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International travel and opening gates

On your international trip you will come realise that a lot of Dutch stations have gates. The square barcode on your HomePrint Ticket or Mobile Ticket and single-use smartcard are specifically designed to open the gates at the station. On this page we provide you with information about opening the gates with different tickets.

Opening gates

Opening the gates

With an international ticket with a square barcode

With an international ticket, you do not need to check in. At an increasing number of Dutch stations, the gates are closed. You can open a gate with the square barcode on your international ticket. Place your ticket in the NS International App or print it (PDF).

Are you travelling with a Homeprint or mobile ticket that includes an NS subscription discount? Then you can travel without checking in or out.

If you have an NS subscription with 100% discount or a Traject Vrij subscription, you can also travel without checking in or out. Use the app or a printout to open the gates, as a PDF or screenshot can cause issues.

View video that shows travelling abroad with an international ticket (Dutch)

With a ticket from NS ticket machine or NS Service Desk

Are you travelling with an international ticket purchased from the NS ticket machine or NS service desk? Then you need to check in at a station in the Netherlands. You cannot check out abroad, nor check in on your return journey. When you return to the Netherlands, you check out at your arrival station.

With a Keuzedag or NS Dag Product

Are you travelling with a Keuzedag or one of the NS Day Products in combination with an international ticket? For the outbound journey, you check in with the Keuzedag or NS Day Product according to the ticket conditions. You cannot check out abroad. When returning on the same day, you check out at your arrival station in the Netherlands. If returning on a different day, you check in with the Keuzedag or NS Day Product at the first arrival station in the Netherlands, according to the ticket conditions.

With an international ticket with a single-use smart card

Are you travelling with an international ticket and a single-use smart card? Then you can check in in the Netherlands with the single-use smart card to open the gate. You will not be able check out abroad and when returning not be able to check in. When you returning in the Netherlands you can check out using your single-use smart card at the cards and so leave the station.

View video that shows travelling abroad with a single-use smart card (Dutch)

With an NS subscription in combination with an NMBS or DB subscription

Are you a frequent traveller to Belgium or Germany in combination with an NMBS or DB subscription? Then you can request a square barcode to open the gates in the Netherlands. This will prevent you having to pay the entry fee, when you open the gates on your OV-chipkaart in the Netherlands without checking out abroad.

Has money been wrongly debited?

If you display the barcode as a PDF or screenshot on your phone, you may encounter issues with opening the gates. The gate might not open, or an incorrect charge of up to €20 may be applied. To avoid this, place the ticket in the NS International App or print it.

If an incorrect charge occurs, you can identify it by the identifier starting with NLOV, the amount, and the check-in time. You can request a refund from 6 to 60 days after the trip via ovpay.nl.

Request barcode

Request a keycard at NS.nl. Within 5 working days, you will receive an email with a square barcode in return. With it, for a few days, you can open the gates and arrival and departure station in the Netherlands without using your OV-chipkaart.
Pay attention! You can only request the square barcode if you have one of the following NS subscriptions on your OV chip card:

Weekend Vrij of Dal Vrij
Studentenreisproduct
Traject Vrij to the last domestic station

Ask for help at an information column

Are the gates not opening or do you not have a (working) square barcode on your international ticket?

Go to an information column by the gates and press the blue i-button for assistance. You will be connected to a member of the NS staff who will gladly help you.