 cancellation fee.
If you have ordered a digital card online through our website you can add on a physical card at any time for a cost of £4.99, this will be valid for the same period as your digital card. Please contact help@isic.org.uk
This is not available for those ordering add on ISIC cards to their TOTUM card.
Whether you are looking to offer an attractive local, national, regional or global benefit for students, ISIC is the right partner for you! It is our aim to make as many benefits, discounts and opportunities available to students to support them through their daily student life.
By providing discount to ISIC cardholder, you can attract students who are always on the lookout for a good deal.
In addition to bringing new customers, providing discounts to ISIC card holders can also boost your brand awareness and loyalty. Students are likely to spread the word about their positive experiences, helping to increase your brand recognition and encourage repeat business.
In the first instance please contact us for more information partners@isic.org.uk
You will become part of a unique benefit program linked to ISIC, ITIC, IYTC used by over 600,000 customers – primarily students.
ISIC benefit partners can easily reach multiple markets around the world in an efficient, cost-effective and coordinated way.
We are able to provide the advice, design, technical know-how and marketing communication through our channels to help you develop marketing campaigns best suited to students.
By working with ISIC you get access to student verification solutions both for brick and mortar stores and online services or e-shops.
ISIC academic co-branding allows universities and other educational institutions to upgrade their own student cards to an internationally recognised identity card endorsed by UNESCO, providing access to thousands of ISIC benefits, services and discounts worldwide.
The ISIC card provides a secure and easy-to-use form of identification that enhances campus safety and streamlines access to campus services.
Our team can help you create graphics design of your cards so they will match your visual identity while providing international recognition.
Issuing ISIC cards can enhance reputation and prestige of your university. It demonstrates a commitment to innovation and student experience, attracting top talent from around the world and elevating your university’s standing in the higher education community.
The ISIC card can work with your existing systems and be used for example for access to restricted areas, cashless payments for meals or printing, library card or transportation pass.
The ISIC can be embedded with different card technologies:
- RFID chip: MIFARE DESFire, Ultralight, Classic, EM4102
- Contact smart chip
- HiCo or LoCo magnetic stripe
- QR code or barcode
Stay ahead of the digital trend with digital ISIC and ITIC cards allowing your students and academic staff to prove their identity and access services using their mobile device.
In the first instance please contact partners@isic.org.uk and one of our team will arrange a Discovery Call with you
Our aim is for cardholders not to have more than one Alive Profile. This enhances the security of personal data. However, since some users of the Alive App had multiple Alive Profiles created for various reasons, with their card assigned to all of them, we are cleaning the database of these duplicate card assignments. Additionally, starting January 1, 2025, we will only allow a card to be assigned to one profile.
All affected users will be notified via email and in-app notification to decide under which Alive Profile they wish to display their card. If this applies to you (i.e., you know you have multiple Alive Profiles) and you want to continue displaying the card via the profile you last logged in with, no action is required—just acknowledge this information.
You can assign the card to another profile using the Manual Card Assignment function (after logging into the Alive App with the desired email, go to the Cards section and use the "+" symbol to assign the card by entering its number).
Want to know more about how we handle personal data? Read the Alive Profile Terms of Use in the Alive App and the updated Privacy Policy reflecting this change.
If you need to update personal details in your Alive Profile, need help assigning a card, or have any other questions about managing Alive Profiles, send us a message at support@aliveapp.net.
Users cannot change personal details themselves. Please contact us by email at help@isic.org.uk. Preferably include your card number/order number and the correct details you need updated, and we will process your request.
Install Google Chrome browser and set it as default to launch this application.
Photos will be approved within two business days.
The rejection reason may vary. The photo must meet these requirements:
- Color, sharp, bright, suitable for passport/ID
- Neutral background, neutral facial expression
- Photo must not be taken from another document or ISIC card
- Free space around the head (no cropping of hair/forehead, no headwear)
- Open eyes (no sunglasses or dark-tinted glasses)
- Hair must not cover eyes or any distinctive facial features
- Head cannot be tilted sideways
Check the spam, bulk, and promotions folders. If you don't find the email there, write to us at help@isic.org.uk with your registered email, and we'll investigate the situation.
If the app displays the message "An unknown error occurred while processing your request. Please try again. If the problem persists, contact us at support@aliveapp.net and send a screenshot of this error," we recommend first trying to reinstall the app.
If it continues to appear, you need to contact us either at the mentioned email support@aliveapp.net or at help@isic.org.uk. For easier resolution, it's good to include screenshots and details like phone type, operating system version, and app version in your message.