Free tickets for buses, trains and boats in the Nord-Jæren region for Stavanger residents

You can get free tickets via this link and then open them in the Kolumbus ticket app. 

Don't have a smartphone? Read more here.

The duration of this scheme will be determined later. The city council has set aside NOK 200 million, and the sum will last longer if we only collect the free tickets we actually need and intend to use.

Who can travel for free?

Everyone with a registered residential address in Stavanger can register in the municipality's public transport register and then obtain free tickets.

Free public transport is only for residents, not tourists. Only individuals and private households can get free tickets, there is no refund scheme for companies/businesses.

If you are not sure where your registered address is, you can log in to check your information at the National Population Register.

Your bike does not travel for free. Buy a bicycle ticket in the Kolumbus ticket app.

How can I get free tickets?

1. If you want to travel for free, you start by signing up in the public transport register. Log in with your MinID/Bank ID. You only need to do this once. You can also register family members and, for example your not-so digitally savvy neighbour, so they don't have to log in themselves. 
2. Once you have registered, you can order your tickets here. Log in using your mobile phone number.
3. Please select only the ticket type that you need. That way the scheme will last longer.
4. You will receive an SMS with a link. Click on the link, and the ticket will open in the Kolumbus ticket app.
5. In the ticket app, you have to chose whether to activate the ticket either immediately or any time within 7 days.

Need help? Ask a family member, friend or neighbour. Offer help to those you think might need it.

You can also get help by showing up in person here.

We have made printable a step-by-step guide that you can download here.

This step-by-step guide is also available in Ukrainian. Інструкції також доступні українською мовою 

Where is public transport free?

Free tickets are valid in the Kolumbus "Nord-Jæren" zone, which includes the municipalities of Stavanger, Sola and Randaberg, Kvitsøy and most of Sandnes. Forsand is not part of this zone.

• See the Kolumbus zone map

If you are travelling outside this zone, you will need to buy a ticket for your entire journey, not just for the new zone that you are entering. 

The airport bus is not part of this sheme.

Which ticket types are free?

All ticket types, except for annual passes and HjemJobbHjem tickets, are available.

Please obtain only free tickets that you actually intend to use. You can choose between these ticket types:

• Single ticket
• 24-hour ticket
• 7-day ticket
• 30-day ticket
• Youth ticket

Please note: You can collect no more than five tickets in 24 hours, and only one 30-day ticket per month.

If you and your family need 24-hour tickets, you can collect tickets for two adults and three children within a day, i.e. a maximum of five tickets within the same day. If you are traveling with four children, the fourth child must either have a ticket on their own mobile phone, or on a physical Kolumbus card (plastic card).

You cannot have more than one 30-day ticket per month. This means that if both you and your child need a 30-day ticket, you should create a separate user profile for the child so that the child gets his own "ticket quota". If the child does not have his own mobile phone, the Kolumbus card is the solution.

The limit of a maximum of five tickets applies regardless of whether the tickets are activated or not.

Children with smartphones can collect their own ticket when a person with a Bank ID has registered the child in the public transport register (in Norwegian). 

In addition to the ticket from our web page, you need these two apps:

• Kolumbus (to see when and where you can travel).
• Kolumbus Billett (to present your free ticket).

You can read more about the different ticket types here.

Ticket refund for express ferries

If you travel by express ferries to, from and between the Ryfylke islands in Stavanger municipality, you will have to buy your tickets and get a refund later. This is due to a technical issue. For journeys by express ferries, we also refund HjemJobbHjem tickets. 

Fill out this form (in Norwegian only) and upload a picture of your ticket. Expect a processing time of two weeks for your refund claim.

The conditions for reimbursement of ticket expenses are:

• The ticket must be an express ferry ticket or HJH ticket that  shows that you have travelled between these places:
  • Stavanger/Fiskepiren, Nesheim, Helgøy (S), Nord-Hidle, Brimse, Østhusvik, Talgje, Fogn, Judaberg, Byre, Eidssund, Halsnøy, Sør-Bokn, Skipavik, Mekjarvik, Kvitsøy.
  • Journeys with the night ferry ("nattfløtt") to Vassøy and Hommersåk are also covered.
  • Tickets with other ports of call are not reimbursed.
• If you have travelled between a quay in the municipality of Stavanger and one outside, for example between Fiskepiren and Jelsa, or between Talgje and Hjelmeland, you will not be reimbursed for parts of the journey. You will have to pay for the entire trip yourself, as per the Kolumbus ticket rules.
• No refunds are given for HjemJobbHjem tickets with several or other zones than Nord Jæren.
• You must document the date of the journey, route and cost (only actual expenses will be reimbursed).

Free tickets for those without smartphones

If you don't have a smart phone, you can use a Kolumbus card (plastic card). Contact the municipality to get free tickets on the card. Locations and opening hours to obtain cards and free tickets.

If you need a new card, it costs NOK 50, the same price as at Kolumbus. You can also use the card after the period of free public transport has ended. 

Do you already have travel money («reisepenger») on the card? This money will remain on the card even though you have a free ticket on it. The free public transport scheme does not include topping up your card with more travel money. 

If you have a period ticket (HjemJobbhjem, 30-day or 365-day ticket) on a Kolumbus card, you can also add a free ticket to the card, but it is uncertain which of the tickets will be registered on board. If you want to be sure that the free tickets are registered rather than period tickets you have bought, buy a separate card for free tickets at NOK 50 or get a refund of the remaining value you have on the card at Kolumbus. They charge NOK 100 as a fee for the job.

If you contact Innbyggerservice to get free tickets, you must be bring an ID and your national ID number or D number. In the digital solution, this will register automatically.

Bookings for Kolumbus card holders

If you already have a Kolumbus card, you do not need to show up in person to order a ticket.

How to top up your Kolumbus card:

• If you already have a Kolumbus card you can use this form (in Norwegian only) to order a ticket.

• Orders will be processed Monday to Friday between 8.30 am and 15 pm.
• You will be notified when your ticket has been added to your card. This may take up to a day.
• Use the card reader on the bus to check how long the ticket is valid for.
• When your period ticket expires, you can activate your next period ticket by placing it on the card reader on the bus.

Free tickets for children

Three alternative solutions, depending on the situation:

• Children travelling with adults: Adults can order the children's ticket to their mobile phone, but note that there is a limit on how many tickets you can collect. An adult can order up to three children's tickets (single tickets/24-hour tickets) per day, but you cannot order a 30-day ticket for your child if you already have an adult 30-day ticket.
• Children with smart phones travelling alone: ​​An adult registers the child in the public transport register. The child can then go to Min side to get the ticket themselves, or the adult can do it on the child's behalf. If the child has their own bank ID, they can register and order tickets themselves.
• Children without a smart phone travelling alone: ​​Use your Kolumbus card if you already have one. You can get a free ticket on the card by completing this form. If you need a new one, contact Innbyggerservice. You can also enter the free tickets there.

If you have a free adult ticket, you can bring up to three children (and an extra adult) on weekends and after 5 pm on weekdays, without getting separate tickets for them. 

Why do we need tickets when the fare is free?

The tickets you get from the municipality are not really free tickets, even if you travel for free. The municipality pays Kolumbus for all the free tickets. We therefore need to know how many tickets we have to pay for.

We also need to know how many and which types of free tickets people retrieve so that we can conduct research on this project later.

So, if you travel without a ticket, even a free ticket, it affects both yourself and the community.

Tickets and conditions

Some rules are mentioned further up, for example about the maximum number of free tickets you can collect. 

Other rules can be found in Kolumbus's terms and conditions for all travelers, such as:

• All passengers must present a valid ticket - including free ticket holders.
• If you do not have a free ticket, you are not travelling legally and may be subject to inspection.
• You must have a ticket valid for your age group. A 34-year-old cannot travel with a youth ticket, and an adult cannot travel with a child ticket, even if the tickets are free.
• 15-minute free city-bike usage is included in Kolumbus' tickets, including the free tickets.

Here are the formal travel and ticket conditions:

• The tickets work in the same way as normal tickets with Kolumbus, and you will be sent an SMS with a link to the ticket which opens in the Kolumbus app. Read details here: Prices and tickets - Kolumbus AS. Here you can also see which ticket suits you best. NOTE – not all tickets for Kolumbus are available in the free scheme.
• You can read Kolumbus' travel terms and conditions here. 
• Stavanger municipality must temporarily store your mobile number and national ID number or D number in a separate register in order to offer to you this service. You can ask to have your account (including mobile number and national ID number or D number) deleted from the register at any time. Stavanger municipality is required by law to provide documentation of the accounts for the offer. Information may be used anonymously in connection with research, and will not be linked to you.

Thanks for your patience and cooperation!

This comprehensive scheme was put together during the six weeks before the summer holidays. Neither we – nor anyone else we know of – have done this before. Naturally, some issues are bound to appear as we go along. We do everything we can to resolve matters quickly, and work closely with skilled professionals at Kolumbus.

The most important thing for you to remember is: You must have a valid and activated ticket, even when you get the ticket free of charge from the municipality.