Who is eligible for free school transportation?

Pupils may be entitled to free school transport from Ruter if they:

Primary and Lower Secondary School

• Are in 1st grade and live more than 2 km from school.
• Are in grades 2–10 and live more than 4 km from school.
• Have a school route defined by the municipality as hazardous or difficult.
• Have special needs due to reduced mobility or illness.

Even if the distance is less than 2 or 4 km, pupils in primary and lower secondary school may be entitled to school transport if the route is considered particularly hazardous or difficult. The municipality of residence decides this and is responsible for school transport when the distance requirement is not met. Applications must be submitted to the municipality. Contact your school for guidance on this.

Upper Secondary School

• Live more than 6 km from school.
• Have special needs due to reduced mobility or illness.

From 1 August 2025, a new regulation applies to pupils from Akershus who choose a public or private upper secondary school in Oslo, or a private upper secondary school in Buskerud, Innlandet, or Østfold. Instead of a free school ticket, they may purchase a discounted Youth Travelcard. Read more about the Youth Travelcard here.

The regulation assumes that public transport services exist between home and school. In some cases—where no such service exists—Ruter must still provide transport. If there is no public transport available, you may apply to Ruter for free school transport. Send your application to post@ruter.no and mark the email “Application for school ticket – exemption from regulation.”

How do I apply for school transport?

Primary and Lower Secondary School

• The school applies for transport on behalf of all pupils. Contact the school if you need transport.
• Medical applications must include documentation from a doctor or other specialist describing the need.
• The school applies for transport on behalf of all its pupils. Contact the school if you need transport.
• Applications with shared custody must include a signed custody agreement or a court ruling showing the division of residence.

Upper Secondary School

• Pupils apply for a school ticket themselves through the application portal.
• If you need special or adapted transport, contact the school. The school will then apply on your behalf.
• If you have medical needs or live in an area without public transport services, you must contact the school to ensure you receive the transport you need.

Response to applications

• The decision will be sent to the pupil’s digital mailbox, or by ordinary post to the home address.

For pupils granted transport

• A travelcard with a school ticket will be distributed at school.
• You will receive an SMS with information about the transport and a student code giving access to the School Transport app if you are granted transport by minibus or taxi.
• The SMS will be sent as soon as transport is scheduled, to the phone number provided in the application.

During peak application periods (such as the start of the school year), it may take a little longer to receive a response. Our goal is to respond within four weeks, and you will be notified if it takes longer.

How does the school journey work?

The vast majority of pupils in Akershus travel by regular public transport: train, metro, ferry, or scheduled school buses. The school ticket is valid for journeys between home and school on school days. For primary and lower secondary school pupils, the ticket is valid until 16:00, and for upper secondary pupils until 18:00.

Pupils in 1st grade may bring their parents or guardians free of charge on public transport from the start of the school year until 1 October, to help them feel confident about the journey.

Pupils who, due to lack of public transport services or special needs, cannot use public transport will be provided transport by minibus or taxi for all or part of the route.

You must take care of this

To avoid delays, it is important to be aware that:

• The pupil must be ready for pick-up well before the agreed time.
• Cancel any trips you will not be using, for example due to illness. Use the School Transport app or contact Ruter Customer Service.
• If the pupil does not use the scheduled transport without cancelling, the return trip will be automatically cancelled and cannot be reactivated.
• If you cancel a trip but later decide that transport is needed after all, the trip must be reactivated no later than 12:00 the day before pick-up.
• For reasons of space and safety, skis, bicycles, sleds, and similar items cannot be brought along.
• Disruptions may occur due to traffic accidents or extreme driving conditions. We ask for your understanding that delays may therefore arise.

Keep track with the School transport app

With the School transport app, parents and guardians can easily manage school transport from their own phone. Here, you can view all journeys, track the vehicle on the map, cancel trips, and check the status of the application.

Pupils travelling by regular public transport can find information about their journeys in Ruter’s journey planner.

Need help?

If you cannot find the answer you are looking for here, or if you need assistance with cancellations, locating transport, or a student code, you can contact Customer Service by phone at 24 20 20 33 on weekdays from 07:00 to 17:30.

Would you like to appeal a decision?

You can use the contact form at the bottom of the page.

• The deadline for submitting an appeal is three weeks from the date you received the decision.
• Ruter will review the case again. If the appeal is not upheld, it will be forwarded to the County Governor of Østfold, Buskerud, Oslo, and Akershus for a final decision.
• For pupils attending private upper secondary schools, appeals are sent to the Akershus County Appeals Board.
• If you experience issues with your school transport not working as it should, you may also contact us using the contact form.