No more free tickets are available!

You can no longer order

Promotion closed

Customer service closed
Because the promotion has ended and all the free public transport tickets are gone, the customer service is closed from now on. That means you won't be able to call or e-mail the customer service any more. The general telephone number and e-mail address of the Vervoerregio Amsterdam will not answer any questions.

Action closed
The free public transport ticket promotion of the Vervoerregio Amsterdam is closed. All the tickets are given away. It is no longer possible to order tickets. We have done our best to distribute the tickets as fairly as possible. We understand that you may feel disappointed if you did not get any tickets. 

Frequently Asked Questions
Most of the answers to your questions can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions page on the campaign website: gratis-ov.nl.

Here’s how it works

No money for the bus, tram or metro? And do you live in Amsterdam, or in the surrounding municipalities? If so, you can get free public transport tickets from the Amsterdam Regional Transport Authority (Vervoerregio Amsterdam).

  • You will receive six tickets per address.
  • With 1 ticket, you can travel for free for 1.5 hours.
  • You can use them in the Amsterdam Transport Region.
  • Valid through 1 September 2025.
  • If you have any questions, then look here.

There are still 0 free tickets available!

Frequently asked questions

What does the promotion entail?

Public transportation can be very expensive for some people. The Amsterdam Regional Transport Authority wants to help people who need it. Therefore, a special promotion has been devised: residents of the region can apply for ‘1.5-hour free travel’ tickets. This is an existing ticket valid on buses, trams and metros of all operators in the Amsterdam Transport Region. The tickets allow you to travel from Purmerend to Uithoorn.

Which municipalities are included in the promotion?

All municipalities in the Amsterdam Transport Region: Purmerend, Wormerland, Edam-Volendam, Zaanstad, Oostzaan, Landsmeer, Waterland, Amsterdam, Haarlemmermeer, Amstelveen, Diemen, Aalsmeer, Uithoorn, Ouder-Amstel.

Are there unlimited tickets available?

No. There are enough for all households earning up to 130% of the minimum income. But: first come, first serve.

How do I know if I can order the tickets?

The tickets are intended for households earning up to 130% of the minimum income. We are doing this because we see that people can really benefit from the tickets. In the Vervoerregio area, this concerns about 90,000 to 95,000 households.

Additionally, only residents of the 14 municipalities within the Vervoerregio Amsterdam are eligible to order the tickets. Check whether you live in the region.

Can I order tickets more than once?

No, a maximum of 1 request for 6 tickets can be submitted per address.

Can I also request tickets for people outside of my household?

No, you can only request tickets at your own address.

Must I inform my benefit agency that I have received free tickets?

No, the tickets are anonymous and are therefore not registered.

Am I allowed to resell the tickets or turn them in for cash from the operators?

No.

How long can I travel using the free tickets?

One ticket allows you to travel for 1.5 hours. That's enough to travel throughout the entire Amsterdam region. The time starts when you check in on the bus, tram or metro. Every time you transfer during that time, you must check in and out.

Where can I travel with the tickets?

The 1.5-hour ticket is a physical ticket and works on EBS, Connexxion and GVB buses, trams and metros. Therefore, the ticket can be used throughout the Amsterdam Transport Region. You can transfer without any problems. All destinations within the Amsterdam Transport Region can be reached within 1.5 hours’ travel time. See exactly where you can travel.

Can I travel for free on all buses, trams and metros in the area?

No, not in all of them, but in most of them. Be sure to board a bus, tram or metro that operates on our behalf: Amsterdam Regional Transport Authority (plus bus line 161). There are also a few lines in this area that fall under a different client. You cannot travel on those lines for free using this ticket. Check which lines you travel on for free.

Can I also travel by train for free using this ticket?

No, this ticket is not valid for use on the train. Only for buses, trams and metros operating on behalf of the Amsterdam Regional Transport Authority. You can travel for free on these lines using the ticket.

How do I transfer?

When you board, you check in. When you get off, you must also check out again. You do this both times by holding the ticket in front of the reader. If you forget to check out, the ticket is no longer valid. It is therefore important not to forget to do this. So, if you have used the ticket and forgotten to check out, you cannot continue travelling on that same ticket.

Does the ticket expire after exactly 90 minutes?

If you are still on the bus, tram or subway after 90 minutes, you may finish your trip. After you check out, you will not be allowed to transfer to another bus, streetcar or subway.

Do I also have to check out if I don’t want to continue travelling?

To complete the trip, we ask that you always check out. Your personal details are not known to us and your journey will not be registered.

What should I do if my ticket is not working/defective?

A ticket will rarely, if ever, not work. Unfortunately, a transport company employee cannot tell from the ticket why this would not work. In that case, travel with a different ticket.

Until when can I use the tickets?

You can use the tickets for an entire year, up until September 1, 2025.

Am I under any obligations when I order the tickets?

No, you will be under no obligations. We only ask for your name and address to do what we promise: send the free tickets to you. We won’t keep your information after that, either.

How long will it take to get the tickets?

This takes between two and five weeks. We aim to send the tickets to the address you provided within two weeks. If we receive large quantities of requests at once, it may take a few weeks longer.

Why did I receive a message about this offer?

All municipalities in the Amsterdam Transport Region sent this message on behalf of the Transport Region to households known to them with an income up to 130% of the social minimum. We do this because these households can greatly benefit from the tickets. By informing them in advance about this offer, they can order the tickets in time. Last year, the tickets sold out quickly.

Who or what is the Amsterdam Regional Transport Authority?

The Amsterdam Regional Transport Authority is a cooperation of 14 municipalities in the field of traffic and public transport. That means that we work together on the roads in these municipalities and ensure that the region has good public transport. In the Amsterdam region, we are the client to operators GVB, Connexxion and EBS. We are giving away the free tickets together with these transport companies.

On these lines you can travel for free with the ticket

You can use the tickets to travel for free in:

  • GVB buses, trams and metros
  • EBS buses in Waterland
  • Connexxion buses in the Zaanstreek and Amstelland-Meerlanden

These tickets are not for use for:

  • night buses
  • EBS Bizzliner buses

View all lines on which you can travel for free for each operator

GVB lines
You can use the tickets to travel for free on all GVB buses, trams and metros, except night buses.
EBS lines
You can travel for free with the tickets on all EBS buses in Zaanstreek and Waterland, except for night buses and Bizzliners.
Connexxion lines
You can travel for free on all buses running on our behalf – except night buses. Connexxion buses operated by another client also operate in this region. These are not free. Therefore, please check carefully on which lines you can travel for free.

About us

The Amsterdam Regional Transport Authority is a traffic and public transport cooperation of 14 municipalities. Together, we ensure that our area has good roads and public transport.
Go to our website

Amsterdam Regional Transport Authority
is giving away these tickets
in cooperation with
Connexxion, EBS en GVB