How do I get an Elizabeth Oyster card?

You can get an Oyster card:
  1. Online with a contactless and Oyster account, if you live in the UK.
  2. At Oyster Ticket Stops in many newsagents in London.
  3. At all Tube, most London Overground and most Elizabeth line stations.
  4. Some DLR stations.
  5. At Visitor Centres.
  6. At the Tramlink Shop in Croydon.




There is no specific "Elizabeth Line" version of the Oyster card; rather, you use a standard Oyster card (or a contactless payment method) to travel on the Elizabeth Line. You can obtain a new Oyster card at ticket machines located in almost all Elizabeth Line, Tube, and London Overground stations. When purchasing at a machine, you will need to pay a £7 refundable deposit plus an initial credit amount for your "pay as you go" journeys. If you are arriving from abroad, you can also buy a Visitor Oyster Card online before you leave home to have it delivered to your address, which often comes with exclusive discounts at shops and restaurants. Alternatively, you can pick up a card at Oyster Ticket Stops in many local newsagents throughout London or at Transport for London (TfL) Visitor Centres. For most travelers in 2026, using a contactless bank card or mobile payment (like Apple Pay) is often more convenient as it requires no physical card purchase or top-up.

People Also Ask

Travel free on bus, tram, Tube, DLR, London Overground and Elizabeth line. You can travel free on TfL services with your Older Person's Freedom Pass from 09:00 weekdays and anytime at weekends and on bank holidays.

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No, you do not need to provide a passport photo. Is a Visitor Oyster card valid on Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Express services? to central London or from central London to Gatwick, costs £19.80 with your Visitor Oyster card. Your Visitor Oyster card is valid on the Tube and most bus services from and to Heathrow.

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If you are a non-UK resident , then you choose to either buy a Visitor Oyster card online before you leave home or you can choose to buy one at the TFL visitor centres and Oyster ticket shops in London upon your arrival. The Tramlink Shop, Croydon, is another location where one can be purchased.

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A machine-readable passport (most valid travel passports are machine-readable) or a UK driving licence (full or provisional). If you don't have a current passport or driving license you can use your birth certificate as proof of your age for eligibility. Proof of address.

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You can use contactless throughout the Elizabeth line. Oyster cards and valid Travelcards are also accepted, but not west of West Drayton. Daily and weekly price capping on Oyster and Contactless apply giving people the peace of mind that they are paying the best fare.

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The fares on the central section of the Elizabeth line (Paddington to Liverpool Street) are the same as the fares on London Underground in Zone 1. So travelling from Paddington to Liverpool Street would cost you £2.80 – the same as the Tube.

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In conclusion, the main difference between Standard and Visitor Oyster cards is that Standard Oyster cards are reusable, while Visitor Oyster cards are disposable. In addition, standard Oyster cards do not come with a daily price cap, while Visitor Oyster cards do.

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All orders of Travelcards and Visitor Oyster cards are dispatched within 24 hours of being placed, Monday to Friday. Our fulfillment warehouse is closed at the weekends. Any order placed after 08:30 (GMT) on a Friday will be dispatched the following Monday (excluding public holidays).

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You can top up your Oyster card at stations, online and at Oyster Ticket Stops (usually a local convenience shop). There are currently 3,900 Oyster Ticket Stops and you can find your nearest one on the TfL website.

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However, TfL has no plans phase the Oyster card out.

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Ticket and fares Travel on the Elizabeth line costs £12.80 at all times of the day, for a journey to or from Heathrow airport, where that journey starts, ends or goes through Zone 1. Single journey tickets and Zones 1-6 Travelcards can be purchased from airport station ticket machines.

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Using contactless or Oyster payment, a journey within Zones 1 and 2 costs £2.50; those buying a paper ticket would pay £6.30 (or £14.40 for a day travel card, which covers unlimited journeys between the two Zones).

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Elizabeth line fares are the same as the Tube on journeys within TfL's nine fare zones, which extend to Brentwood. But passengers travelling to and from Shenfield in the east, and to or from all stations beyond West Drayton in the west, are charged “special” rates equivalent to national rail fares.

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Having carefully considered an equality impact assessment, and stakeholder feedback, I confirmed on Wednesday 18 January 2023 that the temporary travel time restrictions on 60+ Oyster and Older Person's Freedom Passes would become permanent. No changes will apply to holders of the Disabled Persons Freedom Pass.

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Only one person can travel with an Oyster card at any time. If 2 people are travelling together they need 2 Oyster cards. However another person can use your Oyster card when you are not travelling.

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Never expires: You can stash your Oyster card for your next trip and, even if it is many years later, it will still work. All you need to do is top up when you're there and you're ready to go!

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