What is the Semester Ticket Office?
The Semester Ticket Office is an institution of the AStA of TU Berlin, the AStA of the Berlin University of the Arts, and the AStA of Alice Salomon University, which is jointly operated together with the university.
The responsibilities of the Semester Ticket Office include:
- processing applications for semester ticket exemptions and grants from the social funds for the semester ticket
- providing all kinds of information about the semester ticket, and
- managing the billing of the semester ticket with the transport companies
The Semester Ticket Office is funded and administratively managed by the respective AStAs. It operates under the legal supervision of the TU administration and is physically located on the ground floor of the AStA building (TK building).
What is a Semester Ticket?
All students automatically receive a Semester Ticket. The cost of the ticket is included in the semester fees. The Semester Ticket is a standard Germany Ticket (Deutschlandticket), with the same terms and conditions. This means you can use it to travel throughout Germany on all routes operated by public transportation companies, as well as on regional trains. The only exceptions are ICE and EC trains (please check the notices at the station). Unfortunately, bicycles are no longer allowed on board!
New procedure for the semester ticket starting from summer semester 2025
Starting from summer semester 2025, the Germany Semester Ticket (DST) in Berlin will be provided by S-Bahn Berlin. This brings some changes, which we briefly summarize for you here. You can find all further information here.
The Semester Ticket has to be ordered every semester, even if you used it last semester!
Ordering Process:
- Visit abo-antrag.de/studium and place your order
- Verify your identity via Shibboleth
- You will be taken to a pre-filled form. Accept the terms and conditions and click “Complete Order”
- You will receive a confirmation email
Retrieving your ticket in the S-Bahn Berlin app:
- Download the S-Bahn Berlin App
- In the App, select Menu -> My Subscription
- Select TU Berlin from the List
- Log in using your TU Berlin credentials
- Your ticket will appear in the app within 24-27 hours
Using the Semester Ticket:
- You will only see the ticket for the current month. Starting from the second month, the ticket will be automatically updated at the beginning of each month. For this to work, your phone must be turned on and connected to the internet.
- Since there is often poor or no signal in the subway tunnels, we recommend opening the S-Bahn app once before your first trip of the month while you have a stable internet connection. This ensures the ticket is updated correctly.
- The ticket is only available 1–7 days before the start of the semester
- Enable automatic updates for a smooth experience
If you encounter technical issues with your ticket during a ticket inspection and are asked to pay a fine, file an appeal with the transit authority and contact the Campus Center!
If you have technical issues using your ticket, you can contact the S-Bahn here.
Who can receive a Semester Ticket? Who cannot?
- In general, all students are required to pay for the Semester Ticket.
- Starting in the summer semester of 2025, students in continuing education programs, doctoral students, and part-time students must also purchase the ticket.
- A Jobticket or any other subscription does not exempt you from the Semester Ticket requirement. So be sure to cancel your other subscriptions in time!
- The following groups are not eligible for the Semester Ticket and will automatically receive a refund of the Semester Ticket fee from the Campus Center:
- Guest Students (Gasthörer*innen)
- non-degree students (Zweithörer*innen)
- Students enrolled exclusively in an evening, online, or distance learning program without attendance requirements (Fernstudierende)
- Students on a leave of abscence (Urlaubssemester)
Exemption from the Semester Ticket
You can apply for an exemption if you do not need the semester ticket. In that case, you will not pay the fee, but you will also not receive a ticket. The following people are eligible:
- Students who cannot use public transportation for health reasons
- Students who are spending at least 3 consecutive months abroad for academic reasons (e.g., a semester abroad or an internship)
- Students who are enrolled at two universities with a Germany-wide Semester Ticket (Deutschlandticket).
We only process exemption requests from the TU and UdK. ASH students should contact the ASH Semester Ticket Office for an exemption.
You can find more information about the exemption request here.
Grant for the Semester Ticket
The grant is intended for students who cannot afford the semester ticket because they are facing financial hardship. In this case, you pay for the semester ticket as usual and can use it normally. If your application is approved, you will be reimbursed for the cost of the semester ticket. You can find more information here.
If you are currently in a difficult financial situation
We would like to recommend the social and BAföG counselling service:
https://asta.tu-berlin.de/bafoeg-und-sozialberatung/
In addition, the Studierendenwerk can provide emergency aid under certain circumstances:
https://www.stw.berlin/beratung/sozialberatung/studienfinanzierung-im-%C3%BCberblick/einmalige-unterst%C3%BCtzungsm%C3%B6glichkeiten-des-studierendenwerks-berlin/notfonds.html
Data Privacy
In this document you can find all important information regarding your data. Unfortunately, we currently only provide the document in German. If you need a translation don’t hesitate to contact us. If you have any questions, you can contact us (semesterticketbüro@asta.tu-berlin.de) or our Data Protection Officer (datenschutz@asta.tu-berlin.de).