From today (May 29, 2026), the new Dutch public transport pass is on sale at physical stores across the Netherlands.
Transport operators and Translink have spent years building OVpay, the modern payment system behind the new pass, and until now, there was no physical shop to purchase the card. That changes today.
At around 550 Primera stores nationwide, you’ll now be able to purchase the Netherlands’ new transit pass: the OV-pas.
What is the OV-pas?
Like the OV-chipkaart, the OV-pas is a physical card you can use on Dutch public transport.
However, the main upgrade is that important information on your balance, travel history, and subscriptions is now stored on your account, rather than on the card itself.
According to OVpay, this results in three key benefits:
- You can recharge your balance online or via their app, instead of at a ticket machine.
- You have access to automatic recharge facilities.
- Your card will now be valid for 5 years and costs €6 — making it cheaper than the OV chipkaart.
@dutchreview A travel pass I can add to my Apple Wallet? Yes please.
♬ original sound – DutchReview
Who can use the new OV-pas straight away?
The OV-pas is currently available to all commuters who pay the standard fare on trains, buses, trams, and metros across the Netherlands. You can also use it if you use an age-related discount on buses, trams, and metros.
However, the following groups can’t yet transfer to the OV-pas:
- Students with a student travel product
- NS Flex subscribers
- NS Business Card holders
If you’re in one of the three groups, you’ll be contacted by your carrier when the transfer becomes possible.
In addition to the subscriptions that are already compatible with OV-pas, more are being added throughout 2026 — so you won’t have long to wait for your card.
Not ready to switch, yet? There’s no rush
If you’re still reliant on your OV-chipkaart, you needn’t dash out and buy an OV-pas. That system isn’t going anywhere until the end of 2027, so there’s plenty of time to purchase the new transit pass.
And if you’ve been using your bank card since that option launched in 2023, that still works, too — though you won’t have access to any subscription discounts.
For anyone who’d rather not travel linked to a bank account at all, anonymous OV-pas cards are also available at Primera.
What do you think about the new OV-pas? Have you tried one? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
hi Liana, thanks for this article. it is very informative.
while it is always great to see Innovation/ progress, I am curious about those that had to renew their OV chipkaart this year and paid 7 euro for the (re)new card. I assume we don’t have to pay for this new OV card right? or do we get a refund? assuming about 500,000 people renewed their OV chipkaart at 7 EUR per card this year (since otherwise no train discount subscription is possible) , that is a lot of money 3.5 million euro that the ov chipkaart company earned without having giving us the full 5 year use of the existing chipkaart. pure profit and we will have to buy a new card again and pay 6 EUR again. would be nice if you would write about this challenging those organisations… especially in these tough times when every cent matters
happy to share my thoughts verbally also. thank you for a great article
I visit my daughter and grandson often in Amsterdam. I am 67. how do I apply for the senior citizen discount card?