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How to recognise an ISIC or ITIC
Cardholders obtain access to benefits by showing their card to the benefit provider.
The cards have a number of fixed elements that are explained below. Simply hover
over the identification elements in the card below to learn more, and to easily
understand how to recognise a valid ISIC or ITIC card.
ISIC as access to the student market
Our benefit partners enjoy promotion of their brand in the student market
through various on- and offline media, locally and globally. Scroll down this page
to learn more about the advantages of becoming an ISIC benefit partner.
Tell me more
Do you have specific questions about the new design, or about partnering with the
ISIC Association? Simply click the ‘contact us’ button at the top of this page to
email us and to share your questions and/or suggestions.
Identification marks of the new ISIC
Become a benefit partner
- Promote your brand
- Reach a student audience
- ISIC is a respected
organization
- Online verification of students
Promote your brand to 4 million students
The International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is sold each year to 4 million students
across the globe. Offering a benefit means increased awareness for your brand, product
and service within the student market, locally and internationally.
Reach a student audience in 120 countries
ISIC issuers promote ISIC benefits and services in the student market
locally and in 120 countries worldwide, through student focused media across a range
of online and offline communication channels.
All cardholders are confirmed full-time students
ISIC cards are issued to bona fide full-time students only: student status is checked
each time an ISIC is sold.
A respected organization
The ISIC Association launched the ISIC more than 50 years ago. Today the card is
the only internationally accepted proof of full-time status, endorsed by ministries,
governments, student unions and non governmental organizations such as UNESCO and
the Community of Andean Nations.
Online verification of student status
All ISIC cards have their unique serial number registered in a central database.
Partnering with the ISIC Association will allow you provide students with an online
benefit accessible only to them by entering their unique serial number.
Become a benefit partner
- Promote your brand
- Reach a student audience
- All cardholders are confirmed full-time students
- ISIC is a respected
organization
- Online verification of students
Become a benefit partner
- Promote your brand
- Reach a student audience
- All cardholders are confirmed full-time students
- ISIC is a respected
organization
- Online verification of students
Description ‘International Student Identity Card’
Student data and Card validity
Red and yellow translations of ‘International Student Identity Card’
Picture and Holographic overlay
- Picture
- Holographic overlay
Signature panel
ISIC Helpline and ISIConnect logo
- ISIC Helpline
- ISIConnect logo
Part number
Background globe
Property statement
Magnetic stripe
ISIC and UNESCO
- UNESCO and ISIC maintain a close relationship since 1968
- UNESCO logo on standard ISIC cards
ISIC serial number
Promote your brand to 4 million students
The International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is sold each year to 4 million students
across the globe. Offering a benefit means increased awareness for your brand, product
and service within the student market, locally and internationally.
Reach a student audience in 120 countries
ISIC issuers promote ISIC benefits and services in the student market
locally and in 120 countries worldwide, through student focused media across a range
of online and offline communication channels.
All cardholders are confirmed full-time students
ISIC cards are issued to bona fide full-time students only: student status is checked
each time an ISIC is sold.
A respected organization
The ISIC Association launched the ISIC more than 50 years ago. Today the card is
the only internationally accepted proof of full-time status, endorsed by ministries,
governments, student unions and non governmental organizations such as UNESCO and
the Community of Andean Nations.
Online verification of student status
All ISIC cards have their unique serial number registered in a central database.
Partnering with the ISIC Association will allow you provide students with an online
benefit accessible only to them by entering their unique serial number.
Promote your brand to 4 million students
The International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is sold each year to 4 million students
across the globe. Offering a benefit means increased awareness for your brand, product
and service within the student market, locally and internationally.
Reach a student audience in 120 countries
ISIC issuers promote ISIC benefits and services in the core of the student market
locally and in 120 countries worldwide, through student focused media across a range
of online and offline communication channels.
All cardholders are confirmed full-time students
ISIC cards are issued to bona fide full-time students only: student status is checked
each time an ISIC is sold.
A respected organization
The ISIC Association launched the ISIC more than 50 years ago. Today the card is
the only internationally accepted proof of full-time status, endorsed by ministries,
governments, student unions and non governmental organizations such as UNESCO and
the Community of Andean Nations.
Online verification of student status
All ISIC cards have their unique serial number registered in a central database.
Partnering with the ISIC Association will allow you provide students with an online
benefit accessible only to them by entering their unique serial number.
Description ‘International Student Identity Card’
All ISIC cards have the description ‘International Student Identity Card’ in the
upper left corner. The word ‘Student’ may be printed in a local language, in which
case the English word is positioned vertically, aligned to the left of the description.
Student data
As the ISIC is a student ID card, each cards has the student’s data printed on it.
In most cases, the student data can be found on the left hand side of the card front.
However, there are co-branded ISIC cards where student data are, completely or partially,
printed on the card reverse.
Student data are the name or logo of the university, student’s full name and date
of birth.
Card validity
The validity of each ISIC can be found on the card. On all standard and most co-brand
cards the validity is printed on the front. On some co-brand cards, the validity
can be extended through validity extension stickers, which are usually stuck on
the back of the card.
Red and yellow translations of ‘International Student Identity Card’
Al ISICs, standard and co-branded, have translated versions of ‘International Student
Identity Card’ to the right of the top of the card (in yellow and italic) and vertically
on the right hand side of the card to the edge (in red and italic).
This can be in any language or alphabet.
Picture
The ISIC is not valid unless it has a clear identity picture of the cardholder;
either stuck on the card or printed on it. The picture can in most cases be found
in the upper right corner of the ISIC. However, there are co-branded ISIC cards
where the picture is printed or stuck on the card reverse.
Holographic overlay
All cards where a picture is not printed, but stuck on the card, have a transparent
holographic overlay with the ISIC logo in it, which covers the full front of the
card.
Signature panel
As the ISIC is an ID document, the card is not valid without the cardholders signature.
Al ISIC cards have a signature field. In most cases the signature panel is located
on the card reverse; in exceptional cases on the card front.
The material of the signature panel is always somewhat more rough than the rest
of the card, allowing it to be written on.
ISIC Helpline
All standard ISIC cards and the majority of the co-branded cards have the number
of the ISIC helpline printed on them.
ISIConnect logo
Many cards show a small ‘ISIConnect’ logo, referring to our discount calling rates
service which is branded ISIConnect.
Part number
The part number is the product number of the card series the card belongs to. The
part number consists of 2 letters – 3 numbers – 3 numbers: SM-123-456 and is usually
printed in small print on the card reverse.
Background globe
All ISIC cards have this globe in the background, covering about 60% of the background
surface and discretely showing a selection of words which describe the ISIC and
the benefits and services it gives access to
Property statement
The majority of the cards contain the statement that “This card is issued by and
remains the property of the ISIC Association’. On some co-branded cards there may
be an alternative statement mentioning that the ISIC brand is owned by the ISIC
Association.
Magnetic stripe
The large majority of ISIC cards have a magnetic stripe where the ISIC serial number
is encoded. The only exceptions are a few co-branded cards where other technologies
may be used.
UNESCO logo
UNESCO endorses the ISIC and recognises it as the unique document for student travel
and cultural exchange, as well as the only official internationally recognised proof
of student status. Since 1968, the ISIC Association has maintained a close relationship
with UNESCO and together they promote student travel, cultural exchange and international
understanding.
UNESCO logo on ISIC cards
To show the close relationship between the ISIC Association and UNESCO, the UNESCO
logo is printed on all standard ISIC cards.
ISIC serial number
All ISICs have a unique serial number, which is usually printed at the bottom right
of the card or right below the cardholder picture, in the following format: S 000
123 456 789 X.
In any case of doubt, the serial number can be checked online in order to verify
whether the card is a genuine and valid ISIC.