ISIC - The History

70 years of history

The ISIC card was first created by students for students in 1953. The decision to create the ISIC card was an initiative of the Norwegian and Dutch Union of Students, supported by the Coordinating Secretariat of National Unions of Students (COSEC) of Denmark, at the 3rd International Student Conference where the decision was made to “take the necessary steps to ensure that an International Student Identity Card be made available as soon as possible in as large a part of the world as possible.”

Originally the ISIC card was a student identity card that gave fulltime students world access to special discounted airfares. In order to get discounted airfares students bought an ISIC card allowing cardholders to explore the world and discover new countries and cultures.

This supported the ISIC card’s pioneering mission statement: “Increasing international understanding through the promotion of travel and exchange opportunities among students, young people and the academic community.”

2013 marked the 60th Anniversary of the International Student Identity Card (ISIC). To recognise ISIC’s 60 years of history a short documentary featuring interviews with key people central to the ISIC card’s significant milestones in the past and present, giving real insight in to the ISIC card’s unique history and providing a snapshot of the promising future ahead.