Young Adult, Child & Student Leap Card Requirements and Application 101

If you are a student or a young person, you can buy bus tickets at a lower price for all public transport services, like Dublin Bus and Irish Rail. If you’d love to enjoy transport discounts among other perks, this guide must be helpful for you. It will include all the details and information about student leap cards in Ireland. 

It is the most convenient way to travel around Dublin by a leap card. All you need to do is tag your card off a tagging station either on the bus or on a Luas or Irish rail platform. Easy!

What Is Young Adult, Child & Student Leap Card?

Young Adult Leap Cards are for 19-23-year-olds while Student Leap Cards are available to students aged 16-18 or 24+ in full-time third-level education. 

If you are under 19 years old, you should apply for a Child Leap Card (16-18). The Child Leap Card includes your name and photograph and you can buy it online only. However, if you don’t have a photo ID, you might need to submit all the required information and documents to the card processing center. One of the officers will verify the application manually, which won’t take a longer time than standard ID verification to complete.

image source: leapcard.ie

If you are 19 to 23 years old, you can apply for a Young Adult Leap Card (19-23). It remains available to students in full-time education who are 24 years old and above. You can get the 50% reduction if you already have applied for the leap card. However, if you don’t have it, click here. Then, you can apply for it online. If you don’t have a photo ID, just follow the steps we mentioned above.

For students who are aged 24 years old and over in full-time third-level education, the Student Leap Card (SLC) is still available for you.

Note: The Young Adult (19-23) Leap Card is currently for all 19-23 year olds, but will increase to 19-25 year olds from early 2024.

Who Can Apply for a Student Leap Card?

You might want to obtain a Students Leap Card and you are excited about the freebies that come with it. However, the application of it is not guaranteed. You need to meet all the requirements if you want a Student Leap Card. The categories of people entitled to Student Leap Card are as follows.

1. Must have a minimum of 16 hours of lectures/class time per week

2. Be enrolled for a minimum of 6 months duration in any one 12-month period

3. You should be between 18-24 years old

4. You should be at least a third-level student

The special categories of people entitled to Student Leap Card:

1. Trainee Solicitor under the Irish Law Society or a full-time SOLAS trainee or full-time PLC student

2. Trainee Accountants (ACCA, Institute of Chartered Accountants) 

Note: Foreign students are also eligible for a Student Leap Card if they fulfill the requirements we mentioned above. If you are taking an online course in Ireland, you must meet the same criteria set out here. Otherwise, you are not eligible to apply for the SLC.

Required Documents for Young Adult Leap Card Application

Before applying for a Young Adult (19-23) Leap Card, you need to submit the following documents:

1. Full ID (this can be a Passport/EU/EEA ID/ Driving licence/ Learner permit)

2. The ability to enable your camera permissions

3. Proof of Student Status (this can be a valid student ID or letter of confirmation of admission from your institution)

4. Proof of age like passport photo or driving licence photo

5. Proof of payment of Student Leap Card

6. The presence of the applicant

If you don’t have a valid ID such as Passport, Driving Licence/Learner Permit, or EU-EEA National ID, you are also eligible for a personalized Leap Card. Just submit two images of documentation that verify your eligibility. Such documents include your photograph, your name, and date of birth.

How Do I Apply for a Young Adult or Student Leap Card? 

Getting a Student Leap Card or Young Adult Leap Card in Ireland is quite easy. You can apply for the card online or in person. Here is a step-by-step guide.

1. Go to leapcard. ie and select the card type. Click on the card type you want from the drop-down menu on the “Buy” page. 

2. Submit your valid student ID. Aiming to verify your eligibility, you need to submit your student ID

3. Wait for the Cards. If you are a student, you need to need to attend an agent to collect your student card. As for the Young Adult Card, it is posted after making a successful online application.

How Much Does a Young Adult or Student Leap Card Cost?

You must pay a €5 refundable deposit and an extra €5 travel credit when buying the card.

Young Adult and Student TFI Leap Card Fares

Children TFI Leap Card Fares

Holders of Young Adult TFI Leap Cards can avail of discounted 7 Day and 30 Day Student tickets.

Below are the Young Adult / Student paper ticket prices for comparison.

Leap Card Photo Requirements

1. Size. The ideal resolution for a leap card photo is 600 x 600 pixels, and the acceptable size for the file is anything less than 240 kilobytes. For the right Ireland Leap Card 715×951 pixels size, make sure to use a high-quality camera or smartphone.

2. Color. The photo must be in color. Remember that the colors must be natural and clear. Any filters or effects that change them are forbidden.

3. Focus. The photo must be in focus, clear, and without blurriness or distortion. A blurry photo is a sure way to get your application rejected.

4. Background. The background color of the photo should be plain white or off-white. Make sure that your face and features stand out clearly in the photo and that the lighting is even.

5. Recency. Your photo should be recent and taken within the last six months. This ensures that the photo accurately represents your current appearance (hairstyle, weight, facial hair, etc.).

What Services Accept Leap Card?

You can use the Leap Card to take Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann, Go-Ahead Ireland, DART, Irish Rail commuter services in the Short Hop Zone, as well as, Luas, Cork to Cobh/Midleton train lines in Cork, private operators such as Ashbourne Connect, City Direct, Matthews Coaches and Wexford Bus.

·What’s more, you can download the Real Time Ireland App, which integrates all real-time arrival information services. You are allowed to set alerts to tell you when your bus is 10, 20, or 30 minutes away from your stop. It can tell you when you’re coming to a particular stop (GPS-dependent).

Conclusion

That’s it. This article includes all you want to know about Young Adult, Child, and Student Leap cards. We have mentioned which one is fit for you depending on age and how to apply for it.

Hopefully, with the instructions provided above, you can apply for the leap card without much effort.

FAQ

1. Can 2 people use the same Leap Card? 

Yes. When you get on a bus, you can tell the driver to take two fares off one regular Leap card. However, it is not allowed to do so if you are by rail or Luas trams. Keep in mind that have to pay a €5 deposit on a regular Leap Card.

2. Does the young adult Leap card expire?

Of course. Young Adult 19 to 23” means those TFI Leap Cards that can be used by persons who are aged from 19 to 23 years old inclusive. A Young Adult Card 19 to 23 automatically expires on the user’s 23rd birthday. A Young Adult Leap Card 19 to 23 must be personalized by section 9 below.

By the way, student Leap Cards are issued from the start of the academic year, usually in late August, and expire at the end of September the following year.

3. Which card gives the biggest savings? 

Young Adult and the Student Leap Card fares are the same

4. Where do I get my Student Leap Card after I complete my application? 

You will need to go to a Student Leap Card agent to verify your student status and get your card printed within 14 days of applying for your card online.