Tariff regulations Deutschlandticket

Pursuant to Section 9(1) of the Regionalisation Act, the federal states are introducing a monthly season ticket at a price of 49 euros from 1 May 2023, entitling the holder to use local public transport throughout Germany (Deutschland ticket). The obligation to apply the fare is mandated by federal law until corresponding regulations are enacted by the responsible authorities, or at the latest by September 30, 2023.

Representatives of the federal government, the federal states, and the transport industry have agreed that the following informative fare conditions for the Deutschland ticket should be applied by all participating transport companies.

These nationwide guidelines leave room for local decisions in some regulated situations. For the use of public transport in the federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg, the specific fare conditions of the Deutschland ticket applicable here are therefore listed in Part C, Section 6. For the use of public transport outside the federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg, the fare conditions and conditions of carriage for the Deutschland ticket as announced by the local transport companies or associations apply.

1.6.1 Principle

The Deutschland ticket is a nationwide fare product for regional rail transport and local public transport subsidised by the Federal Republic of Germany and the federal states. It is valid from 1 May 2023.

[...] These fare regulations supplement the existing fare conditions and conditions of carriage of the participating transport associations, federal state fare associations, and the German train fare association, as well as the conditions of carriage of the participating regional rail transport companies and public transport companies, unless otherwise stated in the following regulations.

The conditions of the contracting transport company apply to the issue of the Deutschland ticket.

1.6.2 Entitlement to travel, conditions of use, and area of validity

The Deutschland ticket entitles the holder to unlimited use of second-class regional rail services within the area covered by the German train fare association, as well as other means of public transport within the fare zones of participating transport companies, transport associations, and federal state fare associations during the validity period. This includes areas abroad if the respective association’s/company’s fare zone extends into foreign territory under corresponding agreements. Public transport includes transport by tram and trolleybus within the meaning of the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG) as well as by motor vehicle on local services pursuant to Sections 42 and 44 PBefG. Local scheduled services pursuant to Section 43 PBefG are included in the scope if they are generally accessible pursuant to Section 2(4) PBefG.

The Deutschland ticket is not valid on means of transport operated primarily for tourist or historical purposes.

The use of long-distance trains with the Deutschland ticket is generally excluded. Deviating regulations (e.g. within the framework of integration concepts) will be announced in the scope of the Deutschland ticket for rail transport.

The Deutschlandticket is not transferable and is issued as a personal ticket containing at least the surname, first name, and date of birth of the passenger. The ticket is issued in the form of a smart card or as a mobile ticket. The Deutschlandticket can be issued as a digitally verifiable paper ticket (with barcode) by the contracting companies, which provide the Deutschland ticket with a smart card as the data carrier, until the digital ticket is delivered or made available, at the latest, however, by 31 December 2023. A Deutschland ticket issued as a paper ticket is valid for a maximum of one calendar month. For identification purposes, an official document with a photograph must be carried and presented during checks.

The Deutschlandticket does not entitle children over the age of 6 to travel free of charge.

The Deutschlandticket entitles the holder to second class travel only. Upgrades to first class are possible within the fare zones of transport associations, federal state fare associations, and the German train fare association according to their respective fare conditions.

A regular bicycle ticket must be purchased for the transport of bicycles if there is a fee for bicycle transport on the respective journey.

A regular ticket must be purchased for the transport of dogs if there is a fee for dog transport on the respective journey.

1.6.3 Contract duration and cancellation

The Deutschland ticket can be purchased at the sales outlets for subscription products set up by the transport companies, transport associations, and federal state fare associations, or through their sales channels.

The Deutschland ticket is issued as a subscription. Subscriptions can be purchased to start on the first of any month.

The subscription is for an indefinite period and can be cancelled monthly. Cancellation must be made by the 10th of a month to be effective at the end of that calendar month. In the event of cancellation, the Deutschland ticket remains valid until the end of services on the last day of that calendar month, but no later than 3:00 am the following day.

In addition to monthly cancellation, a fixed term of 12 months can also be offered in connection with other passenger transport products.

1.6.4 Fare price

The price for the Deutschland ticket in a subscription is 49.00 euros per month, with monthly payment.  An annual payment equivalent to twelve times the monthly amount may be offered.

A surcharge according to local fare regulations may be applied for services that operate on demand (e.g. on-demand services, shared taxis, buses) and for daily operating railways with special operating forms (e.g. narrow-gauge railways with steam traction).

1.6.5 Job ticket

The Deutschland ticket can be offered as a discounted job ticket.

This job ticket can be used by employees whose employers have an agreement with a participating transport association or transport company for the purchase of the Deutschland job ticket. Employers under this provision can include companies, administrations, authorities, and other institutions.

The fare for the Deutschland ticket as a job ticket is the fare according to Section 1.6.4 minus a 5 % discount. The discount requires that the employer provides a subsidy for the job ticket amounting to at least 25 % of the fare according to Section 1.6.4.

1.6.6 Passenger rights

For rail journeys, the passenger rights as per Part A, No. 8 of the fare conditions of the German train fare association, and Part C, No. 8 of the fare conditions for season tickets as specified by the German train fare association, as approved and published, apply. These can be accessed online at www.deutschlandtarifverbund.de.

The following conditions implement the requirements listed in Part C, Section 1.6 for the local public transport services of companies within the VBB. If these conditions differ from the other conditions of the VBB fare, the conditions of carriage and fare conditions of the Deutschland ticket listed below take precedence over other VBB fare conditions.

6.1 Fare price

The Deutschland ticket is offered as a subscription at a price of 49 euros per month. In the VBB, the Deutschland ticket is also offered as a discounted job ticket (Deutschland ticket Job) according to the conditions in Section 6.8 when obtained through an employer.

6.2 Validity period

The Deutschland ticket and Deutschland ticket Job are issued only as subscriptions with an indefinite term and monthly cancellation option according to the conditions in Section 6.7.

6.3 Geographical validity

The Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job is valid, even if issued by other transport companies or associations as a Deutschland ticket according to Section 9 of the Regionalisation Act, in the area of the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association for unlimited journeys with all means of transport operated by the transport companies listed in the VBB Fares Scale Part B, No. 1.

With the Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job, foreign stops in Poland can also be reached by bus. For trips to Poland, the Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job is valid on means of transport operated by Stadtverkehrsgesellschaft mbH Frankfurt (Oder) (SVF) for trips to Słubice, on means of transport operated by Uckermärkische Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (UVG) for trips to Krajnik Dolny, and on means of transport operated by DB Regio Bus Ost GmbH (DRO) for trips to Gubin.

The Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job is not valid for trips to Poland with regional rail transport. The validity ends at the last stop of the train in the state of Brandenburg. For onward travel, the fares and conditions of the VBB Fares Scale Part E apply.

For trips beyond the scope of the VBB Fares Scale, the fare conditions and conditions of carriage of the local transport companies and transport associations whose means of transport are used apply.

6.4 Who and what you can take with you

With the Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job, any number of children under 6 years of age, one buggy, and luggage (according to the conditions of the VBB Fares Scale, Part B, Section 5.1.1), as well as one dog (supplementary to the VBB Fares Scale, Part B, Section 5.1.2), can be transported free of charge within the VBB fare area.

Persons aged 6 and over or bicycles cannot be taken along free of charge with the Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job in the VBB area.

A separate bicycle ticket must be purchased for bicycle transport within the VBB, according to the VBB Fares Scale, Appendix 4, Table 3. If only regional rail is used, the transport of a bicycle in the VBB is also possible with a nationwide valid bicycle day ticket for regional transport or a geographically valid bicycle ticket for long-distance rail transport (IC/ICE) that covers the regional rail transport section.

6.5 Upgrade to first class

The Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job is valid only for second-class travel. The use of upgrade tickets for first class according to Section 23 of the VBB Fares Scale, Part D, is permitted. If passengers use such an upgrade ticket for first class (as a single trip, 24-hour ticket, or a weekly, monthly, or annual ticket), it is valid together with the Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job within the VBB area, but not beyond. The use of upgrade tickets for first class is restricted to the VBB area.

6.6 Surcharges for alternative services

With the Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job, services that operate only on demand can also be used within the VBB area If fare or comfort surcharges or similar charges must be paid for the use of individual transport services (e.g. on-demand services, taxis, buses), they must also be paid by holders of a Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job. Any surcharges for alternative services are regulated in Part D of the VBB Fares Scale.

6.7 Subscription conditions

The Deutschland ticket and Deutschland ticket Job are issued in the VBB as smart cards with EFS or as mobile tickets. When issuing Deutschland tickets as mobile tickets, payment methods other than direct debit may also be accepted. The General Terms and Conditions (GTC) of the respective customer contract partner apply to issue as a mobile ticket.

If a transport company issues the Deutschland ticket and Deutschland ticket Job as mobile tickets, they are valid from the first to the last day of the validity period (exact months). Additionally, the conditions of the VBB Fares Scale, Appendix 8, apply.

For issue of the Deutschland ticket and Deutschland ticket Job as smart cards with EFS, the conditions of Appendix 5 apply Deviating from this, these personal smart cards with EFS can also be issued without a photo.

Temporary cards according to Appendix 5, Section 4, are not issued for the Deutschland ticket and Deutschland ticket Job in the VBB. Authorisations to travel are issued only for a full calendar month at full price. The subscription can also start during an ongoing calendar month, but no refund is given for the period from the beginning of the month to the start of the subscription.

The Deutschland ticket and Deutschland ticket Job are offered in the VBB only with monthly direct debit.
The Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job as a mobile ticket is displayed for the contract period in the respective app of the contracting transport company or the VBB GmbH after ordering. Initial delivery of the ticket into the app can take up to 48 hours. In an ongoing subscription, authorisations to travel for the following month are issued at the end of the current month. To receive the authorisation to travel, the mobile phone must be turned on and connected to the internet. If the passenger’s mobile phone is not reachable at the time of updating the authorisation to travel, the update will occur once the phone is turned on and connected to the internet again.

When switching from an existing VBB subscription to the Deutschland ticket or Deutschland ticket Job, Appendix 5, Section 8 of the VBB Fares Scale applies. The switch is possible within the contract term of the existing subscription without disadvantage. Annual ticket holders can also switch to the Deutschland ticket The refund in this case is also made without disadvantage and without the post-calculation provided for in Appendix 6, Section 3.

Subscription contracts for the Deutschland ticket and the Deutschland ticket Job are not subject to a fixed contract term. The Deutschland ticket and the Deutschland ticket Job can be cancelled at the end of any month, including the current month. Please note: If the contract is cancelled by the customer by the 10th of the current month, the cancellation is effective at the end of that month unless the customer specifies a later date. For postal cancellations, the date of the postmark applies. There is no post-calculation according to the VBB Fares Scale Appendix 5, Section 10.5.

Otherwise, the conditions for subscriptions according to the VBB Fares Scale, Appendix 5, apply.

6.8 Conditions for the Deutschland ticket Job

The Deutschland ticket Job is not transferable and is issued as a personal ticket.

A 5 % discount is granted on the monthly fare according to Section 6.1, applying the nationwide conditions (VBB Fares Scale Part C 1.6.5 ‘Job ticket’), provided the employer contributes at least 25% of the regular monthly fare according to Section 6.1.

The Deutschland ticket Job is available exclusively through employers. The prerequisite is that a master agreement is concluded between the employer and the transport company. If at least five Deutschland tickets Job or VBB corporate tickets according to the VBB Fares Scale, Part C, 1.3, are purchased for employees and a mandatory employer contribution to the travel costs in local transport is paid, a master agreement can be concluded with employers by the transport companies involved in the VBB Fares Scale in consultation with the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH for at least 12 consecutive months.

Authorised transport companies in the VBB can issue job tickets (Deutschland ticket Job) to their employees under the conditions of this Part of the Fares Scale without having to conclude a master agreement; they are issued according to the VBB Fares Scale Appendix III, Section 1.2.

In addition to Appendix III, Section 1.2.9.6, the transport company can also offer the service package for the Deutschland ticket Job free of charge.

The attachments listed in Appendix III, Section 1.2.14, apply additionally to the Deutschland ticket Job.

In addition to the applicable contract terms in Appendix III, Section 1.2.15, employers confirm the granted employer contribution to the Deutschland ticket Job according to Part C, Section 1.6.5.  

The necessary contract components for a VBB corporate ticket contract with a mandatory employer contribution according to Appendix III, Section 1.2, apply unless otherwise regulated in this Part C, Section 6.

6.9 Conditions for upgrading VBB semester tickets to the Deutschland ticket

Students at Brandenburg and Berlin universities are offered the opportunity to upgrade their respective existing personal VBB semester ticket to the Deutschland ticket with nationwide validity by paying a differential amount.

The prerequisite for purchasing the upgrade to the Deutschland ticket (Upgrade Deutschland ticket) is that the student possesses a valid VBB semester ticket.

The Upgrade Deutschland ticket can be purchased starting from 1 June 2023. Purchase is also possible retroactively to the beginning of the respective month if applicable. It always starts on the first of a calendar month. Students can purchase the Upgrade Deutschland ticket for the remaining semester duration from the start of the upgrade. The Upgrade Deutschland ticket is valid until the end of the semester after purchase.

The Upgrade Deutschland ticket offer is initially valid for universities in the state of Brandenburg until the end of the respective summer semester 2023. The offer is initially valid for universities in the state of Berlin until the end of the respective summer semester 2023, but no later than the end of the respective winter semester 2023/2024.

The additional charge for the upgrade to the Deutschland ticket is calculated from the difference between the monthly ticket price for the Deutschland ticket according to the VBB Fares Scale Part C, Section 1.6.4, and the monthly share for the semester ticket, which results from the respective concluded semester ticket contract.

The Upgrade Deutschland ticket is issued exclusively as a wallet or web ticket with monthly direct debit. The conditions of the customer contract partner and the service provider commissioned with the issue of the digital Upgrade Deutschland ticket apply.

The Upgrade Deutschland ticket can be cancelled monthly. If it is cancelled by the 10th of the current month, the cancellation is effective at the end of that month. If not cancelled, it automatically extends, but to no later than the end of the respective semester.

During ticket inspections, the Upgrade Deutschland ticket is valid only in conjunction with the VBB semester ticket. The Upgrade Deutschland ticket and the VBB semester ticket must be carried and presented on demand, along with an official photo ID. The student ensures that the upgrade can be checked at any time on their mobile device.

Updated 26/05/2023