Student discount for foreign students
VR grants a student discount for such foreign students in Finnish educational establishments who meet the specified student-discount conditions. Students in educational establishments abroad are not entitled to a VR student discount.
VR recommends that students obtain the student card at the beginning of the semester.
- The autumn 2010 sticker is valid to January 31, 2011.
- The 2010-2011 school-year sticker is valid until September 30, 2011.
On this page
50 % student discount
A foreign student in a Finnish educational establishment is granted a 50% student discount on the following conditions:
- the student is a full-time student in an educational establishment under government supervision, and the student does not yet have an academic degree;
- the uninterrupted study period extends over min. 8 months, with the exception of exchange students who benefit from the discount even for shorter study periods.
To benefit from the student discount
- a Student card accepted by VR shall be produced or
- a VR Student card shall be produced.
A Student card entitling to the discount shall regularly be produced when travelling. Note! Aboard trains, Visa Electron cards are not accepted as means of payment.
Common VR and Matkahuolto student card
As of August 1st, a common VR and Matkahuolto student card is supplied for discount travels both on the train and the bus. New student cards are available at VR booking offices and Matkahuolto service points. The cards are issued free of charge, but a €8 semester or school year sticker has to be purchased. A validity sticker may be purchased for an existing VR Student Card, exclusively entitling to discount rail travels.
The Matkahuolto and VR-Group Ltd joint student card has been modernized from the beginning of 2010 and now has blue-green colouring. In addition, the new card is laminated thus improving its durability. All old blue-red student cards are changed to the new ones from 1 August 2010. Therefore, also students who have a Matkahuolto and VR blue-red student card need a passport photo when picking up a new validity sticker.
New card from fall 2009.
You can get a VR/MH student card and a validity sticker by presenting the following documents in a VR station booking office:
- VR Certificate. The certificate is valid for one month from the signature date.
- identity card and passport photo
Student card is valid only with €8 validity sticker. Also students who have a Matkahuolto and VR blue-red student card need a passport photo when picking up a new validity sticker.
VR Certificate for obtaining a Student card
The VR Certificate form is available in Adobe Acrobat format for your filling in on the display prior to printing, or by hand after printing.
VR/MH Certification for acquisition of Student card (Pdf, 41 kB) »
Note! A VR Certificate without its countersigning by the educational establishment in question, does not entitle to a VR Student card. The certificate is valid for one month from the signature date.
Finnish students abroad
A student discount is granted also to Finnish students who study abroad and receive study grants in Finland for studies conducted abroad.
If you are a Finnish student studying abroad you can get a VR/MH student card and a validity sticker by presenting the following documents in a VR station booking office:
- a student card from a foreign educational establishment or certificate of studies
- a copy of the next payment of study grants which you can get from Kela customer service at www.kela.fi or by phone at 020 692 209.
- identity card and passport photo.
Miscellaneous
- You can purchase tickets from VR Online Shop
You can print the e-ticket yourself or order it to your mobile phone as SMS and then go directly to the train at the station. - Use a multi-ticket
If you travel often on the same line section you can cut travel costs by purchasing a commuter services 10 journey multi-ticket or long-distance 10 + 1 multi-ticket. The ticket costs only half of the price of an adult multi-ticket. - Max 16-year-olds can travel with a junior ticket
Max 16-year-olds do not need a student card since they travel at half price with a junior ticket. Identity shall be proven upon request.
You can buy Student tickets
• From Online Shop
• VR station booking offices
• VR sales agents
• Ticket vending machines
• Train conductors
Train tickets may also be booked via VR Customer Care and paid and picked up in an R-kiosk or a ticket vending machine.
ISIC Card
Please note! An ISIC card or other international student card do not entitle you to a student discount nor to acquisition of VR and Matkahuolto joint student card.