Semesterticket refund: STW Hamburg

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ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENT UNION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAMBURG
Refund criteria
Health, spatial or social reasons

A refund is only possible if using the HVV transport network is unreasonable for you for health, geographical or social reasons.
Note: Refunds on geographical grounds will no longer be possible following the publication of the new guidelines on 18 March 2026.

Note: UHH students studying or undertaking an internship abroad can apply for exemption from the semester ticket directly via STiNE.

Further information: Exemption from the semester ticket/refund: Campus Centre: University of Hamburg (uni-hamburg.de)

Health reasons

You are unable to use public transport during the semester in question due to an illness lasting more than three months or a disability.

Note: UHH students with a severe disability can apply for exemption from the semester ticket fee directly via STiNE using a disability badge.

Further information: Exemption from the semester ticket/refund: Campus Centre: University of Hamburg (uni-hamburg.de)

Spatial reasons

Due to geographical constraints, it is not reasonably feasible to use the semester ticket. This applies where the applicant can demonstrate that it takes them more than two hours each way to travel from their home to their place of study using the HVV or other local public transport.

Social reasons

In the case of students who do not live near their place of study, it is generally assumed that they must factor travel costs into their financial planning and that they benefit financially from the low-cost term ticket; their situation has therefore improved compared to before the term ticket was introduced. A claim for reimbursement on social grounds shall be recognised if the applicant can demonstrate that they have based their entire financial planning on the assumption that no travel costs are incurred, e.g. because the journey to their place of study is made on foot or by bicycle. A claim for reimbursement must be recognised in these cases if the applicant meets one of the following conditions: receipt of benefits under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG), ongoing maintenance assistance under Book 12 of the Social Code (SGB XII), receives benefits to secure a livelihood under SGB II (Unemployment Benefit II) or the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act, or if the financial resources at their disposal (income, assets, maintenance payments, etc.), after deduction of housing costs (rent including heating and additional energy costs) and child allowances under Section §23 (1) sentence 1 no. 3 of the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) and health and long-term care insurance, fall below the standard social assistance rate for single persons and heads of households in Hamburg. In particularly justified cases of hardship, exceptions may be granted following consultation with the ASten.

You may also apply for a refund on the grounds of pregnancy, caring for relatives or other family reasons. The condition is that you attend university on fewer than three days a week.

FOR THE STUDENT BODY OF OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Refund criteria
Health, local, spatial or social reasons

A refund is only possible if using the HVV is not reasonable for you for health, local, geographical or social reasons.

Health reasons

You are unable to use public transportation due to an illness lasting more than three months during the semester for which you are applying.

Note: UHH students with a severe disability can apply for a semester ticket exemption directly via STiNE using a token.

For more information, see: Befreiung vom Semesterticket/Rückerstattung : Campus-Center : Universität Hamburg (uni-hamburg.de)

HAW students with a severe disability who have a token should submit their application by email to: sts@haw-hamburg.de

For more information, please visit https://www.haw-hamburg.de/ticket/

All other students from the listed universities should apply to us for a refund.

Local reasons

You are not eligible to use the HVV because you will be spending more than three months outside the HVV area during the semester of application for study-related reasons (e.g., internship, writing a bachelor's thesis, or studying abroad).

Note: UHH students can apply for exemption from the semester ticket directly via STiNE if they are studying or doing an internship abroad.

For more information, see: Befreiung vom Semesterticket/Rückerstattung : Campus-Center : Universität Hamburg (uni-hamburg.de).

HAW students should submit their application for exemption due to studying or interning abroad by email to: sts@haw-hamburg.de.

For more information, see https://www.haw-hamburg.de/ticket/.

All other students from the listed universities should apply for a refund from us.

Spatial reasons

In case of spatial reasons, you live outside the HVV area and travel to your place of study by Deutsche Bahn or comparable public transport and do not use the HVV additionally for a fee. However, it is also possible that you live so close to your place of study (up to 2 km from your home) that you travel on foot or by bicycle and do not use the HVV. Or you live within the HVV fringe area and would demonstrably need more than two hours to get from your home to your place of study.

Social reasons

A refund on social grounds is to be recognized above all if you can credibly show that you have laid out your entire financial planning without travel costs because the journey to the place of study is made by bicycle or on foot, although the distance is more than 2 km each way. A claim for refund is to be recognized in these cases if you receive benefits according to the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG), current assistance for living expenses according to the 12th Book of the Social Code (SGB XII) or benefits to secure living expenses according to SGB II (unemployment benefit II) or if the financial means available to you (income, assets, alimony payments, etc.) after deduction of housing costs (warm rent plus energy costs), child allowances according to §23(1) sentence 1 no. 3 BAföG and health and nursing care insurance are below the standard social welfare rate for single persons and heads of household in Hamburg. In particularly justified cases of hardship, exceptions may be permitted after consultation with the ASten.

Information on reimbursement and application
When must the application be submitted and how can I submit it?

The application must be submitted each semester. It must be received by

Students at the University of Hamburg:

30 November of the relevant year for the winter semester, or
30 April of the relevant year for the summer semester.

Students at HAW, TUHH, HCU, HfMT, HfbK, Evang. HS:

30 September of the relevant year for the winter semester, or
31 March of the relevant year for the summer semester.

Please note that you must have submitted the application by the deadlines specified, regardless of your re-registration.
In order to meet the deadline, you can submit the application to us even if you do not yet have all the documents.

You can apply for a refund online right here in the "Onlineportal zur Semesterticket-Rückerstattung".

If you would like to send it to us in paper form, you can find the PDF for printing here. Please send us the completed form in good time (the date of receipt applies) to:

Studierendenwerk Hamburg
Semesterticketrückerstattung
Postfach 13 01 13
20101 Hamburg

If you still require a refund due to de-registration from the current semester, please send your refund request and a scan of your de-registration form and your bank details by email to the following address: sbhh.kundensupport@deutschebahn.com.