Validity and restrictions

Ordinary single or return travel tickets are valid:

• on the date indicated;
• for a specified journey;
• in the requested travel class.

In the case of a return journey, the outgoing leg should always be completed before the return leg. Return journeys must be completed before train services are suspended for the night.

The Weekend Ticket is valid from 7 p.m. Friday until the last train on Sunday, unless it is purchased on our website: the dates entered must always correspond with the exact travel dates.

Most season tickets are loaded onto your personal MoBIB card. You can check the validity period of your season ticket in your My SNCB account and at the ticket vending machines at the station.

Season tickets that are still in paper format, such as the Half-time season ticket or the Student Multi, comprise:

• a plastic photocard with the season ticket holder’s photo and personal information;
• a validation ticket stating the travel validity period, and 10 pre-printed journeys to be filled in before each journey.

For Passes that are still in paper format, such as the Standard Multi and the Youth Multi, you simply have to fill in a line in your Pass, chronologically per journey: the day and date of your journey, as well as the full name of your departure and destination station in letters only. If you make a mistake, start again on a new line. Non-compliant entries, crossed out entries, overwriting, or any traces of deletion, rubbing out or other forms of removal invalidate the filled-in line.

 

What happens if you travel without a valid ticket?

Buy your ticket preferably before boarding the train, as your ticket will cost an extra €9 on-board (contactless electronic payment only). Avoid fines and travel with a valid ticket.

If you travel without a valid ticket:

• You buy a ticket at the On-board Fare (price of the ticket + €9, contactless electronic payment only) and continue on your journey.
• If you do not buy a ticket at the On-board Fare for any reason, the train conductor will issue a statement of Irregularity for an amount of €90. You can always appeal to the Customer Service if you believe your were prevented from presenting a valid ticket or purchasing an On-board Fare ticket for legitimate reasons.

If you are travelling on an expired season ticket:

• Just like any other passenger, you will need to buy a ticket at the On-board Fare (price of the ticket + €90).

If you have forgotten your season ticket:

• You buy a ticket at the On-board Fare (price of the ticket + €9, contactless electronic payment only). You must then go to the ticket counter of your choice with the ticket bought onboard and your season ticket, valid on the date you forgot it, within 14 calendar days (inclusive of the date of issue of the onboard ticket). You will then receive a full refund.
• If, for any reason, you do not buy an On-board Fare ticket (price of the ticket + €9, contactless electronic payment only), the conductor will issue a statement of Irregularity of an amount of €90. You should then go to the ticket counter of your choice with the statement of irregularity and your season ticket, valid on the date the statement was issued, within 14 calendar days (inclusive of the date the statement was issued). The statement of Irregularity will be closed. You will not have to pay €90.

Specific terms of use will always appear on your ticket. These may include:

• a restriction on the departure time and/or days of use;
• a restriction on the passenger category;
• a restriction related to the passenger’s age.

Tickets bought on our website, the SNCB App or season tickets are always personalised and cannot be transferred to another person. Please make sure you are able to provide proof of ID at the ticket inspection onboard the train.

A zone is a number of stations and/or stops grouped in one tariff point.

• Aalst zone: Aalst, Aalst-Kerrebroek, Erembodegem
  
  
• Antwerp zone: Antwerp-Berchem, Antwerp-Centraal, Antwerp-Dam, Antwerp-Luchtbal, Antwerp-Noorderdokken, Antwerp-Oost, Antwerp-Zuid
  
  
• Bruges zone: Bruges, Bruges-Sint-Pieters
  
  
• Brussels zone (= Zone Brupass): Arcades, Anderlecht, Berchem-Ste-Agathe, Bockstael, Boitsfort, Boondael, Bordet, Brussels-Central, Brussels-Chapelle, Brussels-Congress, Brussels-Luxembourg, Brussels-Midi, Brussels-Nord, Brussels-Ouest, Brussels-Schuman, Delta, Etterbeek, Evere, Forest-Est, Forest-Midi, Germoir, Haren, Haren-Sud, Jette, Meiser, Mérode, Moensberg, Schaerbeek, Simonis, St-Job, Tour et Taxis, Uccle-Calevoet, Uccle-Stalle, Vivier d’Oie, Watermael
  
  
• Brupass XL zone: Anderlecht, Arcades, Beersel, Berchem-Ste-Agathe, Bockstael, Boitsfort, Boondael, Bordet, Brussels-Central, Brussels-Chapelle, Brussels-Congress, Brussels-Luxembourg, Brussels-Midi, Brussels-North, Brussels-West, Brussels-Schuman, Buda, De Hoek, Delta, Diegem, Dilbeek, Etterbeek, Evere, Forest-Est, Forest-Midi, Germoir, Groenendael, Groot-Bijgaarden, Haren, Haren-Sud, Hoeilaart, Holleken, Linkebeek, Lot, Jette, Meiser, Mérode, Moensberg, Nossegem, Ruisbroek, Schaerbeek, Simonis, Rhode-Saint-Genèse, Sint-Martens-Bodegem, St-Job, Tour et Taxis, Uccle-Calevoet, Uccle-Stalle, Vilvoorde, Vivier d'Oie, Watermael, Zaventem, Zellik
  
  
• Charleroi zone: Charleroi-Ouest, Charleroi-Central, Couillet, Lodelinsart, Marchienne-au-Pont, Marchienne-Zone
  
  
• Denderleeuw zone: Denderleeuw, Iddergem, Welle
  
  
• Dendermonde zone: Dendermonde, Sint-Gillis
  
  
• Ghent zone: Drongen, Gentbrugge, Ghent-Dampoort, Ghent-Sint-Pieters, Wondelgem
  
  
• Halle zone: Buizingen, Halle, Lembeek
  
  
• Hasselt zone: Hasselt, Kiewit
  
  
• Huy zone: Huy, Statte
  
  
• Knokke zone: Duinbergen, Heist, Knokke
  
  
• La Louvière zone: Bracquegnies, La Louvière-Centre, La Louvière-Sud
  
  
• Leuven zone: Heverlee, Leuven
  
  
• Liège zone: Angleur, Bressoux, Chênée, Liège-Carré, Liège-Guillemins, Liège-Saint-Lambert, Sclessin
  
  
• Marche zone: Aye, Marche-en-Famenne, Marloie
  
  
• Mechelen zone: Mechelen, Mechelen-Nekkerspoel
  
  
• Mons zone: Mons, Nimy
  
  
• Mouscron zone: Herseaux, Mouscron
  
  
• Namur zone: Flawinne, Jambes, Jambes-Est, Namur, Ronet
  
  
• Verviers zone: Verviers-Central, Verviers-Palais
  
  
  

Mortsel exception:
If the traveller has a ticket (apart from a Local Multi) departing from or arriving at Mortsel, Mortsel-Liersesteenweg, Mortsel-Oude God or Mortsel-Deurnesteenweg, they may board or alight the train at one of the other aforementioned stations, with no further formalities.

However, a “Mortsel zone” does not exist and the used ticket therefore does not permit them to travel freely between these stations as they wish.

When your departure station and your arrival station are located in 2 different zones:

You travel between these 2 zones (single ticket: 1 journey; return ticket: 1 outward journey and 1 return journey).
You can get on and off at any station within these 2 zones during the day for which your ticket is valid.

If your departure station and your arrival station are in the same zone:

You can get on and off at any station within that zone during the day for which your ticket is valid. To travel these routes within the same zone, it is best to choose the Standard Ticket one-way (you do not need to buy a return ticket).

Your Youth Holidays 1-month is valid for a period of 31 consecutive days from the time of purchase (unless your Youth Holidays’s validity period begins at the end of June, in which case it is only valid for 30 days).

Please note, your Youth Holidays automatically expires at the end of the holidays. If you purchased a Youth Holidays on the 15th August for a period of 1 month, you will not be able to travel on it for a whole 31-day period.

The Youth Ticket is a ticket for a second class journey.
If you would prefer to travel in 1st class, you can buy a class upgrade or a Class Upgrade Card of 10 upgrades for the same journey.

This change was made after consultation of our customers. Staff in direct contact with the customer were also involved. The main elements that emerged from this study indicate that the SNCB's customers are hesitating as to which product is the most advantageous for them. We hope that this name change will help them find the right product more easily. The aim is to simplify and clarify the SNCB's product range, with universal names that are the same in French and Dutch.