Tickets for children

Children under 7 years old do not need a ticket. Children aged 7 to 17 can buy tickets at a 50% discount via the HSL app or with an HSL card. In addition, single and day tickets for children are available at sales and service points and from ticket machines.

The HSL app is available for free in app stores. Via the app, children can buy child single and day tickets, season tickets and zone-extension tickets. HSL cards are available at service points (for €5) and can be topped up at the online HSL Ticket Store or at sales and service points.

A child is holding a mobile phone with the HSL app visible on the screen.

Child tickets via the HSL app

Children aged 7 to 17 can purchase tickets via the HSL app. The free app, which can be downloaded on smartphones, allows users to buy child single tickets, day tickets, season tickets, and zone extension tickets to season tickets. To buy season tickets, the child must authenticate strongly using their own online banking credentials or a mobile certificate.

If the child does not have their own online banking credentials or Mobile ID, the season ticket can be purchased on the HSL card.

You can pay for tickets purchased via the app with a debit or credit card linked to the app, as well as with MobilePay. If you are logged in, ticket purchases up to 50 euros can also be charged to your phone bill (a payment method fee of 1.6 percent is added to these payments).

Watch an instructional video on how to use the app

Child tickets on the HSL card

You can buy a personal HSL card for a child aged 7 to 17 at HSL and municipal service points (EUR 5). The card can be topped up with season tickets as well as value for purchasing single and zone extension tickets. If you, as the guardian, get an HSL card for your child, please bring your ID document to the service point.

You can top up the HSL card with season tickets and value in the HSL Ticket Store and at sales and service points.

Children and young people can top up their HSL cards online

You can top up your own HSL card online in the HSL Ticket Store, provided that you have an HSL account and your own online banking credentials.

You need an HSL account of your own to log in to the Ticket Store. When logging in for the first time, you must perform strong authentication using your own online banking credentials, citizen certificate or mobile ID.

You can find detailed instructions for topping up your HSL card here.

Guardians can top up their children’s HSL cards online

You can top up your child’s HSL card easily online! For that, you’ll need the number of the HSL card that you wish to top up. In addition, the owner of the card must perform strong authentication, that is, to verify their identity. Typically, this is done when purchasing an HSL card. In most cases, you can top up your child’s HSL card by simply entering their card number in the HSL Ticket Store.

Please note that if you have topped up your child’s HSL card using the previous online service, the card information has not been transferred automatically to the new Ticket Store. Therefore, you must enter the number of your child’s HSL card again when topping up the card for the first time.

You can find detailed instructions for topping up another person’s HSL card here.

More information about child tickets

How do I buy a ticket for a child traveling with me?

Why do children need to strongly authenticate to purchase season tickets via the HSL app?

We require strong authentication for buying season tickets so that the price of the ticket is determined accurately, as permanent residents of the HSL area get season tickets at a lower price. In other words, strong authentication is needed to verify the official home municipality.

In addition, buying a ticket with a debit/credit card requires strong authentication in accordance with the EU Payment Services Directive. Banks determine whether strong authentication is necessary for card transactions.

Where can a child get a season ticket if they do not have online banking credentials or a mobile certificate?

The HSL card is a good option, especially for younger children. HSL cards are available at HSL and municipal service points (EUR 5). You can top up the card with value or season tickets in the HSL Ticket Store and at sales and service points.

It is also worth noting that children can buy single and day tickets via the app without strong authentication, i.e. without online banking credentials or a mobile certificate.

I tried to top up my child’s HSL card online, but failed to do so. What should I do?

If you failed to top up your child’s HSL card in the HSL Ticket Store, the reason may be one of the following:

Your child did not complete strong authentication. Every HSL card owner must be strongly authenticated to ensure that their home municipality and customer group are determined correctly. Strong authentication also ensures that the child can purchase their ticket at a more affordable price. Do this: contact HSL’s customer service either by phone or chat. Alternatively, you can also visit HSL’s service point or one of the municipal service points. You can complete strong authentication on behalf of your child by using these service channels. NB! If you contact us by chat or phone, you must be able to complete strong electronic authentication, and your child must have a Finnish ID number.
Your child’s HSL card is not linked to the their HSL account. This means that your child as an “empty” HSL card that is not linked to the child’s account. Therefore, the card cannot be topped up with value or season tickets in the HSL Ticket Store. This may happen, for example, if your child has used a school pass provided by their school. Do this: contact HSL’s customer service either by phone or chat. Alternatively, you can also visit HSL’s service point or one of the municipal service points. Our customer service can connect your child’s card to their account. NB! If you contact us by chat or phone, you must be able to complete strong electronic authentication, and your child must have a Finnish ID number.

Where can I check the remaining value or the period of validity of a season ticket on my child’s HSL card?

You can see the tickets and value on your child’s HSL card by using a card reader on board a public transport vehicle or at a station. Hold the card on the reader and you’ll see the remaining value and all valid tickets on the card.

The child can see the remaining value or the season ticket on their HSL card by logging in to their own HSL account (requires strong authentication).

At the moment, a guardian cannot see the value or season tickets on their child’s HSL card when using HSL Ticket Store due to data security reasons. Every HSL card is personal, which is why viewing another person’s personal information requires authorization to act on their behalf. Currently, a guardian can act on behalf of their child by contacting us by chat or phone, or by visiting a service point.

Acting on behalf of another person and viewing another person’s HSL card information is not possible in the HSL Ticket Store. However, this feature is currently under development, and we will inform you of any potential changes in the near future.

How can my child get a school pass?

School passes are intended for school journeys and are issued by the schoolchild’s home municipality. For more information, please contact your child’s school or your municipality. The child receives the school pass on their HSL account and can use it on their HSL card.

School passes are valid between 4.30am and 6pm on the days specified by the municipality or school. The pass is typically valid on weekdays during the school year. However, the pass can also be issued to cover school days on Saturdays or days when your child needs to travel to another school for classes, such as native language or religion. The child must have a separate ticket for journeys made at other times.

Once your child is granted a school pass, they can begin using it immediately on their HSL card, provided that the child already has a personal HSL card. In other words, no actions are needed to start using the school pass. For example, there’s no need to visit a service point. However, if this is the first time your child gets an HSL card, you must contact customer services.

Click here to download a leaflet containing more information about school passes and instructions for guardians.

More information about school passes

What should I do if my child has been granted a school pass but uses more than one HSL card?

Find all the HSL cards that your child has.
On hsl.fi, go to our Feedback page.
Log in with your HSL account or create an account, if you don’t yet have one.
In the “HSL card number” field, enter the number of the HSL card that the child uses. You can find the number on the back of the card.
In the “Type your message” field, enter the numbers of both HSL cards, the child’s name, and specify which card the child will use for all future journeys.
If you know that the child has other HSL cards (but one is, for example, lost), enter the number of the remaining HSL card in the “HSL card number” field. In the “Type your message” field, enter the child’s name and specify that the child will use this card from now on.
Tick the box “I would like a response to my feedback”.
Click on “Send feedback”.

You will receive a confirmation from HSL via email once your matter has been processed. Until you receive confirmation from HSL, the child must carry both HSL cards when traveling. In the future, your child will have only one HSL card, which contains both the school pass and any other tickets or value.