Germany's nationwide semester travel ticket

Since winter semester 2024/2025, students at Saarland University have been entitled to the Deutschlandticket—a single travel ticket that can be used throughout Germany

You can obtain your Deutschlandsemesterticket once you have enrolled or re-registered with the university. The ticket will be valid for that semester. To access the ticket, you will first need to enter your details on the portal of the local public transport operator (saarVV). The saarVV portal explains the steps you need to take to obtain the ticket and provides information on the saarVV app.

saarVV-Portal

Please note:
You will need to repeat the procedure at the beginning of each semester. If you do not log into the saarVV portal at the beginning of each semester, the Deutschlandsemesterticket will no longer appear in the saarVV app. The saarVV portal typically opens about three weeks before the start of each semester.
During the semester, the Deutschlandsemesterticket will automatically renew on the first day of each month of the six-month validity period of the ticket. You do not need to log back in every month.

What is the Deutschlandsemesterticket?

The Deutschlandsemesterticket is a nationwide travel ticket for students that is made available through a solidarity-based funding model. This means that all enrolled students, even those who do not use public transport, are obliged to purchase the nationwide semester travel ticket. The price has been set at 60% of the cost of the regular Deutschlandticket—the nationwide travel ticket that can be purchased by anyone. Payment is made automatically when you enrol or re-register and is included in your semester fee.
 

 

How do I get the Deutschlandsemesterticket?

The new nationwide semester travel ticket is issued as a digital ticket on your mobile phone. Once you have enrolled or re-registered with the university and paid your semester fee, you can obtain your digital ticket from the portal of the local public transport operator (saarVV). If an onboard ticket check is carried out, you will need to present the digital Deutschlandsemesterticket on your phone together with valid photo ID (e.g. an identity card).

How long is the Deutschlandsemesterticket valid for?

The nationwide semester travel ticket is valid for the entire semester for which it was issued, i.e. from 1 October to 31 March for a winter semester or from 1 April to 30 September for a summer semester. Note: For students taking German language courses at the International Study Centre Saar (ISZ Saar), a different period of validity applies.

Where can I use the new travel ticket?

The nationwide semester travel ticket can be used on all public transport services throughout Germany, i.e. on all regular bus services, local trains, municipal light rail services, underground trains and trams. The ticket can also be used on Saarbahn services (Saarbrücken's light rail transit system) as far as the 'Sarreguemines (F)' stop. The Deutschlandsemesterticket cannot be used on long-distance train services. For more details, please refer to the information provided on the Deutsche Bahn website. Please also note that individual transport operators may impose special regional restrictions. For example, many transport operators do not allow you to take a bicycle with you if you are travelling with the Deutschlandsemesterticket.

Can I use my certificate of enrolment as a semester travel ticket?

No. Your certificate of enrolment will not be accepted as a substitute for the nationwide semester travel ticket. You must present the digital ticket (issued by saarVV) on your phone or digital device. Screenshots or printouts of the QR code are also not accepted.

Why do I still need my UdS Card?

Your UdS Card is still very important. It is your student ID card and still needs to be validated each semester after you re-register so that you can continue to use it to make payments in the Mensa or to borrow books from the main library. Your newly validated card will have the semester for which you have re-registered printed on it, but it can no longer be used as a travel ticket.

What happens if I deregister?

Only students properly enrolled at a higher education institution are entitled to use the Deutschlandsemesterticket. If you deregister, the ticket will cease to be valid from the date of your deregistration, even if the semester has not yet ended.

Exemptions and reimbursements

The previous rules governing exemptions and reimbursements remain essentially unchanged. For more details, please refer to the General Student Committee (AStA) website. One new development is that doctoral students and students on advanced professional study programmes who are properly enrolled at the university may now apply for a refund.

If you have any questions...

If you've tried to obtain your new travel ticket using the saarVV app ('Saarfahrplan'), but the app keeps telling you that you don't have the required authorization (‘Berechtigung fehlt’), please send an email to studium+21(at)uni-saarland.de and include the relevant screenshot from your phone.

If you applied for the new travel ticket via the Saarfahrplan app and your application was successful, but the ticket is not (or no longer) showing in the app, please contact the saarVV call centre and subscription management team.