Your NS train is delayed again, and you’re fuming on a cold platform. Here’s the consolation: if it’s late enough, NS owes you money back, and claiming it takes minutes. Here is exactly how geld terug bij vertraging works, the thresholds, and how to claim.
The thresholds and amounts
It’s tiered by how late you are. As NS explains refunds for delays:
| Delay | Refund |
|---|---|
| 30 to 60 minutes | 50% of the ride price |
| 60 minutes or more | 100% of the ride price |
There’s a catch on small amounts: as refund guides note, the minimum payout is 2.30 euros, if the calculated amount is lower, you get nothing. So very short or cheap trips may not qualify.
How to claim
It’s quick. As passenger-rights overviews explain, you claim geld terug bij vertraging online:
- Fastest: a Mijn NS account if you travel on an OV-chipkaart or OV-pas, your travel history is there, so you just select the delayed journey.
- No account? You can still claim, but you enter the journey details yourself.
- You have up to 3 months after the travel date.
The cause doesn’t matter
A nice detail: the refund is based on the length of your delay, not its cause. Signal failure, weather, staff shortage, it doesn’t matter; if you hit the 30-minute threshold on your route, you’re owed. (Understanding the conductor’s announcements during delays helps you know how late you’ll actually be.)
The delay is measured against the planned arrival at your destination, so a missed connection that snowballs into a longer total delay counts in your favour. One practical note: claim per journey, and keep it honest, NS can see your check-in/check-out data, so the system already knows when you actually travelled. If you commute the same delayed route daily, it’s worth claiming each time; the small amounts add up over a season of werkzaamheden (engineering works).
The vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de vertraging | the delay |
| geld terug | money back |
| de ritprijs | the ride/fare price |
| de OV-chipkaart | public-transport card |
| de aanvraag | the claim/application |
| vergoeding | compensation |
Where it connects
Delay refunds are one of the practical bits of Dutch rail life, alongside decoding what conductors announce during delays, sorting out a missed check-out and missing funds, retrieving a bag left on the intercity, and contesting an OV fine.
The bottom line
A delayed NS train can pay you back: 50% of the ritprijs for 30 to 60 minutes late, 100% for 60+, with a 2.30-euro minimum payout. Claim geld terug bij vertraging online, fastest via Mijn NS with your OV-chipkaart, within 3 months, and it applies whatever the cause. Learn vertraging, geld terug and ritprijs, and every bad commute at least earns you something back.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the travel Dutch you need, vertraging, geld terug, ritprijs, OV-chipkaart by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can claim what you’re owed and follow station announcements instead of just waiting in the cold.
Frequently asked questions
When do I get money back for a delayed NS train?
Based on how late you arrive: a delay of 30 to 60 minutes refunds 50% of the ride price, and a delay of 60 minutes or more refunds 100%. It’s called geld terug bij vertraging. There’s a minimum payout of 2.30 euros, if the calculated amount is lower, you get nothing. The delay is measured on your journey, and it applies regardless of why the train was late.
How do I claim a delay refund from NS?
Online, via geld terug bij vertraging. The fastest route is a Mijn NS account if you travel with an OV-chipkaart or OV-pas, your travel history is there, so you just select the delayed journey. You can also claim without an account, but then you enter the journey details yourself. You have up to 3 months after the travel date to submit the claim.
Does it matter why the train was delayed?
No. The refund is based on the length of your delay, not its cause, so it applies whether the delay was due to a signal failure, weather, staff shortages or anything else. What matters is that you actually experienced the delay on your route and meet the 30-minute threshold. Keep in mind the minimum payout rule, very short or cheap trips may fall below the 2.30-euro floor.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for trains and travel?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the travel Dutch you need, vertraging, geld terug, ritprijs, OV-chipkaart, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you can claim what you’re owed and follow station announcements instead of just waiting in the cold.
