Deutschlandticket and Semesterticket

Please note the distinction between:

  • the state-wide semester ticket (valid in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, financed jointly with the semester fee),
  • the semester ticket upgrade into a Deutschlandticket (nationwide, monthly subscription),
  • the Deutschland-Semesterticket (nationwide, in planning, expected from winter semester 2024/25, jointly financed with the semester fee), and
  • the Deutschlandticket, i.e. the basic ticket for all people (nationwide, monthly subscription).

Deutschland-Semesterticket

Together with the other universities in Flensburg, Kiel and Lübeck, we are planning to switch to the nationwide Deutschland-Semesterticket for the coming winter semester.

If this is implemented, this will essentially mean for you (all information subject to change):

  • From October 2024, all students will receive a Deutschlandticket instead of the current statewide semester ticket, which entitles them to use public transport nationwide.
  • To this end, the semester fee for the semester ticket will increase from currently €165.30 (in summer semester 24) to €176.40; this corresponds to a monthly increase from €27.55 to €29.40.
  • Following a political decision, the Deutschland-Semesterticket, just like the “regular” Deutschlandticket, is only issued as a digital ticket. This will be done primarily with the already known mobile ticket, but we were able to achieve that, alternatively, a chip card may be issued. However, this will probably involve the manual application for that which must be confirmed in the AStA and then submitted to Stadtwerke Lübeck mobil. As this is likely to involve a great amount of manual work, we strongly advise you to use the cell phone ticket for the Deutschland-Semesterticket.
  • The basic conditions regarding eligibility and refund options probably will not change with the switch.
  • In the upcoming summer semester, the statewide semester ticket will remain; due to the introduction of the Deutschlandticket, its price will reduce from the current (in winter semester 23/24) €194.20 to €165.30, i.e. from €32.37 to €27.55 per month. Details in our news from November.
  • In the summer semester, also the monthly upgrade option will remain available, by which the semester ticket can be converted into a Deutschlandticket for €21.45. This still corresponds to the difference between the semester ticket price and €49.

As soon as we have more information, we will let you know.


Semesterticket-Upgrade to Deutschlandticket

You may order the semester ticket upgrade at https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrkarten/landesweites-semesterticket/semesterticket-upgrade/.

Since 01.05.2023, the nationwide Deutschlandticket has been available for €49 per month.


As before, your Schleswig-Holstein state-wide semester ticket is valid for travel on local public transport in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg. It is not recognized as a Deutschlandticket.

However, it is possible to upgrade the semester ticket to a Deutschlandticket by paying the difference in price between the semester ticket and the Deutschlandticket.
Such an upgrade is optional, so you can decide for yourself whether you want to use it.

You can order the semester ticket upgrade on the following page, where you will also find further information about the ticket: https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrkarten/landesweites-semesterticket/semesterticket-upgrade/

Price of the semester ticket upgrade:

winter semester 2023/24: €16.63 per month
sommer semester 2024: €21.45 per month

Why is the ticket more expensive in the summer semester? Because the semester ticket has become cheaper by the same price in the summer semester.


FAQ

General

  • In what form is the Deutschlandticket offered?

    The Deutschlandticket is a digital ticket. It is generally offered as a cell phone ticket or as a chip card. A paper ticket is no longer offered. The upgrade is only available as a cell phone ticket.

  • How early should I order a ticket?

    Nah.SH recommends ordering the ticket by the 15th of the previous month so that it is available on time at the beginning of the month.
    At the same time, a cell phone ticket ordered from Nah.SH is usually available within one day.
    If you do not want to use the Deutschlandticket in the following month, you should order the ticket before the 10th of the month of validity in order to cancel it.
    This also applies to the semester ticket upgrade.

  • Can I have the semester ticket refunded?

    In general, the Deutschlandticket does not offer any new reimbursement options. The semester ticket is a solidarity model and must continue to be paid for by all students. As before, refunds are only possible under certain conditions, see the conditions on the AStA website.

  • Where can I find more information?

    For information on the "normal" Deutschlandticket, please refer to the information provided by the transport company from which you would like to purchase the ticket, e.g. the FAQ Deutschlandticket [german] from Nah.SH.

    Information on the semester ticket upgrade can be found here [german].

Upgrade-Option

  • In what form is the upgrade ticket available?

    Like the Deutschlandticket, the upgrade ticket is only available as a monthly subscription, which can also be purchased during the semester and in the current month.
    As with the semester ticket, the Nah.SH app is intended for the digital upgrade ticket, although the DB Navigator can also be used. There is no longer a paper ticket for the upgrade. A chip card cannot be issued either.

  • How do I order the upgrade ticket?

    Go to https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrkarten/landesweites-semesterticket/semesterticket-upgrade-bestellen/ [german] and select the correct ticket (Semesterticket-Upgrade zum Deutschlandticket Lübeck | Uni/MH). After that choose "Lübeck | Uni".
    You must then log in with your IDM account so that your eligibility can be checked - in the same way as for ordering the semester ticket.

  • How do I cancel the upgrade ticket?

    As with the "normal" Deutschlandticket, notice of termination for the following month must be received by the 10th of the month. Cancellation can be made at any time via the Deutsche Bahn subscription portal.
    The semester ticket upgrade ends automatically at the end of the current semester.

     

     

  • How do I go from a single Deutschlandticket subscription (€49) to an upgrade subscription (€16.63 / €21.45)?

    To do this, cancel your existing Deutschlandticket with the issuing transport company as soon as possible (if ordering via DB or Nah.SH here). You can then order the Deutschlandticket for the following month as an "upgrade subscription" here.

    Cancellation for the following month must be received by the 10th of the month, so make sure you don't buy two tickets at the same time!

  • I bought a Deutschlandticket for €49. Can I get the difference to the upgrade refunded?

    No. The upgrade ticket should always be ordered and used as the Germany ticket - no retroactive refund is possible here.

  • How does the mobile ticket work?

    Just like the digital semester ticket, the digital Deutschlandticket must be added once in the Nah.SH app and is then updated automatically as long as the subscription is active.
    However, only one ticket can be stored in the Nah.SH app at a time. To add the Deutschlandticket, the semester ticket must therefore be removed from the app beforehand, and once the Deutschlandticket has expired, the "old" semester ticket must be added again with the ticket number and date of birth.
    Alternatively, the DB Navigator can also be used.

  • Do I have to return my semester ticket when I upgrade?

    Yes and no. Your semester ticket will be converted into a Deutschlandticket for the duration of the upgrade and replaced by it; however, a digital Deutschlandticket must be loaded separately into the Nah.SH app. An issued semester ticket will not be withdrawn and will remain valid for the duration of the semester, especially after canceling the upgrade.

    However, only one ticket can be stored in the Nah.SH app at a time. To add the Deutschlandticket, any semester ticket must therefore be removed from the app beforehand, and once the Deutschlandticket has expired, the "old" semester ticket must be added again with the ticket number and date of birth.

     

Deutschland-Semesterticket

  • Why switching the ticket?

    Based on the prices for the summer semester, the changeover to the Deutschland-Semesterticket is accompanied by a monthly fee increase of €1.85.
    However, around 20% of the students in Lübeck bought a semester ticket upgrade last November, that is in the middle of the semester, and this upgrade will cost €21.45 per month in future. This means that all students in Lübeck will pay an average of around €4.30 for the upgrade.

    Even after taking the price shift in the summer semester (and the resulting decrease in the attractiveness of the upgrade) into account, the changeover will still result in a direct and significant financial benefit for all students. In addition, there is always benefit surplus associated with semester tickets as significantly more journeys are made on public transport when such a ticket is always at hand. In summary, the changeover is clearly in the interests of the student body.

  • Why not start this summer semester?

    The political decision to allow the Deutschland-Semesterticket to be offered was not made before last November. Even after that, many details had not yet been clarified, so the deadlines in Schleswig-Holstein, especially for the semester fees, meant that it was not possible to switch earlier. In other federal states, this situation is different, so some universities in Germany will already implement the ticket in the summer semester.

  • How secure is the price of the Deutschland-Semesterticket?

    In addition to the digitalization constraints described above, we are particularly critical of one other point: by political decisions, the price of the Deutschland-Semesterticket is fixed to 60% of the “regular” Deutschlandticket. We think this fixed price objectively is not reasonable, and in case of significant (politically determined) price increases in the Deutschlandticket, the semester ticket could become unattractive or disadvantageous for us compared to the previous statewide model.

    Nevertheless, the price of the ticket is determined eight months before the start of each semester, and in the event of a price increase, the contract can be terminated up to three months before the start of the semester. This provides a certain degree of price security and allows to evaluate and react to upcoming price increases. There is also consensus among the student bodies and transport companies that a return to the state-wide semester ticket should be possible when all student bodies in Schleswig-Holstein unanimously wish to.