Category: Semester Ticket

Ticket Refund

All information on ticket refunds can be found in the How To Ticket Refund.

This is how ticket refunds work:

  1. Select your refund reason.
  2. Fill out the application form.
  3. Upload all required documents.

The following file formats are accepted: pdf, png, jpg, jpeg.

Each file must not be larger than 5 MB. For larger files, you can simply upload them to a cloud service such as https://sciebo.de and attach the link to your text.



































    Semester Ticket

    How To Ticket Refund

    If you cannot use the semester ticket at all, despite all the advantages, because you…

    • are spending a semester abroad (at least 3 months during the semester)
    • are doing an internship outside Germany (at least 3 months during the semester)
    • as a severely disabled person you are entitled to free travel anyway
    • are entitled to free travel throughout Germany for other reasons
    • are unable to use public transportation due to a disability or have a medical certificate stating that you are unable to travel for at least 3 months
    • you have been exmatriculated
    • you are on leave of absence

    you can get a (partial) refund at the AStA. This means that you can also have the fee refunded pro rata for the period in which the reason for the refund applies, but can use the semester ticket as normal for the rest of the semester.

    The refund can only be applied for online via our “Ticket Refund – Application” page.

    This is how the ticket refund works:

    1. Go to the page “Ticket refund – application“
    2. Select your reason for the refund
    3. Fill out the form and upload all required receipts

    The following are valid as proof

    • Documents with the note “on leave of absence” for leave of absence,
    • Letter from TU, host university or DAAD in the case of a stay abroad,
    • Certificate of internship or thesis with details of the location outside Germany,
    • Token for free travel authorization due to severe disability,
    • Medical certificate as proof of inability to travel or inability to use public transportation,
    • confirmation of removal from the register of students or
    • the certificate of enrollment dated after the start of the semester in the case of late enrollment.

    Deadlines for reimbursement of the semester ticket due to removal from the register of students are as follows
    in the summer semester: 15th of September
    in the winter semester: 15th of March

    Deadlines for the reimbursement of the semester ticket due to a free travel entitlement, non-usability due to a disability, semester abroad and a semester on leave are in each case
    in the summer semester: 30th of April
    in the winter semester: 31th of October

    Normally, a refund application is processed within one week. In exceptional cases, processing may take up to 2 weeks.

    The legal basis for ticket refunds is the Semesterticketrichtlinie adopted by the student parliament (only available in German).

    Semesterticketrichtlinie-1Herunterladen

    By the way: If you cannot afford the semester ticket at all, there is the so-called hardship compensation. You can find more information here.

    Semester Ticket

    Semester Ticket/ FAQ

    From the summer semester 2024, the Deutschland-Semesterticket will be available for all students at TU Dortmund University.

    This means that TU Dortmund University will continue to offer a jointly financed and, above all, affordable semester ticket! The regulations of the current VRR semester ticket still apply until March 31, 2024. You can find all the information here.

    With the new semester ticket, you can use public transport throughout Germany. The ticket is only valid in second class. As the tariff regulations of the Deutschlandticket unfortunately do not provide for this, there will no longer be any take-along regulations (person and bicycles). In principle, the fare regulations of the general Deutschlandticket always apply to the Deutschland Semesterticket.

    The semester ticket must be presented digitally in the TU Dortmund University app during inspections (in combination with an official photo ID).

    Students with a free travel entitlement, e.g. due to a disability, will continue to be able to have the semester ticket fee refunded. You can find all information on ticket refunds here.

    Since the changeover to the Germany-Semesterticket, there are no more pre-course tickets, as this would exceed the price of a normal Deutschlandticket.

    We have created an FAQ with the most frequently asked questions. If you have any further questions or problems with the ticket, you can contact us at any time.

    Further general information on the Deutschland-Ticket, which usually also applies to the semester ticket, can be found here:

    The semester ticket is valid on all public transport in Germany. This includes regional expresses (Regionalexpresse), regional trains (Regionalbahnen), suburban trains (S-Bahnen), light rail (Stadtbahnen), streetcars (Straßenbahnen), subway trains (U-Bahnen), buses (Busse), the H-Bahn, the Wuppertal suspension railroad (Schwebebahn) and the SkyTrain Düsseldorf. The ticket is only valid in second class.
    The semester ticket is not valid
    • in first class,
    • on (almost all) long-distance trains (ICE, EC, IC, Flixtrain),
    • on the AirportExpress and AirportShuttle to Dortmund Airport.
    The ticket costs 29.40 euros per month and therefore 176.40 euros per semester.
    No, the Deutschlandsemesterticket is personalized and cannot be passed on. Only the registered person may use the ticket.
    The ticket must be presented digitally in the TU Dortmund app. You are responsible for ensuring that your cell phone has enough battery power. There is currently no alternative way to show the ticket.

    You must always have an official photo ID with you!

    The TU app is available in the Google Play Store and the App Store.
    For Android smartphones without access to the Google Play Store, TU Dortmund University offers a download option in the service portal.
    No. Unfortunately, the fare regulations for the Deutschland-Ticket do not allow you to take a bicycle with you free of charge. If you want to take a bicycle with you, you have to buy a bicycle ticket.
    The VRR offers a 24-hour bicycle ticket as well as subscription or monthly tickets.
    No. Passenger transport is not possible with the Deutschland-Semesterticket.
    Exception: Children under the age of 6 always travel free of charge. They do not need a ticket.
    Yes, at least in NRW you can take a dog with you free of charge everywhere. Outside NRW, different regulations apply depending on the transport association.
    Yes, the semester ticket is also valid on some routes in the border area. For example, you can travel to Arnhem, Enschede, Venlo and Hengelo. You can find detailed information on the area of validity of the Deutschland-Ticket on the Homepage of Deutsche Bahn (currently only in German).
    Basically no. However, there are a few exceptions. Please refer to the Homepage of Deutsche Bahn for more information (currently only in German). Currently (as of February 2024), for example, the Intercity trains Dortmund-Siegen-Dillenburg are also open to passengers with a Deutschlandticket.
    The Deutschlandsemesterticket is always valid for one semester. This means that it is valid from October 1 to March 31 in the winter semester and from April 1 to September 30 in the summer semester. The ticket cannot be canceled on a monthly basis.
    Once you have enrolled/re-registered and paid the full semester fee, TU Dortmund University will make your ticket available for download in the TU app. This can take up to two weeks after payment.
    It can take up to two weeks for your payment to be processed. As we have no insight into the payment of semester fees, please contact the Registrar's Office (regarding receipt of payment) or the ITMC (regarding ticket generation) if you have any problems.

    Contact options and further help with your ticket can be found here.
    If your semester ticket does not work, please contact the ITMC immediately so that they can help you with your problem as quickly as possible.
    It is important that you always object to this claim in writing in such cases! If you do not do this and the deadline set has expired, then in most cases you will have to pay the amount.

    Here you can easily file an objection with Deutsche Bahn. If, contrary to expectations, Deutsche Bahn insists on paying the fare surcharge, please contact us at the AStA.
    As you have a valid ticket, you will of course not have to pay the €60. You have 14 days after the fare supplement has been issued to submit your valid ticket, but you will have to pay a processing fee of €2.50 to €7 depending on the transport company. Where you have to submit the ticket is stated on the fare supplement.
    Yes, for holders of the Deutschland-Semesterticket, the NRW mobility guarantee applies for journeys in NRW.
    If the departure of the desired train deviates at least 20 minutes from the timetable, for example due to a delay or cancellation, you can either use a long-distance train (IC/EC/ICE), a cab, a taxi-like transport service provider, a sharing service (e.g. car, bike or e-scooter) or on-demand transport.

    The additional costs will be reimbursed on request - in full for long-distance travel (IC/EC/ICE) and up to the applicable reimbursement limit for cabs, transport services, sharing services or on-demand transport; this is up to EUR 30 per person during the day and up to EUR 60 per person in the evening and at night from 8 p.m. to 4.59 a.m. nationwide. If you use the mobility guarantee, you have to pay in advance for the use of an alternative means of transport. You can then simply submit a digital claim to have the costs reimbursed.

    You have 14 days to submit the application. You can find everything else about the NRW mobility guarantee here (currently only in German).

    Other federal states have different regulations!
    We recommend the purchase of a normal Germany ticket.

    If you are a first semester student, you can pick up an authorization certificate for a VRR pre-course ticket from us. This gives you a ticket valid in the VRR area to get to university before you enrol. However, this pre-course ticket costs 64.50 euros (as of February 2024) and therefore more than the Deutschlandticket. It is only worthwhile in a few exceptional cases: Unlike the Deutschlandticket, it is not limited to one calendar month - the period of validity is 30 calendar days from the first day of validity, which can be freely chosen.

    You will receive the eligibility certificate for the pre-course ticket from us on presentation of proof of your pre-course participation. You can either drop by our office during our opening hours (Emil-Figge-Str. 50) or send us an email with your address and proof to asta@asta.tu-dortmund.de.

    With the certificate of eligibility (stamped and signed by us with the AStA stamp) you can purchase the ticket from the public transport companies in the VRR, in Dortmund for example at the DSW21 customer centers.
    Just because you don't want to use your semester ticket doesn't mean you can "deselect" it. The semester ticket was introduced on the basis of a ballot of the student body and is a solidarity ticket. Because everyone pays, it is cheaper for everyone.

    If you are unable to use your ticket, e.g. because you are on leave of absence or spending a semester abroad, you can have the ticket refunded. You can find more information about this here.
    If you are entitled to free travel (e.g. due to a disability), you can have the cost of the semester ticket reimbursed. You can find the application here.
    Yes, the VRR offers 1st class supplementary tickets that allow you to use 1st class in the VRR area in conjunction with your semester ticket. You can find more information on the VRR homepage.
    If our FAQ did not help you, you can try to find an answer on the websites of VRR and Mobil NRW. Alternatively, get in touch with us (by phone, e-mail or drop by) and we'll be sure to find a solution together.
    Semester Ticket

    Problems with the semester ticket

    If you have received an increased transport fee (fine) despite a valid semester ticket, write to us using the form below!

    The following file formats will be accepted: pdf, png, jpg, jpeg.

    If a file is larger than 5 MB, please upload them to a cloud service such as https://sciebo.de and insert the link into your text.

      Semester Ticket

      Case of Hardship Balance

      Filing the application now online only, via the submission portal.

      Printed by appointment only between 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the AStA office.

      ATTENTION: Do not pay the semester fee until your application has been either accepted or denied.

      Please read this text before filling out the application!

      If you cannot afford the semester ticket and the student body dues whatsoever, then…

      … the hardship application might help. Students facing financial hardship may be exempt from paying these fees. These hardship applications can be filed out online on the general students’ committees (AStA TU Dortmund) homepage. This means that if you face existential financial problems due to the fees for the semester ticket and the student body dues, you can apply for a hardship compensation for summer semester 2025 from the general students’ committee. Please note that the deadline varies based on whether you have been matriculated already, or whether you are a first semester student.

      The deadline for people who are already matriculated is on Friday, January 24 th 2025, 12 o’clock midday. Deadline conformity will be determined by when the application with all the needed documents arrived at haertefaelle@asta.tu-dortmund.de (via the submission portal). Deadlines for first semester students are listed in the chart below.

      Within the following weeks, the applicants need will be reviewed. If the application is accepted, the part of the semester fee, will be transferred to the student’s office for you. No matter if your application has been accepted or denied, you will be notified via e-mail about its status.

      Please note that only after you have received our e-mail, you should transfer the amount of money that is said to the student office. Should you transfer partial amounts of the fee before, the matriculation or renewal of matriculation may be strongly delayed, and you might, for example, receive the semester ticket later.

      If you do not receive an e-mail from us after the 9 th of February 2025, then please immediately contact us (the AStA) via e-mail or phone. Please do not contact us before!

      Please remember that the 110-€ for the Studierendenwerk can under no circumstances be payed for by us!

      The outstanding balance (110,-€ if the application is accepted and the complete balance if it’s denied respectively) has to be payed to the student office until the deadline of the 21 th of February 2025. On average you will have two weeks remaining to do so.

      Please note that the hardship compensation is designed to help students in need!

      For anyone who wants to know the details on how the financial need is determined, you can find the latest guidelines for the hardship compensation here. (only in german)

      For anyone who cannot hand in the application online, you will need to send an e-mail with your
      reasoning to haertefaelle@asta.tu-dortmund.de, so an alternative can be arranged.

      The service office can be contacted by telephone 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 0231 755 2584 and by email haertefaelle@asta.tu-dortmund.de.

      Deadlines

      Renewal of
      matriculation      		First semester studentsChange of tertiary institution
      Start:
      Application filing      		10 th of
      January 2025      		Receiving the demand to payReceiving the demand to pay
      Deadline:
      Application filing      		24 th of January 2025
      12:00 o’clock
      midday      		10 th March 2025
      12:00 o’clock midday
      Or seven calendar days
      after receiving the
      demand to pay
      respectively. Judged by
      the period favorable to
      the student      		Seven calendar days
      after receiving the
      demand to pay
      E-Mail from AStA
      telling you how much
      you need to pay:      		9 th February 202524 th March 2025
      or as quickly as possible      		as quickly as possible
      Deadline:
      Demand to pay
      by TU Do      		21 th February 2025refer to student’s officerefer to student’s office

      All statements with no limit or warranty.

      Accepted data formats: pdf, png, jpg, jpeg

      Each file can have a maximum size of 5 MB. For larger files you can simply use a cloud service e.g. upload to https://sciebo.de and add the link to your text. A maximum of 10 files are allowed!

      You can find the application form at the end of the How-To-Hardship-Balance text!

      If you have problems using the application form with the Safari browser please use Firefox or Chrome!

        If you do not receive a copy of your message to the email address you specified within 5 minutes after sending, you should send the message again or write an email directly to haertefaelle@asta.tu-dortmund.de.

        Semester Ticket, Service Internal