student travel pass netherlands

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Activating my student travel product at a pick-up device

Choose which situation applies to you:

According to DUO, I am eligible to use the student travel product. But I can’t activate the student travel product at a pick-up machine.

Did you link your personal OV-chipkaart to the student travel product? You can only activate the student travel product at a pick-up machine if you have received a confirmation that your link request has been approved and if you are (almost) eligible to use the student travel product.

An incorrect student travel product is ready for me to activate at a pick-up mac hine: I want a weekday subscription/ I want a weekend subscription.

On the website from DUO you can read how to change from subscription.

The above mentioned situations do not apply to me, but I still can’t activate my student travel product at a pick-up machine. Check the following options:

Did you accidently forget to check out? It’s not possible to activate the student travel product at a pick-up machine while travelling.
Maybe your card is defective.

As long as you’re entitled to use the student travel product, it stays ready for you to activate at a pick-up machine.

Did you apply for the student travel product in time? Then it’s ready to activate at a pick-up machine (the yellow devices i.a. at stations, at the Albert Heijns and tobacconists) from the 15th of the month before you’re eligible to use the student travel product. Find the travel entitle date in Mijn DUO . You can then travel with the student travel product from the moment you’re entitled to use it.

Have a look on the online service point finder for pick-up machines in your neighbourhood. Choose for the option ‘pick-up or terminate student travel product’.

Please note : if you’re not checked-out, because you’re still travelling? Then it’s not possible to activate the student travel product.

Did you apply for the student travel product at DUO?

No? Go to ‘ Mijn DUO ’ and apply for the student travel product. They’ll keep you updated by mail and e-mail.

Yes? If your application is approved by DUO (and you’ve successfully linked your personal OV-Chipkaart), then you’ll have to activate the student travel product at an pick-up machine. This is possible from two weeks before you’re entitled to use the student travel product. Take a look at ‘ Mijn DUO’ to know when. You can travel with the student travel product from the moment you’re entitled to use the student travel product.

Met de digitale nieuwsbrief van Studentenreisproduct.nl:

Krijg je handige tips en actuele informatie over het studentenreisproduct (circa 4 keer per jaar);
Krijg je aan het einde van je studie een aantrekkelijk aanbod om voordelig met het openbaar vervoer te blijven reizen.

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Student finance & student travel pass

When studying at Leiden University you may be entitled to Dutch student finance and a student travel pass from DUO. Whether you are eligible depends on several factors such as your nationality and length of stay.

Student finance

The Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO) is the Dutch governmental agency for education. Students of Leiden University who are aged under 30 may be eligible to apply for student finance from DUO , depending on factors such as their nationality and length of stay . Student finance is in fact an advantageous loan that contributes towards your study costs.

Student travel pass

Students who are eligible for Dutch student finance may also apply for a student travel pass from DUO (known as a student OV card). You can find all terms, conditions and application procedures on the DUO website.

Ending your studies

Important note! If you complete or discontinue your studies make sure to notify DUO and hand in your student travel pass. Failure to do so (on time) can result in fines.

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You can travel with the student travel product from the moment you are enrolled. This is usually from 1 August on an MBO programme and from 1 September for HBO and university. Look in Mijn DUO to find out when you can collect the student travel product from a pick-up machine Link opent externe pagina .

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ACCESS NL > Relocating to the Netherlands > First three months > Transportation Netherlands > I am a student. What is the student OV-chipkaart?

Transportation Netherlands

I find it difficult and expensive to park my car in many major cities. Is there a way for me to park my car easier and cheaper?

There is a severe lack of parking space in most big cities in the Netherlands. In an effort to reduce congestion, many cities have a park and ride scheme (P+R- locaties). The driver parks at an organised, out of town location and then finishes the journey via public transport to the city centre. ANWB (the Royal Dutch Touring Club) lists all park and ride schemes in an area. This scheme is very helpful to many people for finding a parking space more quickly as well as for spending less on parking fees. You find the parking space via the routeplanner of ANWB on https://www.anwb.nl/verkeer/routeplanner?displayType=instructions.

Each city in the Netherlands has a Municipal Parking Department for all affairs related to parking such as parking permits. Please contact your municipality for further details.

Are there any subscriptions to travel cheaper by public transport?

Subscriptions are available for a particular route, for a discount outside rush hours, for unlimited travel by train or by other means of public transport as well. If you don’t know which subscription fits best, you can use the information on the Dutch Railroads (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS) website. It is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands: www.ns.nl/en/season-tickets .

It is highly advisable that you drop into a service counter and ask for help when deciding which subscription would be the most adequate for your situation. For more information visit the NS website.

What is the OV-chipkaart?

The smart-card system, the OV-chipkaart (chip card used to pay for public transport), is the form of paying for public transport. OV stands for openbaar vervoer (public transport). It resembles a bank card and contains an invisible chip and must be topped up before the start of any journey. The OV-chipkaart can be used on public transport all over the Netherlands.

For further details visit the website of the OV-chipkaart and select ‘English’ at the top right corner of the site to change the language: www.ov-chipkaart.nl .

How does the OV-chipkaart work?

The OV-chipkaart ( chip card used to pay for public transport ) must be purchased before you travel. To find a point of sale nearby visit the following website: https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/en/service-points-finder

This address finder is very useful to find out where all specific OV-chipkaart services are located because services differ from location to location. Additional credit can be loaded onto your OV-chipkaart at vending and add value machines or at OV-chipkaart service points.

Cards must be validated at both the beginning and the end of a journey, by holding the card up to an OV-chipkaart reader. You can find them in various parts of the buses and trams. The card readers for trains are located on the platforms or at the entrance of the station. At the start of your journey, hold your OV-chipkaart up to the screen. The sound and light signal indicates your card has been read. When disembarking, check out by holding your card up to the screen. Checking in and out is also required when you transfer from one form of transport to another, except when you transfer from train to train.

When using trains, you always need to have at least a certain minimum credit on your card to be able to check in. T he boarding fee can differ from one transportation company to another. The latest information can be found on https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/en/travelling-on-balance

When you check out, the boarding fee will be refunded and you will be charged for the number of kilometres you travelled. If you do not check out, you will pay the full boarding fee. If you fail to check in or buy a valid ticket, you face a fine plus the fare for your journey.

What types of OV-chipkaart are there?

There are three different types of OV-chipkaart (chip card used to pay for public transport) to choose from:

Personal OV-chipkaart: this card is intended for the frequent traveller. To apply for a personal OV-chipkaart, you can pick up a paper application form at the counters for public transport companies or apply online at the Ov-chipkaart.nl.
Anonymous OV-chipkaart: designed for the infrequent traveller, this allows the holder to travel immediately, once you have added money to your card . It can be purchased at sales devices in stations, newsagents, supermarkets and public transport companies’ counters.
Business OV-chipkaart: the business OV-chipkaart. This card is offered to employees of companies by business card providers. If you have a business OV-chipkaart and have a question, please contact your business card provider. The contact details can be found on the front of your card.

How can I find out which tram, bus or train I need and the departure times?

Via the website 9292.nl /en , you can plan your journey from door to door. All options, bus, tram, train, metro and ferry for your journey are given here. 9292 provides a helpful app in English. Bear in mind that most information in the public transport system is announced in Dutch.

How can I go to the railway station or from the railway station to my destination?

There are several ways to travel to and from the railway station:

By bus, tram or metro
By bike or moped
By car (shared or rental)
By taxi or shared taxi

For more detailed information about this topic, please visit: NSinternational.nl/en/to-and-from-the-station.

It seems that everybody is biking in the Netherlands. Where can I buy a bike for myself?

All cities have one or more shops that sell and repair bikes. For a tweedehands fiets (second-hand bike) you can search online or visit one of the online auction pages such as Marktplaats.nl. Bike shops often have second hand bikes too.

I have hardly any knowledge of biking. How can I learn to bike?

There are several bike schools all over the country that offer fietslessen (bike lessons). Most of them are called ‘ fietsschool’ or ‘ fietscollege’ (bike school).

Can I travel by public transport if I don't have an OV-chipkaart?

It is possible to travel by public transport without OV chipcard. You can pay wireless with your bank card (pin pass) or mobile phone if you don’t have any discount or subscription. This applies to all buses, trams, trains a metros in the Netherlands. If you travel by train you can only pay with your bank card or mobile phone if you are travelling 2nd class and don’t have a subscription. More information is available on https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/en

Alternatively most of the train companies operating in the Netherlands offers the option to purchase your ticket online (e-ticket). For instance NS, the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands, offers not only the option to print your e-ticket but also to download it on your smartphone. For this you will need the ‘NS Reisplanner Xtra app’.

What kinds of tickets are available for the train?

For the train you can use either paper cards or the OV-Chipkaart ( chip card used to pay for public transport ) The main tickets available are:

Single ticket
Return ticket
Day travel card for the train
Day travel card for all public transport (called Holland travel ticket)
Bicycle day travel card
Rail runner (cheap ticket for children aged 4 to 11 accompanied by an adult)
Group ticket off peak hours (single ticket)
Joint discount ticket off peak hours

You can find an overview of available tickets on https://www.ns.nl/en

Should you experience a delay of 30 minutes or more, you might be entitled to a refund. Read more about this on the website of the Dutch Railways .

What is the minimum age to ride a moped in the Netherlands?

If you want to ride a brommer or snorfiets (moped), you need to be at least 16 years of age. You also need to have a bromfietsrijbewijs (moped driving licence). A driving licence for a car is category B, for a moped is category AM. If you have a driving licence category A or B, you can ask to add category AM when you renew your driving licence. You don’t need to pass an exam for this.

What kinds of bikes are available?

The most common type of bicycle is the omafiets (grandma bike). However, you will see a lot of other types of bikes, including the following: stadsfiets (city bike), sportfiets (sport bike), elektrische fiets (electric bike), bakfiets (cargo bike), and mopeds.

Grandma bikes and city bike are most often used for everyday trips, including going to school and/or work, and running errands around town while a sport bike is a more convenient bicycle for longer trips.

An ATB (All Terrain Bikes) is most convenient for those who bike on difficult terrain. A special type of ATB is the MTB (mountain bike), which is not often used in the Netherlands because of its flat terrain, but it is convenient for cycling in the mountains.

An electric bike offers the possibility to get trapondersteuning (electric support while cycling). It is especially useful when it is very windy because you do not require as much strength for pedalling. Trapondersteuning means that you have to bike yourself, but the electric motor will support you. Depending on the type of electric bike, you can choose between no support, little support, average support or a lot of support.

A moped is a snorfiets when it has a light blue licence plate. A b romfiets rides on the roadway and can reach a maximum speed of 45 km/h. They have a yellow licence plate. By law, children younger than 8 years old can be passengers on a moped only when they are provided with a proper, safe seat that gives them adequate support for their back, hands and feet. It is not permitted to hold a mobile phone while operating a moped or any other electronic device. You are only allowed to use any device handsfree. This also applies to pedestrians . If you ignore this rule, you may get a fine.

Cargo bikes or bakfietsen are transport bikes with three wheels and a large front bucket. It is common to see parents transporting children around because the box is low to the ground making it is easier to transport more weight.

There are also four-wheeled vehicles, but they are not allowed on bike paths and have to follow the same rules as mopeds. They look like small automobiles and must have an overall weight of less than 350 kg (excluding the weight of the battery in electric vehicles). They can reach a maximum of 45 km/h and can be distinguished by their small size and a 45 km/h sticker that is displayed on the back of the car.

Are there any special traffic rules for cyclists?

The following laws apply specifically for cyclists:

Cycling is not allowed on sidewalks or pedestrian-only areas
Use hand signals when preparing to make a left or right turn. Simply put your arm out in the direction you want to turn
It is allowed to ride alongside another bicyclist, but cycling with three people in a row is not permitted
Bicyclists share the bike paths with snorfietsen (mopeds). Be prepared for them by cycling on the right side of the bike path so that they can pass you.
Brommers (mopeds with a speed of maximum 45 km/hour) are no longer allowed on the bike path. They have to use then main road. Snorfietsen (mopeds with a speed of maximum 25 km/hour) are not always allowed on the bike path. Signs indicate if this applies.
Cycling is not allowed on highways
Tunnels may or may not be accessible for cycling. If they are, there is usually a separate bike path
Bicycle lights are mandatory, white or yellow in the front and red in the rear. You can get a fine when cycling without lights in the dark, at dusk or in poor visibility

Are there any special traffic rules for mopeds?

Brommers (mopeds) must use the main road rather than the bike roads. They are allowed on the bike lanes only if explicitly indicated by the blue traffic sign displaying a bicycle and a moped symbol. Both drivers of a moped and passengers are required to wear a helmet.

Mopeds have bells for a reason! Use the bell to warn bicyclists that you are approaching them and need to pass them, use it to warn pedestrians who are blocking the bike path, or to warn anyone else who might be in your way! Do not park your moped in places that have signs posted saying “ Geen fietsen plaatsen ” (no bike parking).

How can I arrange a parking space lot near my house?

Parking space is limited in the Netherlands. In general you need to request a parking licence near your house from the municipality. This gives you the right to park near your house but you need to look for a place every time you want to park your car. In addition, you can see if there is a parking garage nearby and try to rent a place there. It is best to check with your municipality for further detail.

How are parking spaces lots organised in the Netherlands?

In most places it is paid parking. This is indicated along the road. You need to get a ticket from the ticket vending machine and pay on your return for the time you parked your car.

Sometimes there is a parking meter. Here you need to decide in advance how long you intend to park your car and pay for that time. If you park longer than expected, you need to add money to the meter to avoid getting a fine.

In areas where paid parking is not in force, you may find there is a Blue Zone. Within this zone, you are only permitted to park for short periods of time by clearly displaying a blue parking disc. You can buy them at large department stores. Before leaving your car, mark your time of arrival on the blue parking disc. You can recognise a blue zone by a nearby road sign. On this sign you can see the maximum parking time permitted, as well as any additional conditions such as specific hours during the day.

Can I import my car to the Netherlands?

It is possible to import a car to the Netherlands if you are at least 18 years old and are registered in the Personal Records Database (BRP).

You can find a step-by-step description of the process on the website of the government .

Are there any special traffic rules in the Netherlands ?

In order to participate safely in Dutch traffic it is important to know the unique rules, regulations and signs in the Netherlands . You can read more about this in a brochure of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. In addition there is an English overview of all rules, regulations and traffic signs.

Formalities

View the FAQ’s

Pets in the Netherlands

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Student Mobility Card combined with the ISIC Student-ID

Public transport in the netherlands.

Are you planning to stay in the Netherlands for a longer period? Then the cheapest option to travel is with an OV-Chipkaart. The OV-Chipkaart can be used on all forms of public transport and you do not need to think about getting individual tickets. You just pay by checking in and out with your OV-Chipkaart. The price of your trip will be deducted from the credit on the card.

Order the Student Mobility Card here!

The Student Mobility Card

With the Student Mobility Card the public transport in the Netherlands is no longer a challenge. By a swipe of the card you easily check in and out in all modes of transport.

The combined offer provides you:

Easy access to public transport and shared bikes: jump from train to tram to bus and on a bike, just like the locals do. After full registration you never have to upload money onto the pass and therefore never miss a train because of insufficient balance.
Student discounts: With the Student Mobility Card you receive a 15% discount during weekends and off-peak hours on weekdays at the trains of the Dutch Railways (NS; Nederlandse Spoorwegen). Furthermore, with this combined offer you receive a ISIC Membership including ISIC student ID. This membership gives you access to the biggest network of global student benefits .
Customized application with international payment methods: Student Mobility has created a customized application process for international students with international payment methods.

For the combined offer you pay a onetime purchase price of €15,-. Monthly, Student Mobility will charge you for your travel costs and a subscription fee of €4,50.

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I’m going to study in the Netherlands and I already receive student finance from DUO. What arrangements do I need to make?

If you are studying outside the Netherlands and are going to study in the Netherlands for a short period, you may need to make changes to your student finance.

You need to arrange this

Applying for a student travel product.

With a student travel product you can travel free or with a discount on public transport in the Netherlands. Apply for a student travel product at least 2 months before you need it.

You cannot have both a student travel product and a public transport allowance. If you are currently receiving a public transport allowance and you apply for a student travel product, your public transport allowance will stop automatically. Do you want to keep the public transport allowance? This is only possible if you remain registered with the educational institution outside the Netherlands and you do not apply for a student travel product.

Find out more about applying for a student travel product (DUO)

Applying for a grant for students living away from home

If you will be living away from home during your period of study in the Netherlands, you can apply for a higher basic grant. You can arrange this in Mijn DUO. If you do not have access to Mijn DUO, you can use the DUO change of details form (pdf).

Find out more about the grant for students living away from home (DUO) (information in Dutch)

Updating your contact details

Check your email address in Mijn DUO. If it is no longer correct, enter your new email address so that you will not miss any messages.
You can also pass on a change of address in Mijn DUO.

Logging in to Mijn DUO

If you want to arrange your student finance through Mijn DUO, you will need to login in using your DigiD or EU-recognised eID .

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us .

Also useful

Study in Holland (Nuffic)

Mobility Package

Select university, student mobility card (ov-chipkaart + isic-id), bike program.

Not only will you receive a Student MObility Card (OV-chipkaart) but also a digital ISIC student ID card. This card is valid for 12 months and will be your ticket to the biggest network of student discounts in the world!
Easy access to public transport and shared bikes; You will be jumping from train to tram to bus to bike in no time, just like the locals do.
Subscription fee: If you activate your card in the Student Mobility APP; A monthly fee of 4.50 EUR will be charged along with the travel costs. To be clear, by your purchase today you do not sign up to the subscription, this can be done after receiving your card. If you want to use the Student Mobility Card as a top-up standard OV-chipkaart its fine but there is no NS discount and no connection to a bank/credit card.
You can connect your Student Mobility Card with any credit or debit card (does not have to be Dutch), so you will never have insufficient funds standing in your when using public transport in the Netherlands!
With the Student Mobility Card you’ll get a 15% discount for all trains in the Netherlands during weekends and weekday off-peak hours (between 9:00-16:00, before 6:30 and after 18:30).

Frequently Asked Questions

NS first train ticket

We offer multiple options, with both tickets you can get on the train at any Dutch station, and get off wherever you want. You will receive a personal voucher and extra info after the order! It can take up to 4 business days to receive the ticket.
Ticket options: 1) Off-peak hour ticket for 13 EUR* (Do not travel on weekdays between 6.30 - 9 AM and between 16:00 and 18:30, more details here . 2) All hours ticket for 20 EUR
Train tickets in the Netherlands are expensive, for example: Schiphol Airport to Groningen / Maastricht / Enschede / Eindhoven / Wageningen / Tilburg / Nijmegen / Arnhem etc. are 20 EUR or more. So get your reduced ticket now!
These voucher have limited validity so make sure you use the voucher before the end date, indicated in the order confirmation.

Student Mobility Bikes (StuBike)

Fixed monthly rate with only €25 per month! No sign-up costs.
Monthly terminable contract (please inform us a month before you want your bike subscription to end).
No maintenance/repair costs (fair-use)
Minimum subscription time is 3 months
Pick-up points at several University campuses through the Netherlands

Public transport allowance for studying outside the Netherlands

Are you going to complete your studies or an internship temporarily outside the Netherlands? Do you have a studentenreisproduct (student travel product)? If so, you can receive a monthly public transport allowance instead. This is because you cannot use your student commuting product outside the Netherlands.

Lees deze informatie in het Nederlands

Conditions for the public transport allowance for studying outside the Netherlands

You must meet certain conditions to receive a public transport allowance. For instance, you must live outside the Netherlands temporarily. The Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs – DUO (education implementation service) website gives all of the conditions for the public transport allowance for studying outside the Netherlands . Whether you qualify for student finance depends on your age, the course you are enroled in, where you hold citizenship and your residency status.

Request the public transport allowance for studying outside the Netherlands

You may request the public transport allowance from DUO. You must also cancel your current student travel product . Therefore, you have to go to a pick-up device. They are situated at train stations, supermarkets and convenience stores.

Laws and regulations (in Dutch)

Regeling studiefinanciering 2000, artikel 2.5

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International Students blog

Discounted train travel in the netherlands – tips & tricks.

By Õnne Kask

Updated on: 28 April 2021

Let’s start with a frank fact. As an international student, you cannot travel in the Netherlands for free. Yes, Dutch students do have that privilege, but unfortunately, that doesn’t extend to us internationals. So now you must wonder if you really have to purge out all that money for a train ticket to Amsterdam or elsewhere. Travelling by train in the Netherlands certainly doesn’t seem cheap. But, if you learn your way around, you can travel with huge discounts!

Getting an OV – the Dutch public transport card

The easiest way to travel around by train, bus, tram etc, is by using the OV chipkaart. When you first arrive in the Netherlands, you can get an anonymous card OV chipkaart. You simply have to upload money on the card and travel around. But once you have a Dutch bank account, you can get a personal OV. With this one, you can sign up for all kinds of discounts.

Don’t rush into buying the personal OV immediately. As you sign up for a travel subscription ( abonnement in Dutch), you will get the OV for free (otherwise it’s €7,50). Now, let’s look at the different travel discounts for the train.

OV chipkaart Wageningen University travel

My personal OV chipkaart

Choosing between different train discounts

Of course, signing up for a discount makes sense if you travel more often (Although, of course, now due to Covid-19 it is not possible). If you travel less than twice a month, check out the next section!

The NS website (the website of the Dutch train system) gives you an overview of discounts available (and you can change the website into English). Then, from the menu, choose “season tickets”. That’s where you’ll find the following options, and I’ll give you a quick overview of these options. I’m not going into all of the options, just the most relevant ones for you.

Dal voordeel – allows you to travel with 40% discount off-peak hours (6.30 – 9.00, 16.00 – 18.30), weekends and holidays.
Altijd voordeel – with this one the previous applies, but you also travel with 20% discount during peak hours.
Weekend vrij – travelling for free during the weekend, as much as you want, everywhere you want (but by train only).
NS Flex – This is a new and quite an interesting option – you can change your subscription every month. Let’s say you are eager to travel a lot during the weekends in October – then you sign up for the “weekend vrij” for that month (€31). During your internship you may have to travel more during peak hours – then you can change for the “altijd voordeel” for those months (€23). Or if you go away for the summer months, you can change it to “no discount” and pay nothing for that month (€0). If you opt for the “dal voordeel”, that’s just €4,10 a month. Instead of making sure you always have money before you travel, you will simply get a bill at the end of the month with all your travel costs.

Occasional discounts without the OV card

Now, if you don’t have to the OV, you can look for discounted return trips at the spoordeelwinkel . This one is unfortunately in Dutch, but quite easy to navigate, I’d say. What you find here, is return trips to specific cities. Usually, these come together with an entrance to a museum or a free coffee and cake at a specific café. Sometimes you are also free to choose your destination. The prices of these return trips are usually between €20 and €30. PS! If you travel further, these cards may even be cheaper than travelling with the 40% discount on the OV!

And last, but perhaps the cheapest option of all. Sometimes you’ll see the popular stores selling discounted day tickets as well. These usually allow you to travel as much as you want on a given day off-peak hours. These usually cost around €16 but may vary of course. You can find them at the Albert Heijn, Blokker, Etos, Kruidvat, etc. So keep your eyes open when passing these stores in the city centre to get the best deals.

NS day card from the Albert Heijn

My personal experience

Honestly, I’ve made use of all the options I explained above. During my master, I mainly had the “dag voordeel” for discounted trips during the weekend. But sometimes I still sought out even cheaper options via the spoordeelwinkel or from the AH and other shops.

As you see, there are many options available at different prices. I hope my tips help you to get ahead with choosing the best option for you.

Do you already have experience with travelling with a discount in the Netherlands? Do you know other tips other students can benefit from? Let us know in the comments!

No related posts.

I'm a Master student in Landscape Architecture & Planning, specialising in Land-Use Planning. I come from Estonia, but have lived in the Netherlands for more than five years as I also did my Bachelor in the south of the country. Since I've been an international student on the Dutch grounds for a while, I hope to give you good insights on what it's like to study at the WUR and in the Netherlands in general.

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There are 11 comments.

Really nice and useful article!! Thank you for your advice!

Hey dear sir/madam I have been ordered already ov-chipkaart but i didn’t do subscription for a year please could i activate in online

Dear Temesgen,

For that, you can check in the ov-chipkaart website or you can also check directly on the website of NS. .

Kind regards, Luisa Gomez

Team International Students Advice |

Dear Luisa,

Really nice and relevant content.

However, can you clarify how to sign up to get a free OV chip card?

As Onne explains in the blog, you will get a personal OV chipkaart for free once you sign up for a subscription https://www.ns.nl/en/nsflex/webshop#/bestelling/producten . However, if you are getting to the Netherlands for the first time and need to use public transport, you have to either buy tickets for the train/bus/tram or get an anonymous OV chipkaart at the station for €7,50.

I’m an international student and I have free ov

Hello, do you mean free ov as in a free ov chip card or actually free travel? If its the letter could you please elaborate how you did that?

Dear Elias,

As Onne mentioned in her blog, as you sign up for a travel subscription (abonnement in Dutch), you will get the OV for free (otherwise it’s €7,50). You can read about the travel subscriptions on the NS website https://www.ns.nl/en/nsflex/webshop#/bestelling/producten .

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 Thalys and Eurostar. To travel with Intercity Direct, you will have to pay a supplement.

Check the following link for student OV https://www.ns.nl/en/students/studentenreisproduct-students-ov.html

Loved this! Thank you for sharing such a valuable piece of information which is of great importance for me as well as everyone. I was looking for this information, so thanks for giving us proper information regarding the Netherlands discounted train travel.

although you provided some interesting tips, I must say, the first “frank fact” is quite misleading. You are entitled to get a student free travel as an International if you work for 56hrs per month for a Dutch company.