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Travel token for free travel on public transport

The pass alone does not entitle you — you need the supplementary sheet and the travel token too

Versorgungsamt§ 228 SGB IXOnly with G, aG or Gl

Free travel on local public transport is one of the most effective compensations for disadvantages — and one of the most frequently misunderstood. The severe disability pass (Schwerbehindertenausweis) alone does not entitle you to free travel. You also need a supplementary sheet (Beiblatt) and a valid travel token.

Under § 228 SGB IX, people are entitled who are substantially impaired in their mobility in road traffic (disability code (Merkzeichen) G), exceptionally restricted in walking (aG), helpless (H), or deaf (Gl). A high degree of disability (Grad der Behinderung, GdB) without one of these disability codes is not sufficient — that is the point at which most applications fail.

A personal contribution is generally payable for the travel token, chosen either for a year or for six months. It is free of charge for blind and helpless people, as well as for people receiving certain social benefits — the basic income support benefit (Grundsicherungsgeld), assistance with living expenses (Hilfe zum Lebensunterhalt), or basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity (Grundsicherung im Alter und bei Erwerbsminderung). The free travel token must also be applied for; it is not issued automatically.

Last updated28 August 2026
Legal basis§ 228 SGB IX
Verification§ 228 SGB IX in full
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Versorgungsamt, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. No legal advice and not an official authority. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
RequirementG, aG, H or GlGdB alone is not sufficient
Free of charge forBl, H or benefit receiptApplication still necessary
TermYear or six monthsOptional
Required documents

What you need

The severe disability pass with disability code

The disability code G, aG, H or Gl must be entered. If it is missing, the first step is not the application for the travel token, but an application for determination of the disability code.

The application for the supplementary sheet

The supplementary sheet is the carrier document for the travel token and is applied for separately. A pass without a supplementary sheet does not entitle you to free travel.

Proof of entitlement to a free travel token

For the disability codes H or Bl, it follows from the pass. For benefit receipt, you need the current notice for the basic income support benefit, assistance with living expenses, or basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity.

The decision on the term

An annual or a half-yearly token. The half-yearly token is proportionally more expensive, but can make sense if it is foreseeable that circumstances will change — for example, with an upcoming move or the upcoming start of benefit receipt.

For disability code B: no travel token needed for the accompanying person

If the pass carries the disability code B, an accompanying person travels free of charge — no separate travel token is needed for this. This applies even if the accompanied person does not themselves have a travel token.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Check the disability code first

    Without G, aG, H or Gl there is no travel token, regardless of the level of the GdB. If the disability code is missing and you consider it justified, an application for determination is the right first step — with a description of the specific restriction, not just the diagnosis.

  2. 2

    Apply for the supplementary sheet and the travel token

    At the Versorgungsamt, and in many federal states also online. The two belong together: the supplementary sheet carries the token, and only both together with the pass entitle you to free travel.

  3. 3

    Claim the exemption, if it applies

    For the disability codes H or Bl, and when receiving the basic income support benefit, assistance with living expenses, or basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity, the travel token is free of charge. It is not, however, issued automatically for that reason — the application remains necessary, together with the relevant proof.

  4. 4

    Ask the authority for the current amount

    The personal contribution is set out in § 228 SGB IX with a base amount that is periodically adjusted; the amount printed in the text of the law is therefore not necessarily the one currently in force. Ask the Versorgungsamt or your federal state’s portal for the current amount before you make the transfer.

  5. 5

    Keep an eye on validity

    The travel token is dated. If it expires, entitlement to free travel ends immediately — unlike with the pass, there is no buffer here. Apply for the follow-on token in good time.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Personal contribution and exemption§ 228 SGB IX
TermOne year or half a year
Personal contributionPeriodically adjusted
Disability code H or BlFree of charge
Receipt of the basic income support benefitFree of charge
Assistance with living expensesFree of charge
Accompanying person with disability code BWithout their own travel token

An amount for the personal contribution is deliberately not given here. § 228 SGB IX contains a base amount that is kept up to date through adjustment, and the publications that are accessible differ from one another. The Versorgungsamt or your federal state’s portal will give you the binding amount currently in force — ask for it, rather than relying on a second-hand figure.

Good to know

Important notes

The pass alone does not entitle you to free travel. You also need the supplementary sheet and a valid travel token.

Only people with the disability codes G, aG, H or Gl are entitled. A high GdB without one of these disability codes is not sufficient.

The travel token is free of charge for the disability codes H and Bl, as well as when receiving the basic income support benefit, assistance with living expenses, or basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity — it still has to be applied for, though.

With disability code B, an accompanying person travels free of charge, without a separate travel token being needed for that.

Ask the authority for the current amount of the personal contribution. The base amount printed in the text of the law is adjusted and is not automatically the one in force.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Assuming the pass is enough. Without the supplementary sheet and the travel token, there is no entitlement.

Applying for the travel token with a high GdB but without the disability code G, aG, H or Gl.

Waiting for the free travel token. It too must be applied for.

Transferring an amount from a secondary source. The personal contribution is adjusted; ask for the amount in force.

Overlooking the token’s expiry date. Entitlement ends immediately with it.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Is the severe disability pass enough for free travel?

No. The pass only provides proof of the GdB and the disability code. For free travel, you also need a supplementary sheet and a valid travel token. This is the most common misconception in this area and regularly leads to a penalty fare (erhöhtes Beförderungsentgelt) at ticket inspections.

Which disability codes entitle you to the travel token?

Under § 228 SGB IX, people who are substantially impaired in their mobility in road traffic (disability code G), exceptionally restricted in walking (aG), helpless (H), or deaf (Gl). A high degree of disability alone is not enough — without one of these disability codes, there is no entitlement.

For whom is the travel token free of charge?

For blind and helpless people — that is, with the disability codes Bl and H — as well as for people receiving certain social benefits: the basic income support benefit, assistance with living expenses, or basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity. Important: the free travel token is also only issued on application, together with the relevant proof.

What does the travel token cost?

The personal contribution is set out in § 228 SGB IX with a base amount that is periodically adjusted — the amount printed in the text of the law therefore does not automatically correspond to the one in force today, and the publications that are accessible differ from one another. The Versorgungsamt or your federal state’s portal will tell you the current, binding amount. You can choose between an annual and a half-yearly token.

May someone accompany me free of charge?

If your pass carries the disability code B, yes: an accompanying person is carried free of charge, and no separate travel token is required for that. The disability code B requires that, in order to avoid dangers to yourself or others, you regularly need help from another person when using public transport.

What applies on long-distance transport?

Free travel with the travel token concerns local transport. For the accompanying person under disability code B, free travel also applies beyond that on long-distance trains. For the severely disabled person themselves, long-distance transport is not covered by this — the usual fares and any reductions offered by the transport operators apply there.

Related official procedures

Severe disability pass (Schwerbehindertenausweis)
From GdB 50 — with disability codes
Free of charge
Compensation for disadvantages
Lump-sum allowance in ten steps, § 33b EStG
€384 to €7,400
Renew the pass
In good time, or compensations for disadvantages lie dormant
Free of charge

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