How do you extend the validity of the ISIC card without a revalidation sticker, and where is it already possible?

Digital revalidation of ISIC card at secondary schools and universities

Previously, to digitally extend your card, you also needed a revalidation sticker to be attached to the physical version of the card. Now, you can do without it. You can easily extend your validity at your school, and you’ll see the new expiration date immediately on your digital card in the Alive App.

The Czech Republic is gradually joining other countries within the ISIC Association that allow students to fully use the benefits of a digital card while simultaneously reducing the administrative burden on schools. 

The option to extend cards without a revalidation sticker, which has long been requested by both school staff and students, is now available at all secondary schools that issue ISIC cards. Schools can still order revalidation stickers if they wish. Universities are in the process of implementing a new revalidation system. 

We have prepared and regularly update a list of universities where you can find out how your specific school handles digital validation without the need to affix a revalidation sticker. 

Universities offering revalidation without stickers

See if your school has already eliminated the need for a sticker on the physical card when extending its validity. 

• Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (ISIC, ITIC) 

• Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (ISIC, ITIC) 

• Brno University of Technology (ISIC) 

• College of Polytechnics Jihlava (ISIC, ITIC, Alive Student, Alive Staff) 

• Czech Technical University in Prague (ISIC) 

• Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague (ISIC, ITIC, Alive Student, Alive Staff) 

• Charles University in Prague (ISIC, ITIC, Alive Student, Alive Staff) 

• Masaryk University in Brno (ISIC) 

• Palacký University Olomouc (ISIC, ITIC) 

• Pan-European University in Prague (ISIC, ITIC, Alive Student, Alive Staff) 

• Technical University of Liberec (ISIC, ITIC) 

• University of New York in Prague (ISIC, ITIC) 

• University of Ostrava (ISIC) 

• VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (ISIC, ITIC, Alive Student, Alive Staff) 

How do you extend card validity digitally?

Follow the instructions provided by your school, which you can find in the information system, card center, or by contacting the ISIC contact person if there is one. After successful payment and registration in the database, the validity of your digital card will automatically change in the Alive App.  

The validity on the physical card (with an ISIC, ITIC, Alive Student, or Alive Staff license) is no longer extended at secondary schools and the above-mentioned universities, so you don’t need any revalidation sticker, as you may have known from previous years. 

When do you use a physical, and when a digital card?

The physical card is equipped with chip technology for school purposes. It will continue to work without a visually extended validity – without a revalidation sticker.

For convenient verification and use of discounts in the Czech Republic and abroad, you can use the digital card in the Alive App. It is accepted by discount providers and in transportation, including the application of the state-imposed student discount of 50%. To use the app, you need:

• A valid school ID card with an ISIC license
• To download the Alive App (free in the App Store and Google Play)
• Activate your profile in the app

The digital card cannot be used on school premises (it is not compatible with the school’s chip system), so you will continue to use the physical card on school grounds.

How is the digital card verified by discount providers?

Verification of the card (verification) at retailers is now done through the Alive App. There are several possible ways:

• Via QR code in the store: Using the Alive App, you scan the QR code posted in the store. The app will immediately show you which discounts you are entitled to.
• Electronic check by the store staff: You present your digital card in the Alive App to the store staff, who will check it themselves and see the discount entitlement in their system.
• Visual check by the store staff: You can still simply show the digital card in the Alive App if the retailer is not equipped for digital verification.

Digital card verification gives you certainty about your discount entitlement – you know exactly which discounts you can currently get. It also prevents fraudulent use of cards, which in turn helps us create a fair benefit system that retailers are more willing to join.

A few important things to remember:

• If you do not pay for the digital renewal on time, your license will remain valid only until the end of the calendar year.
• You will find the validity on the first page of the digital card in the form of, for example, 09/2023–12/2024.
• After the expiration date, the ISIC, ITIC, Alive Student, or Alive Staff license becomes invalid. The digital card will then lose its function and you will not be able to use it with discount providers and other partners.

Helpful links

• How and where to extend validity of ISIC, ITIC, and Alive cards
• Terms of use for cards (in Czech only)
• Benefits terms and conditions (in Czech only)
• FAQ about cards, discounts, insurance, and the Alive App (in Czech only)

What if you haven’t received a discount?

Don’t worry if a retailer refuses to give you a discount on your digital card. Follow these steps:

1. Check the validity of your digital card: Make sure you had a valid ISIC/ITIC/Alive Student/Alive Employee license on the day of purchase.
2. Verify your entitlement to the discount: Go through the list of available discounts on isic.cz or in your Alive App and make sure you are eligible for the specific discount.
3. Inform us: If you have completed the above steps and still haven’t received the discount, let us know and we will investigate your complaint and do everything possible to resolve the situation.

Frequently asked questions about digital cards

1 – What if my phone with the Alive App is not connected to the internet?

You can still view your card in the app, even if your device is not currently connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data. The card and other products (e.g., insurance) are stored in your phone’s cache for 120 days. If there is no internet or mobile data access, you can view the latest version of the card in offline mode.

2 – On which older smartphones can I download the Alive App?

The current requirements for operating systems are as follows:

• Android 9 or later
• iOS 15.0 or later

3 – What if my phone runs out of battery or breaks?

Prevention is the best solution here – remember to go out with a sufficiently charged phone and try to prevent it from getting damaged. Just like we used to make sure we went out with a plastic card in our wallet and tried not to lose it 😊

4 – How exactly does the digital verification work?

The use of ISIC cards is governed by the Terms and Conditions of Benefit Provision (in the Czech language only), which must meet the international standards set by the ISIC Association. To accept an ISIC or use it to claim a benefit, only a valid card can be used, in either digital or physical form.

For a visual check, the validity stated on the card is verified. For a digital ISIC card, this is stated on the first page (in case of digital revalidation, it is overwritten with a new period). The physical ISIC card can be presented for a visual check outside the university (i.e., at benefit partners) only until the end of the stated validity period. Since the validity of the plastic card is not visually adjusted in the case of digital revalidation, it is necessary to use the digital form of the card.

For electronic checks, ISIC data is checked against the NCDB (National Card Database) or CCDB (International Card Database). The scope of the parameters checked depends on the conditions of the discount entitlement (type of card, validity, age, number of uses, etc.). It depends on how the benefit providers have integrated electronic verification. They can verify:

• By entering the card number (including a combination with the name and surname)
• By a QR code on the first page of the digital ISIC card, or by the student verifying entitlement by scanning the QR code located at the retailer using the Alive App
• Or by chip technology in the plastic ISIC card (an older option that is being replaced by QR code verification)

5 – How is the validity of ISIC cards checked in public transportation?

In the case of state-imposed discounts on transportation, the card is only checked visually. According to the Czech Ministry of Transport’s Methodical Instruction, it is sufficient to present a valid ISIC – in digital form in the Alive App or in its plastic version. This applies throughout the Czech Republic to all carriers.

In public transport (MHD), there is no unified system in the Czech Republic. ISIC checks can be performed visually or electronically. In larger cities (Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc), it is standard to link your ISIC to a transport medium (card, app, payment card). ISIC holders then only need to enter their card number, name, and surname into the system, and the necessary data for claiming the discount is verified in the background. For more information on transport discounts in Prague or other cities, visit our website.

Some IDS (Integrated Transport Systems, e.g., PID, IDOL, ODIS) have integrated ISIC verification into their apps via a so-called deeplink – for example, in the PID lítačka App, a student can add their ISIC card number. When checked by an inspector, simply click on the ISIC icon in this app and the card will be displayed (you don’t have to open the Alive App separately, but you need to have it installed on your phone).

6 – Can I use the digital card abroad?

The digital card is recognized by benefit partners in almost 100 countries where the ISIC Association operates. Each issuer (GTS Alive in the Czech Republic) must ensure that its contracted benefit partners accept the digital card, which the ISIC Association regularly checks. All discounts from the discount database should be provided to holders of a valid digital card without any problems.

If you are not given a discount, you should contact us or your local ISIC issuer so that the situation can be resolved.

7 – Why do I need to download the Alive App when there is an ISIC App?

The ISIC App is provided and managed by the international organization ISIC Association. It is primarily intended for the market outside the Czech Republic. Therefore, it does not contain services that Czech students are accustomed to and expect in an app (e.g., insurance, pairing multiple cards, use in transportation, and many others). Furthermore, when verifying with benefit partners, using the ISIC App may cause problems because it does not meet certain criteria required by benefit partners in the Czech Republic (see description below for the Alive App). To avoid confusion with the Alive App, from September 1, 2024, the ISIC App will no longer be available for download in the Czech Republic.

The Alive App is an application developed by the Czech company GTS Alive for the Czech Republic, and the ISIC Association officially recommends this application for displaying cards in the Czech Republic. However, the Alive App also works abroad. The user creates an Alive profile to which they can link multiple cards: for example, if they study at multiple universities in parallel (a specific card for each university) or if they are an ISIC holder and also, for example, an ITIC holder at one university. They can also add ISIC insurance.

8 – Can I have only plastic ISIC card without the app?

Your school can issue a new physical ISIC card after the old one expires. For specific details on fees and other requirements, contact your school directly.

If you ordered a one-time digital ISIC, you can still get a physical card later. You can order a card here.