After the AStA fought for this for a long time, students who do not have a smartphone are finally able to get a chip card as proof of their Deutschlandsemesterticket since the summer semester 2025.
Who can apply for a chip card?
Students who do not have their own smartphone can apply for a chip card. Regardless of the reason why the person does not have a smartphone.
What if I have a smartphone but the S-Bahn app doesn't work on it?
In this case, you can also get a chip card, but not through us, but directly through the S-Bahn. To do this, you need to go to the S-Bahn customer center at Ostbahnhof, present your non-compatible smartphone and the fee notice as proof of your ticket entitlement. You can find the payment receipt in the Zedat portal, where you can also find your certificate of enrollment.
What if I have a smartphone but do not want to use it to purchase digital tickets via the S-Bahn app?
In this case, you are unfortunately not entitled to receive a chip card. There is no general choice between the digital ticket and the chip card.
In general, the following applies:
Per contract with the VBB and the S-Bahn, chip cards can only be issued to a maximum of 1% of the student body. The AStA is calling for this limit to be increased, but is unfortunately currently bound by it. If more than 1% of the student body
This is another reason why we ask you not to apply for a chip card by making a false statement if you can use the digital ticket!
I am entitled to apply for a chip card, how do I apply?
Please complete the following application form in full:
In addition, please send us your fee notice as proof that you are entitled to a ticket. You can find this in the Zedat portal, where you will also find your certificate of enrollment.
You can then send both to our e-mail address: semtixbuero@astafu.de
What happens after I submit the application?
We will check your application and if everything is complete, we will forward your data to the S-Bahn and order your chip card. Typically, we can do this within a week. However, it can sometimes take a little longer during busy periods at the start of the semester.
The S-Bahn will then check whether a digital ticket has been activated using your student number. (If this is not the case, the S-Bahn will typically send us the chip card within 1-1.5 weeks.
As soon as it arrives, we will inform you by email and you can pick it up during our office hours. You can find the office hours under “Contact”.
When you apply for the chip card, the option to use the digital ticket is automatically blocked.
If you are exempted from the semester ticket during the semester (see “Exemptions”), for example as a result of exmatriculation, we can only exempt you once the chip card is physically available in our office.
I have already clicked on the link for the digital ticket and thus triggered an automatic order for the cell phone ticket, what are the consequences?
We have had many cases in the past where this has caused problems when ordering the chip card. Once you appear in the S-Bahn system as a person who has activated a digital ticket, the chip card order is blocked because, as I said, there is no option to choose between the two ticket options.
However, we only get the information that this has been blocked in individual cases when the chip cards do not arrive after a long time, which can lead to long delays. We are calling for a more efficient and transparent procedure from the S-Bahn that does not rely on case-by-case checks, but so far this has not worked well.
So if you have already activated the mobile ticket but cannot use it because you do not have your own smartphone, please let us know in detail what your situation is and we can see what is possible. It may be easier to contact the S-Bahn at Ostbahnhof directly, as they can make things possible on a case-by-case basis, whereas our processes often take a long time due to the long communication channels.
Can I also use the chip card throughout Germany?
Yes, the chip card is also a Deutschlandticket and can be used throughout Germany, just like the digital ticket.
Why didn't we inform you about this earlier?
The S-Bahn and the VBB have long demanded a ban on advertising this chip card option, but a legal examination has now shown that we are allowed to provide public information about it. That is why we are only now publishing the information.