The European Student Card (ESC) is a standard of recognition that student service providers are increasingly becoming familiar with.

The ESC-tension project encourages various service providers to adopt the ESC, allowing them to verify student status across Erasmus+ countries without requiring complicated bureaucratic processes. Additionally, the project aims to raise awareness among students throughout Europe about the benefits of using the ESC.

When students are studying abroad in one of the Erasmus+ countries, it is not mandatory for them to have a student card from their host university. Instead, they can access different services using their ESC issued by their home University.

The ESC serves as a gateway to a multitude of essential services at many universities, including library facilities, canteens, medical services, and more, even while students are abroad.

Another advantage of the ESC is that it may also be available in digital form, allowing as many students as possible to access its benefits anywhere and anytime. With the digital version, students simply need to display the ESC QR code on their mobile device.  Once the QR code is scanned, they can instantly access the service.