THE ESSENTIALS
For your train journeys in Belgium as a student aged 16 to 25 (inclusive), you have two main options: the Student Abonnement if you travel frequently on the same route, or the Student Multi if you make a few occasional round trips. Since October 15, 2025, the old Youth Ticket, Youth Multi, and Youth Holidays have been discontinued and replaced by new formulas or discounts via the Train+ card.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Student Abonnement (for frequent journeys)
- Who is it for? Students under 26 who commute daily between their home and their place of study or internship.
- Validity: Unlimited travel on a fixed route (home-school) in 2nd or 1st class. You can get it for 1, 3, or 12 months. The annual subscription (12 months) costs you the price of 10 months.
- Advantages: It’s super advantageous if you make at least 5 single journeys per week. You can also combine it with a STIB, TEC, or De Lijn subscription for your bus, tram, or metro journeys.
- School certificate: If you are 18 or older, you will need a valid school certificate. It must include your information (name, date of birth, school period, station of your school) and be signed by your institution. It is valid for one year.
- MoBIB card: Your subscription is loaded onto your personal MoBIB card. If you don’t have one, it costs €6 (price in August 2026) and is valid for 5 years.
The Student Multi (for occasional journeys)
- Who is it for? Students under 26 who travel 1 to 3 times a week on the same route for their classes.
- Validity: It’s a 10-journey card (5 outward and 5 return trips) to be used over a period of 49 days.
- School certificate: As with the Student Abonnement, if you are 18 or older, a school certificate is required.
The Train+ (for occasional and flexible travel)
- Who is it for? All young people under 26 benefit from a 40% discount on the standard ticket price. With the Train+ card, you can get an additional 40% discount during off-peak hours (from 9 am to 4 pm and from 6 pm to 6 am), on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
- Price: The Train+ card costs €4 per month or €32 per year for young people, seniors, and beneficiaries of increased intervention (price in October 2025).
- Cap: The maximum price for a single journey in 2nd class is capped at €5.50 with Train+ (price in October 2025).
- Important: Since October 15, 2025, the old Youth Ticket, Youth Multi, and Youth Holidays have been discontinued and replaced by these new formulas or discounts via the Train+ card.
Youth Holidays Combi (for summer holidays)
- Who is it for? This pass was introduced in summer 2024 for 18-24 year olds.
- Validity: It allows you to use all public transport (SNCB, STIB, TEC, De Lijn) in Belgium for €59 per month during the summer (information from 2024).
- Price: In 2024, there was also a Youth Holidays SNCB for 1 week at €18 or 1 month at €35 to travel by train in Belgium during school holidays (summer, autumn, Christmas).
HOW TO DO IT
- For a first Student Abonnement or Student Multi:
- Go to a station counter with your electronic identity card.
- If you are over 18, bring your school certificate duly completed and signed by your institution.
- Budget €6 for the creation of your MoBIB card if you don’t have one yet.
- To buy or renew online (Student Abonnement and Student Multi):
- Log in to your My SNCB account (or create one).
- Choose the subscription you want to extend or buy.
- If you are over 18, you can upload your completed school certificate.
- For the Student Multi, plan to renew it at least 10 days before the travel date if you do it online, as the validation ticket arrives by mail.
- To buy the Train+ card:
- The Train+ card is available for purchase monthly or annually.
- It is available via the Olympus application.
THE PITFALLS
- Non-compliant school certificate: If your school certificate is not valid (wrong dates, incorrect information, not signed), your subscription may be cancelled. If the validity period has already started, administrative fees of €10 may be withheld in case of a refund.
- Subscription not activated retroactively: A school subscription cannot be activated for a past period. Make sure to buy it on time.
- Online renewal of the Student Multi: If you renew your Student Multi online, do it at least 10 days in advance to receive your validation ticket on time. Otherwise, you will have to do it at the station.
- Not having a MoBIB card: If you don’t have a MoBIB card, you will have to buy one for €6 (price in August 2026) at the time of your first subscription purchase.
WHERE TO GET INFORMATION
You can contact SNCB via the contact form on their website. If you do not receive a satisfactory response within one month, you can contact Ombudsrail.
Verified sources
- belgiantrain.be
- ombudsrail.be
- olympus-mobility.be
- tvlux.be
Information verified on 23/09/2026. Amounts and rules may change: always check with the official body.