Contents
- Activate mobile phone ticket
- General information
- Frequently asked questions
- Reimbursement
- Problems with ticket inspection
- Passenger rights
- Background information
- Information for students at other universities
Activate mobile phone ticket
The Deutschland-Semesterticket can be activated under this link approx. 2 weeks before the start of each semester:
As it is a form of the Deutschlandticket, the Deutschland-Semesterticket must be issued digitally. The RMV therefore offers it as a mobile phone ticket. The student ID card does not have to be shown. Students are not entitled to travel if they have not activated the mobile phone ticket!
Step-by-step
To get the Deutschland-Semesterticket, you have to go to the Semesterticket Portal. There you can
- register in the Uni-SSO.
The first field must contain your TU-ID (not matriculation number! Form: ab12abcd) and the second field must contain your password. The access data should be identical to those of e.g. Moodle or TUCaN.
IMPORTANT: You may be asked if you want to share some data with the RIDE Ticketing Portal. This must be accepted, otherwise an error will be thrown! The date of birth is important so that you can be identified on the ticket. The Entitlement contains data on the semester period. If you do not agree to share your data, you can get a chip card. - Click on the Deutschlandsemesterticket.
- Now you have a few options: Either you simply use the QR code displayed on the website (it will be valid from the start of the semester). You can also bookmark the semester ticket portal and open it every time your ticket is checked:
For many people, it will be more convenient to add the semester ticket to a wallet. Google Wallet or Apple Wallet should be installed on all Android or iOS devices. Alternatively, other wallet apps are also supported. To do this, scroll down on the same page and press the corresponding button:
As you can see, you can also download a receipt there.
Chip Card
Chip cards can be issued for people who do not have a mobile phone. We are fundamentally against the digital obligation and as soon as the legal requirements change, we will start new rounds of negotiations.
The application period begins approximately 3 weeks before the start of each semester. A corresponding form for the new semester will be uploaded in good time.
Please note: When you apply for a chip card at the AStA office, your mobile ticket will be invalidated.
To apply for the chip card, you must:
- have the certificate below filled out by the university. The best way to do this is to go to the Student Service (international students to the services for international students),
- have the same certificate filled out by us. The best way to do this is to go to one of our offices,
- go to an RMV service centre that issues chip cards. In Darmstadt, this is located in the DB Reisezentrum inside the main station (not the RMV counter in front of it!). A list of all participating sales centers is below. With the certificate, the chip card can be issued there.
Please only apply for chip cards if the use of the mobile phone ticket is excluded. This option involves a great deal of bureaucracy for everyone involved.
General information
What is the semester ticket?
The semester ticket entitles students to use all public transport in Germany that is covered by the Deutschlandticket. This essentially includes all local public transport and a few long-distance routes. The Deutschland-Semesterticket is issued as a mobile phone ticket and is only valid as such. People who do not have a mobile phone can order a chip card or apply for a refund of the ticket.
When is the ticket valid?
The semester ticket is valid from the start of the semester in conjunction with a photo ID (ID card, passport or driving licence), provided the mobile phone ticket has been activated. The International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is also valid as photo ID and can be obtained from the AStA.
Why does the semester ticket exist?
"In an endeavour to safeguard the social and economic interests of students at teaching institutions in the tariff area of the Deutschlandsemesterticket and to guarantee and promote the mobility of students nationwide using environmentally friendly means of transport, the contracting parties conclude the following agreement: [...]"
reads the (translated) preamble to the agreement between AStA and RMV. The AStA has the opportunity to conclude a contract of this kind, which brings considerable financial benefits to students, due to the students' choice and its position as a public corporation. It does not matter whether some do not benefit from the deal if it can only be so favourable because all students buy the ticket. As the ticket is used by students to varying degrees, everyone pays the average price, so to speak. Even for those who use the ticket only rarely, there is a price advantage compared to buying individual tickets, even if they are not used very often. In addition, the ticket is subsidised by compensation payments for trainee transport, which reduces the amount to be paid even further.
Especially when the ticket is already in your pocket, the inhibition threshold for using public transport is lowered. Lowering this inhibition threshold is another important reason in favour of the semester ticket. Travelling by tram is easier if you don't have to worry about fares and don't have to dig change out of your pocket for every journey. It is to be hoped that these experiences will have a lasting effect and that students will also use public transport in their later working lives if they have to buy tickets at normal prices unless their employers offer a JobTicket.
With its approx. 25,000 students, TU Darmstadt contributes significantly to the daily traffic flows through the city and the surrounding area. If everyone travelled to lectures by private car, there would be much longer traffic jams and a stressful search for parking spaces would be necessary. We see the city and its streets not just as a transit area but also as a living space and the fewer cars there are on the road, the more pleasant the city is for everyone.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the semester ticket cost?
The semester ticket costs €176.40 in the summer semester 2024 and is already included in the semester fees. The converted price of €29.40 per month is 60% of the price of the Deutschlandticket.
Is my student ID/study certificate also valid as a semester ticket?
No, the semester ticket is only valid in digital form (mobile phone ticket, probably chip card in justified exceptions).
I get the error message "Fehlerhafte Daten". What is the reason for this?
The "Fehlerhafte Daten" error is probably due to the fact that the data transfer was not authorized. The date of birth is particularly important so that you can be identified from the data on the ticket. Please log in to the semester ticket portal again and accept the transfer of data to the semester ticket portal.
I can log in, but I don't see a ticket. Why is that?
If you do not see a ticket, this also indicates that the data transfer was not authorized. In this case, the "Entitlement" field, which contains the semester period, has probably not been shared. Please log in to the semester ticket portal again and accept the transfer of data to the semester ticket portal.
Didn't the ticket used to be valid one month before the start of the semester?
Yes, it was, but this privilege has unfortunately been abolished with the Deutschland-Semesterticket, whose validity and price are the same at all universities nationwide. Of course, the AStA is aware that the situation is very unfavorable, especially for international students or first-year students in preliminary courses, and we are still in contact with the RMV.
Can I take someone with me?
No, it is not possible to take someone with you on the ticket. The semester ticket is a personal season ticket that can only be used by you. You are also not allowed to lend out your semester ticket.
What about my bicycle?
Basically, the conditions of the Deutschlandticket apply. Within the RMV, it is possible to take your bicycle with you on public transport services. However, there is no right to take your bike with you. The individual transport companies reserve the right to restrict or even exclude the carriage of bicycles at certain times on certain lines. Further information can be found on the RMV website.
How does it work with the AirLiner?
You can use the bus to Frankfurt am Main Airport, but you need a supplementary ticket, which you buy when boarding. It's still worth it, as you can get directly to Terminals 1 and 2 without changing trains and with WLAN. If you have applied for a refund of the semester ticket, e.g. because you are travelling abroad for a semester, you will of course have to pay the full price.
Can I also travel on InterCity trains with the semester ticket?
The Deutschland-Semesterticket is equivalent to the Deutschlandticket. Therefore, there are also some (few!) Intercity routes that can be travelled on with the semester ticket. You can find these routes here. In principle, however, the Semesterticket only entitles you to travel on regional transport.
Is there a supplementary ticket for the InterCity?
At the beginning of 2005, the framework agreement between RMV and Deutsche Bahn, which allowed the use of IC/EC trains throughout Hesse with a supplementary ticket, expired. However, the railway company did not wish to continue the contract in its existing form. Since then, there is no longer a supplementary ticket with which you can buy the use of IC/EC trains.
Why can students at the University of Marburg and students at the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt use the InterCity?
In order to find a follow-up arrangement after the abolition of the supplementary ticket, the Hessian student representatives have been at the negotiating table with the railway since spring 2005. In these very tough negotiations, however, the railway has developed price expectations that are simply unacceptable to most ASten.
However, the situation at the University of Marburg (very good connection to the IC network, high acceptance and high utilisation, clear positive effect for a large number of students) and at the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt (study locations in Darmstadt and Treysa, North Hesse) is completely different, which is why the two universities came to an agreement on the basis of the latest offer from the railway. In return, however, all students at these two universities will pay up to €50 per semester to the railway as part of the solidarity model.
Can I travel first class?
If you really want to, but then you have to buy a supplementary ticket from RMV.
Reimbursement
The following groups of people are able to apply for a refund for the Deutschland-Semesterticket:
- Students who spend at least three months of the semester abroad due to their studies,
- Students who are enrolled at two universities with compulsory semester tickets can be reimbursed at one university,
- Severely disabled students who are entitled to transport in accordance with SGB IX and can prove that they are in possession of the supplementary sheet to their severely disabled pass and the corresponding token,
- Students who can prove that they are going on holiday or a semester abroad,
- Students who receive the Hessen State Ticket and who can prove that they have not used the Germany Semester Ticket during the current semester,
- Students for whom the contribution represents a social hardship according to the hardship statutes,
- Students who are unable to use a mobile phone for health reasons.
In the event of a refund, the mobile phone ticket will be deactivated on the server side. The travel authorisation is therefore lost!
More information including deadlines and a link to the online reimbursement form can be found here.
Problems with ticket inspection
What happens if I have forgotten my mobile phone/no battery and am checked?
Then RMV will charge you an increased fare. You will receive a receipt with which you will be asked to pay €60.00. With this receipt, your semester ticket and a photo ID, you can reduce the amount to a processing fee of €7.00 at an RMV mobility centre. If you have any problems, you can contact the AStA at "> .
Passenger rights
What are passenger rights in rail transport?
Since July 2009, the Passenger Rights Act has been in force, which improves the rights of passengers in the event of delays and train cancellations. Previously, students with a semester ticket were excluded from some passenger rights on the grounds that the semester ticket was a significantly discounted ticket. With the new semester ticket contract, which applies from the summer semester 2011, the same rights now apply as for all other holders of season tickets on student transport.
Information on the various passenger rights can be found under the following links.
What compensation is available for delays?
If you are travelling by train with your semester ticket, you can be reimbursed 1.50 euros if you are at least 60 minutes late at your destination. This is a fixed refund rate that applies to all RMV season tickets. As refunds of such small amounts are very time-consuming, refunds are only paid out from 4 euros. However, refunds can be collected within the validity period of the ticket and then paid out together.
Can I also use the InterCity if the regional train is delayed?
With the RMV semester ticket, you could get a long-distance ticket and then have it refunded if you were expected to be at least 20 minutes late at your destination. As the Deutschlandticket is classified as a "erheblich ermäßigtes Beförderungsentgelt" ("significantly reduced fare"), this is unfortunately no longer possible.
What if there is no train at all at night?
If the train with a scheduled arrival time between midnight and 5.00 a.m. is expected to be at least 60 minutes late, taxi costs up to a maximum of 80 euros can be claimed. This rule also applies if the last scheduled train of the day is cancelled and the destination cannot otherwise be reached before midnight. However, before you get into a taxi, you should first use any alternative services that may be available (e.g. emergency bus services).
Where can I get the refund form?
The refund form can be found here as a PDF document or at the RMV mobility centres.
Is there also compensation if the bus or tram is delayed?
The above regulations only apply to S-Bahn and railway services. Since the 10-minute guarantee was unfortunately discontinued by RMV, there is no longer any compensation for bus and tram delays.
Background information
Invented in Darmstadt: the semester ticket based on the solidarity model
Before the ticket was introduced in 1991, HEAG offered a discounted ticket for students, but this was only valid within the city limits. Students from outside the city still had to buy train or bus tickets from other operators. Although this situation improved after the Darmstadt-Dieburger Verkehrsverbund (DDV) was founded, as all bus routes in the district could now be used with one ticket, train tickets still had to be purchased additionally.
The Darmstadt student ticket was born out of the idea of ending this dilemma in a simple way. As the first of its kind in Germany, it was intended to enable students to use all means of transport in and around the university campus with their student ID card alone. A contract was concluded with the DDV until it was replaced by the agreement with the RMV, which set the amount for each student assuming an average intensity of use. In addition, this ticket was subsidised by compensation payments for student transport, which meant that the amount to be paid was even lower. This principle has not changed to this day.
During the first few semesters, the Darmstadt semester ticket was closely monitored by the Darmstadt Regional Council, the authority responsible for checking public transport fares. Counts and surveys were carried out to ensure that the subsidised portion of the ticket was not too high - after all, this is paid for by the federal government. This issue has now been clarified and the semester ticket has been recognised as a "normal" ticket, the billing modalities of which are comprehensible.
The AStA has the opportunity to conclude such a contract, which provides students with considerable financial benefits, due to the students' choice and its position as a public corporation. It does not matter whether some do not benefit from the deal if it can only be so favourable because all students buy the ticket.
How this became the RMV-AStA semester ticket with the VRN transition area
To explain this, however, we need to take a look at the history of the RMV and the semester ticket: When the RMV's preparatory organisation set about persuading the local authorities (i.e. districts and independent cities) to become members, there was still talk of an area of validity between Aschaffenburg, parts of Rhineland-Palatinate around Mainz, southern Hesse and the area of central Hesse that is now part of the RMV. However, it soon became clear that some of the local authorities in question had no particular interest in joining RMV. After some political wrangling, the current network area was created. The RMV was particularly hard hit by the neighbouring federal states, which meant that the association's dominance ended at the state border. Aschaffenburg, although clearly part of the Rhine-Main economic area, was left out, and in Rhineland-Palatinate only the city of Mainz was connected to the RMV, as there was already a local fare community between Mainz and Wiesbaden. In the south, the Bergstrasse district showed no inclination to join the transport association, as it was already organised in the neighbouring Rhine-Neckar association.
The situation was improved for the people of Bergstrasse by creating a transitional arrangement between the transport associations: RMV tickets were allowed to be sold from parts of the district area for journeys to the greater Frankfurt area (and areas south of it). This corresponds to RMV price level 6, which means that no network tickets (price level 7) can be purchased from these areas, i.e. citizens of Bergstrasse have to buy a DB AG ticket to Marburg, for example, which is considerably more expensive. The reverse of the RMV fare logic means this: An RMV network ticket with price level 7 does not entitle the holder to travel to the transition areas. This must be paid for individually. If a person from Bergstrasse wants to travel alone within the district area, a ticket from the Rhine-Neckar Transport Association (VRN) must be purchased (difficult, right?).
For the AStA of TU Darmstadt, it was clear that only a full connection of these areas to the semester ticket made sense. Due to Darmstadt's decentralised location in the RMV area, Marburg and Fulda can be reached within a considerable distance with an RMV network ticket, but the RMV would have wanted to stop 15 kilometres south of the city area; this is where the Darmstadt-Dieburg district border runs. So we did everything we could to obtain travel authorisation in the transitional areas, which was ultimately successful at no extra cost. The university location of Darmstadt was thus the only one whose students also enjoyed free travel in the transitional areas to the VRN. Even today, it is still not possible to purchase a network ticket with this functionality from RMV!
However, the Bergstraße district was not particularly well served by the transitional arrangement: only the north-western part of the district (Bergstraße and parts of the Ried) was included. To juggle a little with the nicely numbered RMV fare zones: Zwingenberg, Bensheim and Heppenheim (No. 45), Lorsch and Einhausen (No. 46) and Bürstadt, Biblis and Groß-Rohrheim (No.47) have been included since then. This meant that not all citizens of the district were able to use the RMV services for a long time; for many, two tickets were still necessary: Instead of VRN and DB (possibly also still FVV / HEAG) now one for VRN and the other for RMV, which was also sometimes even more expensive than before. In addition, local bus operators had considerable problems with the RMV tariffs, which is why there was also a transitional tariff area from VRN to RMV at times (still all clear?!). It was clear from the outset that this confusing and unpleasant situation had to be changed.
Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) and Verkehrsverbund-Rhein-Neckar (VRN) extended the transitional arrangements with effect from 1 June 1997. In addition to the existing areas, four further areas were established: No. 67 (Worms Stadt), No. 4810 (Lampertheim, Viernheim), No. 4830 (Laudenbach, Hemsbach, Weinheim) and No. 4850 (Überwald). In addition, fare zone no. 45 (Bensheim) was extended to include the municipalities of Lautertal, Lindenfels and Fürth (n.v.).
However, as the contract with RMV remained unchanged, TH students were not allowed to travel to these new areas! Bad thing, thought the transport department and immediately entered into negotiations with RMV. The other universities were immediately involved, as it was clear that only a joint solution could be found. From 1 October 1997, students at the TU will therefore be able to travel for free on public transport in this area with their new student ID card.
Open-ended contract between RMV and AStA from 01 April 2011
The 2011 summer semester marks a new era in the history of the semester ticket, as all contracts between AStA and RMV were previously valid for a limited period. This means that the continuation of the semester ticket had to be renegotiated at regular intervals. This was a sign that the RMV-AStA semester ticket was only seen as a pilot project. With the new contract, it has been possible to secure the semester ticket permanently.
This has the particular advantage that the prices will also remain stable for the foreseeable future and from the summer semester 2014, price changes will only be made in the same proportion as for the normal monthly tickets in the student tariff. Previously, RMV had entered the regular renegotiations with large price increases.
Furthermore, it was also possible to reach agreement that all students in the RMV area can travel in the same area of validity. This means that from the summer semester 2011, all students in the RMV area can also use the transition areas to VRN and NVV. Some universities have additional areas of validity (e.g. in the NVV or IC). This is due to the fact that the ASten of these universities have made additional agreements. However, students there also have to pay more for their ticket.
Since 1 August 2015, the NVV transitional fare zones 8510 (Lichtenfels) and 8530 (Korbach) have also been included in the semester ticket.
On 1 June 2023, the "Upgrade Ticket" offer was introduced for holders of the Deutschlandticket. This gave students the opportunity to purchase a Deutschlandticket at a lower price because the fee already paid for the semester ticket is deducted from the price of the Deutschlandticket on a monthly basis. This offer was valid until the introduction of the Deutschland-Semesterticket.
Deutschland Semester Ticket
From summer semester 2024, the semester ticket will be valid throughout Germany. This step follows an agreement between the federal and state governments on 27 November 2023. The price is now 60% of the Deutschlandticket and is therefore linked to the Deutschlandticket instead of the student tariff. In addition, the semester ticket will be digitalised and issued as a mobile phone ticket from now on.
What does the future hold?
The mobility officers of all Hessian ASten will cooperate more closely in the State ASten Conference (LAK Mobility), as the RMV-AStA semester ticket is not only based on a solidarity model of the students of TU Darmstadt, but is only possible because all universities participate in the RMV.
We will continue to fight for a cheaper semester ticket - also with our allies in the LAK and the fzs. Mobility is a basic right for us!
Information for students at other universities
Other universities also offer a semester ticket that covers the area of validity of the Deutschlandticket. Nevertheless, the conditions may differ slightly from those at TU Darmstadt. We ask students from other universities to enquire at their own university about any available offer. If your university is outside the RMV area and does not offer a Deutschlandticket, you will probably not be allowed to travel to beautiful Darmstadt. If you want to travel on RMV, you can buy discounted weekly or monthly tickets at the student rate. To do this, take your student ID to an RMV mobility centre or one of the many sales outlets. There you will receive a customer card for trainees with which you can buy the discounted season tickets.
RMV semester ticket (obsolete)
The RMV semester ticket was valid before April 1, 2024. If you need information from this time, e.g. old passenger rights information, you can still find the old website here.