OV-chipkaart Guide 2026: Public Transport in the Netherlands

💡 Looking for a bank account to link to OVpay or NS Flex? Read Best banking for expats in the Netherlands 2026.

The OV-chipkaart and OVpay

The OV-chipkaart (openbaar vervoer chipkaart, “public transport chip card”) is the card for checking in and out on Dutch trains, buses, trams and metro. It is being phased out: the Netherlands is switching to OVpay, which lets you check in with the new OV-pas or with your contactless bank card (OV-chipkaart.nl). During the switch, you still need a personal OV-chipkaart for an NS season ticket or a student travel product.

Your options in 2026

Prices checked on ovpay.nl and ov-chipkaart.nl on 31 October 2026.

Which option fits you?

• You travel occasionally: a contactless bank card is enough. You do not need to register; you always travel in 2nd class without a discount, and the costs of a day’s travel are debited from your account the next day with a reference starting with NLOV (NS).
• You want an NS discount, a season ticket or the OV-fiets: order a personal OV-chipkaart. NS says it will tell season-ticket holders when they can move their subscription to the OV-pas; until then the season ticket stays on the OV-chipkaart (NS).
• You prefer a separate card on balance: the OV-pas costs EUR 6, you top it up through your OVpay account or set automatic top-up, and you receive it within 5 working days (OVpay.nl).

A foreign contactless debit or credit card from Maestro, V PAY, Mastercard or Visa can also be used, with a few exceptions that NS lists in its FAQ.

How to get a personal OV-chipkaart

1. Apply online at ov-chipkaart.nl
2. Enter an address in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany or Luxembourg and upload a digital photo (jpg, max. 5 MB)
3. Pay EUR 7.50 with iDEAL, or PayPal if you cannot use iDEAL
4. The card arrives within one week
5. Add a season ticket, or load balance on it

If your IBAN is not from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg or Germany, OV-chipkaart.nl asks you to contact it via chat to apply (OV-chipkaart.nl, checked 31 October 2026).

How Check-In / Check-Out Works

1. Check in (inchecken): hold your card, bank card or phone against the reader when you enter the station or board the bus or tram.
2. Check out (uitchecken): hold the same card against a reader when you leave the station or the vehicle.

Always check out. If you travel by NS on balance with an OV-chipkaart, you pay a fixed boarding fee when you check in and get it back, minus the fare, when you check out. If you miss the check-out, you pay the standard amount: EUR 20 without a discount or season ticket, and EUR 33.30 for a missed check-out with a bank card (NS correction and boarding fees, checked 31 October 2026). You can still check out at an NS gate or pole up to 6 hours after checking in, and you can ask NS for a refund of a missed check-out up to 3 times a year (NS).

Transferring Between Operators

When you change from one operator to another, for example from an NS train to a GVB tram in Amsterdam, you check out with the first and check in with the next. With an NS Flex season ticket you can check out and in again during your journey and keep your NS off-peak discount: the moment of your first check-in decides, as long as no more than 35 minutes pass between checking out and checking in again (NS, off-peak hours).

Before you pick a subscription, it helps to know how your transport costs fit into your total monthly budget. Our cost-of-living tools can help you model that.

Explore our expat budget tools →

NS Trains

This section covers NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) trains. The fare of a single or return trip depends on your route; the NS journey planner shows the price of a specific trip, and the journey time depends on the train and the time of day.

Supplement for the high-speed line

On the ICE and Intercity direct you pay a supplement of EUR 3.20 in 2026, rising to EUR 3.40 from 1 January 2027 (ns.nl prices, checked 31 October 2026).

Peak and Off-Peak Travel

NS off-peak hours (daluren) are:

• Weekdays: 09:00–16:00 and 18:30–06:30
• Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: all day

With most NS season tickets you get the discount if you check in during off-peak hours; you may also check in up to 5 minutes before or after, as long as you travel within 30 minutes of checking in (NS).

NS Flex Subscriptions

NS Flex is the NS season-ticket system. You pay your travel costs monthly afterwards by direct debit, and you can change or cancel monthly (NS).

NS Flex prices 2026 and 2027

Source: ns.nl prices page and season tickets, checked 31 October 2026. NS says ticket prices and most season tickets rise by an average of 4.7% on 1 January 2027. Young people aged 12 to 17 pay no subscription fee for Dal Voordeel. NS Flex Altijd Voordeel can no longer be ordered.

Which Subscription Should You Choose?

• You commute on the same route most days: compare the price of Traject Vrij for your route with what you would pay without a season ticket. Ask your employer whether it reimburses travel costs.
• You mainly travel off-peak or at weekends: Dal Voordeel costs EUR 6.35 a month in 2026 and gives 40% off those trips. Whether it pays for itself depends on how much you travel.
• You travel a lot across the country: Dal Vrij or Altijd Vrij may work out cheaper; compare with your actual travel pattern in the NS selection guide.

How to Set Up NS Flex

1. Create a Mijn NS account at ns.nl
2. Choose a season ticket and link it to your personal OV-chipkaart
3. Pay monthly by direct debit

City Transport: Trams, Buses, and Metro

The large cities have their own operators for trams, buses and metro:

Elsewhere, other operators run buses and regional trains; the journey planners show your connections.

Fares and season tickets differ per operator. Two examples: GVB Vrij, unlimited travel on all GVB lines (OVpay only), costs €129 a month for adults (GVB), and RET Maandkorting 40% costs €29.70 a month (ret.nl, checked 31 October 2026).

OV-fiets: Bike Rental at Train Stations

OV-fiets is the NS rental bike, available at about 300 locations.

How to Use OV-fiets

1. Get NS Flex on your personal OV-chipkaart. NS Flex Basis has no monthly fee, only a one-off EUR 10 administration fee. NS no longer sells a separate OV-fiets season ticket.
2. Take a bike at an OV-fiets location and unlock it with your OV-chipkaart.
3. Return the bike to the same location and close the ring lock; only then does the rental stop.

You cannot rent an OV-fiets with a student travel product (studenten-ov); you need NS Flex on a separate personal OV-chipkaart.

OV-fiets Pricing

• EUR 4.80 per 24 hours (no hourly rate)
• EUR 9.80 per day after three days
• Maximum rental period: seven days
• Paid monthly afterwards with NS Flex

Source: ns.nl OV-fiets, checked 31 October 2026. NS says the OV-fiets rental price goes from EUR 4.80 to EUR 4.95 in 2027 (NS news, 20 October 2026).

Tips for OV-fiets

• Link your card to Mijn NS: the NS app then shows your OV-fiets rentals and costs, and can notify you when you still have a bike on hire.
• Theft: contact NS straight away to stop the rental and avoid a large fine.

Apps for Dutch Public Transport

• 9292: a journey planner for public transport by train, bus, tram and metro, with an English-language website and an app. It also shows disruptions.
• NS app and Mijn NS: train journey planning, and with a linked card your journeys, costs and OV-fiets rentals.
• OVpay app: your OV-pas balance and your trips with a bank card or OV-pas.

If you use public WiFi while travelling, remember that the network is shared with other users. Stay secure on public WiFi with NordVPN →

Practical Tips for Daily Commuting

Employer Reimbursement

Dutch employers may reimburse commuting costs, for example with an NS Business Card or a fixed allowance. A kilometre allowance is tax-free up to EUR 0.25 per kilometre in 2026: the government raised it from EUR 0.23 with retroactive effect from 1 January 2026 (Belastingdienst). Ask your employer what it offers.

Delays and Disruptions

• Refund for delays: NS refunds (part of) the fare from 30 minutes of delay, or from 15 minutes on the high-speed trains (Intercity direct and the Intercity The Hague–Eindhoven via Breda). Claim within three months via Mijn NS or the NS online form. Refunds under EUR 2.30 are not paid, and there is no refund if a longer journey time was announced in advance or another carrier caused the delay (ns.nl, checked 31 October 2026).
• Planned works and disruptions: check the NS app or 9292 before you leave.

Bike + Train

If you haven’t got your bike sorted yet, our cycling guide covers buying a bike, Swapfiets and Dutch traffic rules. At stations, NS says storage is free for the first 24 hours in most guarded bicycle storages (NS, checked 31 October 2026).

Related Guides

• Best SIM Cards and Mobile Plans for Expats in the Netherlands 2026 – stay connected while commuting
• Complete Guide to Moving to the Netherlands in 2026 – your full relocation checklist
• Cost of Living in the Netherlands 2026 – budget for transport and daily expenses
• Finding Housing in the Netherlands as an Expat 2026 – consider transport connections when choosing where to live

Final Tips

1. Travelling occasionally? Check in with your contactless bank card; no registration needed.
2. Want a discount, a season ticket or the OV-fiets? Order a personal OV-chipkaart (EUR 7.50) and choose an NS Flex season ticket.
3. Download the NS app and 9292 to plan journeys and follow disruptions.
4. Ask your employer about travel cost reimbursement.
5. Always check out, with the same card you checked in with.

Want to see how your commute costs compare to housing, food, and other expenses? Our cost of living guide breaks down spending by category, and our budget tool lets you model your own numbers.

Check your total cost of living →