# Bending the truth to get an International Student Identity Card?



## King Biscuit Time (Oct 24, 2007)

My Young Person's Railcard is about to expire, which leaves me in a horrible situation, as it's going to seriously affect the cost of trips down to see my girlfriend in Bristol (I live in Sheffield). Not only does it make things cheaper, you can also use YPR saver returns at more convenient times (like early Monday mornings etc).

I notice that you can get an Young Person's Railcard if you're in possession of an International Student Identity Card, and that you can apply for an ISIC in branches of STA travel or online.

Anyone know how stringently they check things? I work in a university, and do actually have an NUS card valid for another few months, However apparently thats not good enough to get a Railcard, once you're over 25, you need proof of more than 15 hours study a week.

My Girlfriend is doing a masters over two years, two days a month. So she's not eligible either.

It's such a shit to have money come into a relationship like this, so any advice would be gratefully received.


----------



## editor (Oct 24, 2007)

I know some people - cough! - who travelled on a Young Person's Railcard well into their thirties, thanks to some birth certificate 'adjustment.'


----------



## tufty79 (Oct 24, 2007)

i used to get my isic card quite happily when i was sixteen. it stated i was eighteen 

don't know if they're still so lax these days.. what's the form like? 

as for the railcards - they don't check stringently 
i'm getting one next week..


----------



## Spion (Oct 24, 2007)

I once made one, when I was in Egypt, to get cheap rail fares and entry to museums. I literally wrote it in biro and stuck a picture on it and it worked

I know that's no help but I felt like blethering of past glories  

In the past I've got student railcards using a stamp from a friendly student union mate


----------



## invisibleplanet (Oct 24, 2007)

editor said:
			
		

> I know some people - cough! - who travelled on a Young Person's Railcard well into their thirties, thanks to some birth certificate 'adjustment.'


*has a young persons railcard*
You can't get one with an NUS card. The University needs to stamp the form to verify you're a student first, then take form+£20+passport foto+ID to train station to receive your YPR


----------



## subversplat (Oct 24, 2007)

Oooh I need to get a railcard. I'm in my last year of getting them!


----------



## nadia (Oct 24, 2007)

So a letter on headed paper won't work then


----------



## King Biscuit Time (Oct 24, 2007)

invisibleplanet said:
			
		

> *has a young persons railcard*
> You can't get one with an NUS card. The University needs to stamp the form to verify you're a student first, then take form+£20+passport foto+ID to train station to receive your YPR




This is my problem you see - I have an NUS card valid until the end of Dec, so was planning to get one in the next few weeks that would last me another year. Now I realise that valid NUS isn't enough. (However, I suspect it might be enough to get a ISIC you see).

So what kind of stamp is required then? What dept of uni? I haven't submitted the final draft of my PhD thesis so perhaps I could get one that way, I'm still a chuffing student really!

If you use the trains a lot, and you're 25, whenever your YPR expires you should get another one a couple of days before you turn 26, because then it's valid for another year.


----------



## feyr (Oct 24, 2007)

i thought a network card gave you pretty much the same saving? the only difference afik is the minimum fare is £10 rather than £8

i need to renew my yp card , must remember


----------



## King Biscuit Time (Oct 24, 2007)

But Aren't network cards for the SE of England only?

I'd be over the moon if there was a £20 card that gave me 1/3 off fares on Virgin Cross Country (the line I do 99% of the traveling on).

All so quim-chin can go on another fucking balooning trip.


----------



## subversplat (Oct 24, 2007)

King Biscuit Time said:
			
		

> But Aren't network cards for the SE of England only?
> 
> I'd be over the moon if there was a £20 card that gave me 1/3 off fares on Virgin Cross Country (the line I do 99% of the traveling on).
> 
> All so quim-chin can go on another fucking balooning trip.


You can...

http://www.youngpersons-railcard.co.uk/faqs/validity#2


----------



## King Biscuit Time (Oct 24, 2007)

subversplat said:
			
		

> You can...
> 
> http://www.youngpersons-railcard.co.uk/faqs/validity#2




Yeah - I know I could use a YPR to do this, thats why I need one. But i'm not sure i'm eligible. Those Network Rail card thingys are for anyone, of any age.


----------



## subversplat (Oct 24, 2007)

Oh heh, sometimes I forget to read the posts


----------



## butterfly child (Oct 24, 2007)

King Biscuit Time said:
			
		

> This is my problem you see - I have an NUS card valid until the end of Dec, so was planning to get one in the next few weeks that would last me another year. Now I realise that valid NUS isn't enough. (However, I suspect it might be enough to get a ISIC you see).
> 
> So what kind of stamp is required then? What dept of uni? I haven't submitted the final draft of my PhD thesis so perhaps I could get one that way, I'm still a chuffing student really!
> 
> If you use the trains a lot, and you're 25, whenever your YPR expires you should get another one a couple of days before you turn 26, because then it's valid for another year.



My NUS card is also an ISIC, but whether it makes a difference being an NUS Extra card, I don't know. The biggest hassle is that they only send NUS cards to your Student Union, therefore it's harder to fiddle. 

Sometimes I get asked to show my YPR, other times I don't - it's a lottery, but some of the networks are really turning the heat up on fare dodgers, so it depends whether you want to take the risk and travel without a railcard.


----------



## King Biscuit Time (Oct 24, 2007)

It would appear that were one to decide to fraudulently obtain a YPR, the easiest thing to do would be to borrow the Birth Cert of someone under 25 and just take that down to your local station. 

Any advance on an easier way to hypothetically get one?


----------



## skyscraper101 (Oct 24, 2007)

My card says I was born in '81 (which I was), written in biro

I'm thinking '81 could be changed to '84 with not much trouble then just renew with no need for passport or NUS


----------



## beeboo (Oct 24, 2007)

Everytime my mate goes to SE Asia he gets a ISIC card, which he uses to get a YPR (he's 33  )

The fact he gets one when he goes to Asia suggests that you can't do the same thing here.  I think you can buy an ISIC card for a couple of quid there.


----------



## hiccup (Oct 24, 2007)

beeboo said:
			
		

> Everytime my mate goes to SE Asia he gets a ISIC card, which he uses to get a YPR (he's 33  )
> 
> The fact he gets one when he goes to Asia suggests that you can't do the same thing here.  I think you can buy an ISIC card for a couple of quid there.



When I was in Thailand (10 years ago), you could buy ISIC cards on the street for very little money.


----------



## hiccup (Oct 24, 2007)

I could really do with a YPR. But I'm 29. Wonder if I could borrow my brothers birth certificate...


----------



## nadia (Oct 24, 2007)

sta travel sell them online £9.


----------



## King Biscuit Time (Oct 24, 2007)

Changing the date  - Good option - I too am 1981 so 1984 could see me right got a few more years, the 8 is close to the 1 though - and there's a high chance of fuck-up, so I'll give that one a bash nearer the time.

If you apply for an ISIC online you have to upload a scan of your NUS card/student docs and tick a box to promise you're full time.

I think someone elses BC is probably the way forward.

(or think if I know anyone in SE asia and send them a photo, then get them to send me back a card)

All this fuss for the ability to pay a (still too much) £45 for a 2.45hr train journey eh?


----------



## ddraig (Oct 24, 2007)

just show em yer cheeks init!  
nah, good luck, can you maybe find out who doles out the ISIC cards in your neck of the woods and how affable they are


----------



## winterinmoscow (Oct 24, 2007)

when I went to renew my YP card and told the ticket person at Leeds station how sad I was to lose it next year she told me to report it lost a month or two before it expired and they'd renew it for a year! dunno how true that is


----------



## King Biscuit Time (Oct 24, 2007)

ddraig said:
			
		

> just show em yer cheeks init!
> nah, good luck, can you maybe find out who doles out the ISIC cards in your neck of the woods and how affable they are



I could pass for 1987 probably  
It seems that ISIC cards are all done though STA travel - don't know anyone who works for em  .


----------



## wtfftw (Oct 25, 2007)

Probably worth going into a STA place and bluffing it. I went to new york years ago and got an ISIC with my college NUS card and college ID. Neither had my date of birth and they were quite happy to make me 21 for drinking purposes.


----------

