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Student Travel Product

If you're a MBO, HBO or university student in the Netherlands, you can use your student OV for free train, bus metro and tram travel on weekdays or in weekends. It's what we call the Student Travel Product, and it's your ticket to a stellar student life!


Student OV; weekday or weekend

A Student Travel Product lets you travel by public transport for free or with a discount in the Netherlands. If you're living with your parents, you might enjoy having a weekday season ticket to travel to uni or school. If you have your own place, you might have more use for a weekend season ticket. You can't use your Student Travel Product (student OV) for night buses and train travel with Eurostar. To travel with Intercity Direct, you will have to pay a supplement.

For more information about the coverage of weekday and weekend season tickets, go to Studentenreisproduct.nl.

Please note: You always have to check in and out with your OV-chipkaart, even when your travelling for free. You have to check in and out in the train, bus, tram and metro. If you're transferring from a train to a bus, for instance, check out with NS first before checking in when you hop onto the bus.

Student OV and Co-travel discount

You can give away Co-travel discount if you have a Student travel product. Share the co-travel code with your fellow travellers in Mijn NS. 

This is what you need to know about giving away Co-travel discount: 

  • Give up to 3 co-travellers 40% discount in off-peak hours + weekend. 
  • Use only if you travel together in the same train compartment. 
  • Valid until 04.00 the next day.
Give Co-travel discount, for owners of a Student travel product

FAQ about the Student Travel Product (student OV)

  • How do I link (activate) my student travel product?

    First of all, you request your student travel on the DUO website. You will then receive a welcome e-mail that descibes how to link your Student travel product to your OV-chipkaart. Please go to your Mijn DUO account to find out when you can load the Student travel product onto your OV-chipkaart at an NS ticket machine or another OV-chipkaart collection point.

  • Is my student travel product also valid during the common holiday periods?

    Absolutely! However, the times at which you can use public transport at a discount are a little different. You can find all of the information about travelling during the common holiday periods and on public holidays at Studentenreisproduct.nl.

  • I've forgotten or lost my OV-chipkaart with student travel product

    If you've forgotten your OV-chipkaart with your student travel product on it, your best option is to go home and fetch it. Alternatively, you can purchase a 'single-use chipkaart' from the NS ticket machine. You can claim the cost of this once per year using the Refund for forgotten, lost or stolen season ticket form. Please note: this only applies to your train journey.

    If you have really lost your student OV card, you can request a temporary student travel product. Find out more at Studentenreisproduct.nl.

  • How do I stop my student travel product?

    When your studies come to an end, you must also stop your student travel product. You must do this before the first day of the month following the end of your studies, in order to avoid receiving a fine from DUO. You can find more information on how to stop your student travel product on the DUO website.

    Ex-student: free Off-peak discount season ticket

    As a former student (also a long-term student), you will receive from us a 40% discount for a year on your rail travel during off-peak hours, the weekend and on public holidays. This offer applies until six months after you end your student travel product. Find out how to apply for a free Off-peak discount season ticket.

    Please note: you can request your free season ticket a couple of hours after stopping your student travel product. If it doesn't work, this means our system probably does not yet know that you have stopped your student travel product. In this case, try again later.

  • Can I combine my student travel product with an NS Flex season ticket or another travel product?

    Yes, but please note: you cannot have an NS Flex season ticket on the same OV-chipkaart as your Student travel product. Therefore, make sure that your Student travel product is on a different OV-chipkaart to the one with your NS Flex season ticket to avoid an unexpected invoice at the end of the month. This also applies to other travel products in combination with a Student travel product.

    Check which situation applies to you:

    • If you already have a Student travel product and want something like an NS Flex Weekend Vrij (Unlimited weekend travel) to supplement it, request another OV-chipkaart when you order NS Flex. 
    • If you already have an NS Flex season ticket and are about to commence your studies, then you should order a new OV-chipkaart along with your Student travel product or ensure that you cancel your NS Flex season ticket before adding your Student travel product to your OV-chipkaart.
  • Can I still change my student travel product?

    You are permitted to switch between week and weekend season tickets up to twice per calendar year. Find out more on the DUO website.

  • What discounts can students receive abroad?

    As a student, you also receive a discount on travel abroad. The benefits are as follows:

    • Youth tickets: discounts on rail travel, for example to Paris on the Eurostar.
    • ISIC student card: student ID card that you can use in other countries to show that you are a Dutch student. Visit the ISIC student card website to find out which discounts you will receive.

    For trips abroad, check out Nsinternational.com or read more about travelling abroad for your studies.