Home to work travel free of charge

Road traffic has increased exponentially over the past few years. The result: morning and evening traffic jams that threaten to block our roads completely.

In its search for a solution to this mobility problem, the federal government has decided to offer free home to work travel by train.

Do your employees take the train to work every day? If so, as an employer you assume a significant portion of the costs of their railcard (the so-called statutory employer contribution - only available in Dutch or French).

However, for the railcards below, travel could even be totally free for your employees:

• Journey railcards and Network railcards (train only or combined with MIVB/STIB, De Lijn or Tec)
• Part-time Railcard

Conditions

• You enter into an agreement with NMBS/SNCB: a so-called Third-Party Payer Agreement.
• You pay 80% of your employee's railcard in second class (train travel or train + MIVB/STIB).

If you meet the above conditions, the State will settle the remaining 20% of the costs.

Under this scheme, your employees pay nothing; the advantage for you is that you need not reclaim the remaining 20% from the State: the government directly transfers the money to NMBS/SNCB. If you offer free home to work travel to your employees, you have the option of entering into a Third-party payer agreement online.

Rail card combined with De Lijn, MIVB/STIB or TEC?

MIVB/STIB

In its efforts to meet the Kyoto standards, the government has taken steps to reduce CO2 emissions.

One of these steps involves the inclusion of MIVB/STIB in the free home to work travel offer. After all: CO2-emissions in Brussels are higher than in Flanders and Wallonia.

The 20% state contribution subsequently relates to both train travel in second class and the MIVB/STIB segment.

De Lijn and TEC

Combinations of De Lijn or TEC routes with the rail card do not qualify for a state contribution. As an employer you are obviously free to take over that part of your employees' travel costs as well.    

Price difference between 1st and 2nd class

This does not qualify for a state contribution.

More information

For more information or for an appointment with an NMBS/SNCB account manager, please fill out the web form or phone 02 528 25 28 (weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm).