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Buy your ticket online

If you travel by train occasionally and buy your ticket at an NS Ticket Machine or NS Tickets & Service shop, you can make it easier and cheaper. Simply buy your ticket online or via the NS app: order your ticket and load the e-ticket directly into the NS app. There is no need to print it.

Order online

What are the advantages?

  • No €1.60 surcharge on your train ticket;
  • You can travel without an OV-chipkaart;
  • Start your journey right away!

What are e-tickets?

E-tickets are train tickets that you load into the NS app or take with you printed out. You do not need to check in with an e-ticket. You use the e-ticket to open gates and show your ticket to the train conductor.

What do you need?

  • A smartphone with Android or Apple iOS;
  • The NS app. Download it from the App Store or Google Play Store. If 'My tickets' does not appear in the menu, please download the latest version of the app.

How does it work?

  1. Buy your ticket online and pay by iDEAL or credit card;
  2. You will see the My tickets page; click the Load in NS app button. The e-ticket will then be loaded into the NS app.

If you ordered on a computer, you will always receive an email confirmation from us. Open the link in the email on your phone and follow the steps above. The email also contains a link allowing you to print your e-tickets at any time.

Would you like to buy an e-ticket even more easily? Purchase it directly in the NS app.

Travelling with your e-ticket

You do not need to check in with an e-ticket. If you are travelling from or to a station with closed gates, you can open them using your e-ticket. Keep your e-ticket until you reach the exit at your arrival station, as you may need it to open the gates there as well.

Step one: Go to a gate and open your e-ticket in the NS app or use a printed ticket.
Step two: Hold the square code on the e-ticket against the illuminated panel on your right.
Step three: The gate will open, allowing you to enter or exit the station.
Please note: show your e-ticket only from the NS app or as a printed ticket. Only then will the gates open.

Using an e-ticket on routes with a surcharge

If you are travelling by Intercity Direct, Eurocity Direct or ICE where a surcharge applies, you can purchase it online, at a ticket machine, at an NS Tickets & Service shop or using your OV-chipkaart at the surcharge terminal on the departure platform. You will still need your e-ticket to travel, in addition to the surcharge.

More information

  • You are responsible for being able to show a valid ticket. Make sure your smartphone is sufficiently charged.
  • If you choose to print your e-ticket, please do so on A4 size paper;
  • An e-ticket must be purchased before the journey starts. E-tickets bought after the journey has begun are invalid;
  • An e-ticket is personal and is only valid when shown with a valid form of identification. Remember to bring your passport, driving licence or ID card when you travel.
  • Children aged four to eleven travelling with a Railrunner do not need to show valid ID. Their name and the travel date appear on the e-ticket.
  • You can use an e-ticket in two ways: load it onto your mobile phone using the NS app or print it from a computer. Please note: E-tickets are only valid when shown in the NS app or printed out. Screenshots or PDFs displayed on a phone do not count as valid tickets.
  • You are entitled to Money Back in Case of Delay when using e-tickets;
  • The Terms and Conditions for travelling with an e-ticket apply.

Frequently asked questions about e-tickets

I entered incorrect information on my e-ticket, what should I do?

You can still change the details as long as you have not completed the order. Once the order is complete, the details can no longer be changed.

What counts as valid identification?

The following identity documents are valid with NS:

  • Passport;
  • Driving licence;
  • Dutch identity card;
  • ID card or passport from an EEA country;
  • Dutch alien’s document.

The identification requirement applies to everyone aged 12 and over.

What should I do if I have not received an email confirmation of my e-ticket?

The order confirmation screen for your e-ticket also provides a link to it. Use this link to download your e-ticket straight away and print it out. You will then receive a confirmation by email containing the link again. This email is for your personal records. Your email provider may have classified the confirmation as spam or junk mail. You might also have reached your storage limit. Please check your settings.

If you used a work email address, your employer’s firewall might be blocking the confirmation email. Contact your system administrator or NS Customer Service. Our staff can send the email to another address you provide to us.

If your email program has no issues, check your bank statements to see if the amount has been debited. If not, the order was not successful. If the amount has been debited, please contact us. Have as much information about the e-ticket and payment ready as possible.