School transport subsidy ticket

Applying

Students in upper secondary level educational institutions (e.g. upper secondary schools and institutes of vocational education) can apply for a school transport subsidy from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) if the travel distance between home and school exceeds a certain number of kilometres. You can find more information about the school transport subsidy and how to apply for it on Kela’s school transport subsidy page. Applications are submitted online in the OmaKela e-service. Note! If you use Seutu+ routes for your trips to and from school, select Waltti as the ticket vendor/ mode of transport.

From the beginning of 2024, Seutu+ tickets are covered by the direct compensation procedure and the ticket can be purchased directly using the so-called right to buy.

If you have been granted a school transport subsidy for the entire school year 2023–2024 and want to switch to the right to buy, you must notify Kela of this change. Fill in the school transport subsidy application and mark ‘Waltti’ as the mode of transport.

After being granted a school transport subsidy, you can purchase:

The Seutu+ one-month season ticket

  • The ticket is valid for 30 days from the time of purchase.
  • The ticket provides you with unlimited regional journeys on the lines in the eligibility area of the selected ticket.
  • If the eligibility area of the ticket includes city transport services (Föli or Gyyt), the ticket also provides you with unlimited city transport journeys.

The Seutu+ half-month season ticket

  • The ticket is valid for 30 days from the time of purchase and provides you with 28 regional journeys on the lines in the eligibility area of the selected ticket.
  • If the eligibility area of the ticket includes city transport services (Föli or Gyyt), the ticket provides you with unlimited city transport journeys for 30 days.

Mobile app or travel card

You can purchase your subsidised ticket independently using the Seutu+ mobile app. Topping up the ticket requires verifying your identity through the suomi.fi service. To verify your identity, you will need online banking credentials or a mobile certificate. The right to buy is checked when verifying your identity.

You can also purchase your subsidised ticket using a traditional Seutu+ travel card. The ticket can be topped up via the service on the seutuplus.fi website. Using the service requires verifying your identity, and the right to buy is checked when doing so. Your identity will also be checked at service points in order to confirm a valid right to buy.

Note! Top-up is not possible on buses because the student’s right to buy is not visible in the fare collection system.

Eligibility areas and connections

You can purchase a Seutu+ season ticket or a Seutu+ half-month season ticket for the eligibility area of your choice and use any connection in the selected eligibility area.

You can find more detailed information on the Eligibility areas and connections page.

Frequently asked questions about the school transport subsidy

Check Kela’s school transport subsidy page to see whether you are eligible for a school transport subsidy granted by Kela.  If you are entitled to the school transport subsidy, you can apply for it in the OmaKela e-service.

Submitting an application requires online banking credentials or a mobile certificate. You can get them from your bank or teleoperator.

If you are applying for a school transport subsidy for a Seutu+ ticket, mark ‘Waltti’ as the mode of transport on your Kela application.

Information about the subsidy granted to you by Kela will be transferred to the sales channels of Seutu+ tickets electronically. This means that you will not need a paper or electronic certificate of the right to buy when purchasing your ticket. We will check what kind of subsidy you are entitled to upon purchase.

You can reapply for the subsidy if you want to purchase a Seutu+ ticket using the so-called right to buy. The right to buy means that you do not need to pay for the ticket at the time of purchase if you are entitled to free education.

Seutu+ tickets have been eligible before as well, but you had to pay for the ticket yourself and reclaim the price of the ticket from Kela afterwards.

From the beginning of 2024, all new school transport subsidy applications with Seutu+ as the mode of transport will be granted using the so-called right to buy and the price of the ticket will no longer be paid into the student’s bank account retroactively.

With the school transport subsidy, you can purchase a Seutu+ season ticket for the eligibility area where you travel to and from school. 

If you travel to school on 15 days or more per month, you are to purchase a one-month ticket. If you travel to school on 10 to 14 days per month, you are to purchase a half-month ticket. Whether you are entitled to the full subsidy or half of the full amount will be stated in the right to buy granted by Kela.

The one-month season ticket allows you to travel for 30 days from the time of purchase on the lines in the selected eligibility area. If the eligibility area includes city transport services (Föli or Gyyt), they can also be used for 30 days.

The half-month season ticket provides you with 28 journeys within 30 days from the time of purchase on the lines in the selected eligibility area. If the eligibility area includes city transport services (Föli or Gyyt), they can also be used on the days you are travelling.

Some Seutu+ season tickets include connection and transfer journeys in city transport services.

The Turku region public transport authority’s Föli journeys are included in tickets for the following eligibility areas:

  • Turku region + Föli
  • Uusikaupunki + Föli
  • Kemiönsaari + Föli
  • Loimaa + Föli or Pöytyä + Föli

The Rauma public transport authority’s Gyyt journeys are included in tickets for the following eligibility areas:

  • Rauma 1
  • Rauma 2
  • Pori 2
  • Rauma-Olkiluoto, Eurajoki-Olkiluoto

For the time being, the Waltti city tickets of the Pori region public transport authority or the Salo public transport authority are not included in the Seutu+ season tickets.

If you travel to school on 15 days or more per month, you are to purchase a one-month ticket. If you travel to school on 10 to 14 days per month, you are to purchase a half-month ticket. Whether you are entitled to the one-month or half-month subsidy will be stated in the right to buy granted by Kela.

If you are not entitled to a free ticket, you will pay a copayment for the ticket. The copayment amount is EUR 43 for a one-month ticket and EUR 21.50 for a half-month ticket.

You can purchase a school transport subsidy ticket conveniently in the Seutu+ mobile app. The app will offer suitable tickets based on your home municipality which has been entered in the customer data. If you need to change your home municipality, contact a service point or send a message via the feedback form on the seutuplus.fi website.

Purchasing the ticket requires verifying your identity to confirm the right to buy.

In the mobile app, there is a QR code that functions as the ticket. If the eligibility area of the ticket also includes journeys in the Föli area, there are two QR codes – one for regional journeys and one for Föli city transport journeys.

The validity of the ticket starts from the time of purchase.

  1. Download the free Seutu+ app on your phone from the app store.
  2. Add your user information. Note! The selected home municipality affects which tickets the app will offer.
  3. Open the app on your phone and go to ‘Shop’ (Kauppa).
  4. Select ‘School transport subsidy’ (Koulumatkatuki).
  5. Select ‘Season ticket for mobile phone’ (Kausilippu matkapuhelimeen).
  6. Select the one-month or half-month ticket that suits your travel needs + ‘Purchase’ (Osta)
  7. You will need online banking credentials or a mobile certificate for strong identification.
  8. The Seutu+ app will offer a Kela-subsidised ticket or one subject to a copayment. It will also show whether a one-month or half-month ticket is available. ‘Accept purchase’ (Hyväksy osto).
  9. You now have a ticket.

The next time you are topping up your season ticket, select ‘School transport subsidy’ (Koulumatkatuki) after going to ‘Shop’ (Kauppa).

On regional transport vehicles, show your Seutu+ travel card or the QR code in the Seutu+ mobile app to the reader marked with a Seutu+ sticker. If there is no sticker, ask the driver which reader to use for a regional transport ticket.

In the case of a connection or transfer journey in the Turku region using Föli city transport services, show your card/QR code to the Föli reader.

If you have purchased a Seutu+ season ticket, you can buy the next season ticket in advance. The validity of the season ticket bought in advance will start immediately after the previous ticket expires.

You can see the validity period of your season ticket in the Seutu+ mobile app.

The validity of a season ticket on a Seutu+ travel card can be checked on the seutuplus.fi service website or at a service point.

A parent can buy a Seutu+ travel card for a child under the age of 18 and top it up on their behalf at a service point. The student’s personal identity code is required to top up a subsidised ticket, so it would be good to have the student’s ID with you.

Buying and topping up a card on behalf of an adult student is only possible with a power of attorney. The power of attorney must state its purpose, the full name and personal identity code of the student, and the full name and personal identity code of the authorised person. The power of attorney must include its period of validity and it must be signed by the person granting the power of attorney.

You can also purchase your subsidised ticket on a traditional travel card. You can pick up a travel card at any Seutu+ service point or order it to your home by way of postal mail via the seutuplus.fi service website.

The travel card can be topped up via the service on the seutuplus.fi website. Using the service requires verifying your identity, and the right to buy is checked when doing so. The card can also be topped up at a service point, where the buyer’s identity will be checked (bring your official identity card, passport, driving licence or Kela photocard) in order to confirm a valid right to buy.

Note! It is not possible to top up the travel card on buses because the student’s right to buy is not visible in the fare collection system.

The validity of the ticket purchased on a travel card starts from the time of purchase.

The Seutu+ service points are listed on the website under Service points.

A school transport subsidy ticket is personal, which means that you can only use the ticket yourself and cannot give it to anyone else.

In cases of misuse of the ticket, the right to use the subsidised ticket will be terminated.