School journey ticket (Kela)
Are you entering or continuing in upper secondary education? Upper secondary schools include, for example, high schools and vocational schools. Kela may grant you school transport subsidy if you have a long journey to school (at least 7 or 10km) and you meet the eligibility criteria. Once you have received a decision on your application from Kela, you can buy your ticket conveniently on the HSL app.
How to get a subsidized school journey ticket?
- Check the Kela website to see whether you are entitled to the school transport subsidy or not. Click here to go to Kela’s website.
- If you are entitled to the school transport subsidy, you can apply for it online via Kela’s OmaKela service. Please note that the OmaKela service is only available in Finnish and Swedish. The application form for school transport subsidy is only available in Finnish and Swedish. If you cannot complete the form in Finnish or Swedish, please contact Kela. They will help you to complete the form or alternatively, accept an oral application.
- You will need online banking credentials or a mobile certificate to make an application. You can get them from your bank or teleoperator.
- In the event of misuse of the ticket, the right to a subsidized school journey ticket ends.
A subsidized school journey ticket allows you to travel in the zones covered by your ticket. The zones are determined on the basis of your place of study and place of residence, so that the ticket is valid for travel between your school and your home. For example, if you live in zone C and your school is in zone A, you can buy an ABC ticket.
You cannot add zones to your subsidized school journey ticket: the ticket is only valid in the zones the journey between your school and your home covers. For example, if you have a subsidized school journey ticket for zones A, B and C and you want to travel to zone D, you must buy a zone extension ticket for zone D. You pay the zone extension ticket in the HSL app using the payment method of your choice. If your subsidized school journey ticket is on your HSL card, you use value loaded on the card to pay the zone extension ticket.
Please note that in the event of misuse of the ticket, the right to a subsidized school journey ticket ends.
Subsidized school journey tickets are personal which means only you can use your ticket and you cannot give it to someone else.
All students eligible for the Kela school transport subsidy can buy subsidized school journey tickets on the HSL app or on the HSL card regardless of their home municipality.
Each subsidized school journey ticket you purchase decreases the number of months for which Kela has granted you school transport subsidy. Therefore, do not purchase tickets so that they are valid at the same time in the HSL app and on the HSL card.
Kela grants school transport subsidy either for a one-month ticket or for a half-month ticket.
The subsidy may cover the whole ticket price or part of it, in which case you will need to pay a copayment.
The copayment is
- EUR 38 for a one-month ticket,
- EUR 21.5 for a half-month ticket.
We will grant all HSL ticket buyers entitled to school transport subsidy a ticket valid for 30 days.
The copayment is the same regardless of the zones covered by your ticket. You will need to pay any copayment that applies when you buy your ticket either on the HSL app or at a service point.
Information about the subsidy granted to you by Kela will be transferred to HSL electronically. This means that you will not need a printed or electronic certificate for the right to purchase tickets when you buy your ticket. Upon purchase, we will check what kind of subsidy you are entitled to. You can only buy one ticket at a time.
HSL Public Transport Conditions of Carriage and Ticket Terms and Conditions
Watch the video on how to buy a ticket
- Download the free HSL app on your smartphone from your app store. If you are already using the app, make sure you update it to the latest version.
- Open the HSL app on your phone and go to More > Settings.
- Go to Payment and select ‘Kela school transport subsidy’.
- Select ‘Activate the ticket’ and 'Continue to purchase'.
- In the Tickets view, select ‘School journey ticket (Kela)’.
- Follow the instructions.
- You will need online banking credentials or a mobile certificate for strong authentication.
- Select the ticket type and pay any copayment that applies using the payment method of your choice.
- Confirm the selected ticket / Confirm payment.
- You now have a ticket, have a pleasant journey!
Keep your phone with you when using public transport so that you can show your ticket on your phone.
Please allow enough time to buy the ticket, as we will check your right to purchase tickets via strong authentication upon each purchase.
You can also purchase a subsidized school journey ticket at a service point on your HSL card if you are unable to use the HSL app or if you do not have online banking credentials or a mobile certificate.
Please bring with you an ID document, i.e. one of the following:
- an official ID card
- a passport
- a residence permit with photograph issued by the police or the Finnish Immigration Service
- a European driver's license
- a Kela card with photograph
An expired ID card, passport or driver’s license is also valid, if you can be identified from it.
If you are under 18 years of age, a minor’s ID card or a Kela card without photograph are accepted as proof of identity.
A guardian may visit the service point on behalf of their dependants under the age of 18 if the dependant has a personal HSL card with their personal identity code. The guardian must bring the dependant’s HSL card with them to the service point.
The guardian or other next of kin may also buy an HSL card for their dependant at the service point. The identity of the guardian or the next of kin will be verified when purchasing the HSL card.
Where to find a service point?
HSL’s service point is at the Helsinki Central Railway Station.
There are municipal service points at the following locations:
- Service points in Espoo: Kalajärvi, Leppävaara and Matinkylä
- Vantaa infos: Korso, Myyrmäki and Tikkurila
- Service point in Kauniainen
- Service point in Kerava
- Service point in Kirkkonummi
- Service points in Sipoo: Customer Service Infos at Nikkilä and Söderkulla libraries
- Tuusinfo at Hyrylä Library, in Jokela and Kellokoski
- Service point in Siuntio
Click here for detailed contact details
Read more about the HSL card and how to use it.