School travel and school transportation

School transportation is primarily arranged by public modes of transport, in which case the student receives a free-of-charge schoolchild's travel card. The travelcard can be downloaded at Vantaa Infos. In exceptional cases, however, taxi transportation can be arranged, if it is not possible for the student to walk or take public transportation.

Introduction

Students in grades 3-9 can get a free-of-charge schoolchildren's travel card, if the travel between home and the local school exceeds five kilometers.

Students in first and second grade as well as students who have received a decision on support are eligible for a transportation benefit when the distance from home to school is more than three kilometers. The decision on support must specify:
-instruction by a special needs teacher or special class teacher in a small group, or
-instruction by…a special class teacher in a special-education class.

School transportation may also be required if the travel between home and school is dangerous or because of health reasons.

The school transportation benefit is only applied to the local school specified by the municipality. A student participating in weighted-curriculum education is, however, entitled to a schoolchild's travel card, if the grounds for granting the school transportation benefit are fulfilled as regards both the local school and the school that provides the weighted-curriculum education.

Application schedule for school transportation benefit in the 2025-2026 school year

students who begin grades 7-9: before March 31, 2025
students who begin grades 1-6: before April 30, 2025
students who need special support: before May 30, 2025 (or as soon as you know which school the student will start in the fall)

A new school transfer application must be completed if

the student's school changes
the student's home address changes, or
if the school transfer decision is not valid for the 2025-2026 school year.

A new transportation application need not be completed if

the student has been granted school transportation for several academic years
student's information has not changed.

If you submit your application and possible attachments by the deadline, we will give you a decision on the school transportation subsidy usually by the beginning of the next academic year. If the application is incomplete, the processing time may be longer.

You can also apply after the application deadline, if the need for transport arises during the school year.

Travel card for students

The Vantaa Info center can assist and give more information about acquiring a student travel card. The service is also available via telephone and email. You can find the transaction services from the transactions-tab.

Visit a Vantaa info center when the student has been given the decision on the school transportation subsidy, or if the previos decision is valid.
You need a valid ID of the student with you when visiting a Vantaa info center. For students under 17, a KELA card without a profile picture is accepted.
Bring any travel cards that may have been previously purchased for the student (school travel card and/or self-purchased HSL card).
Children under the age of 7 can travel using all public transportation systems free of charge.

The card is always loaded for one semester at a time. If there’s a decision for multiple years, the card needs to be loaded once a year.
The card is valid and usable from Monday to Friday from 4.30am to 6.30pm (04.30 - 18.00). For school days that might occur on a Saturday, the student can have a travel tickets from the school. The card can be loaded with extra value, which allows the card to be used in the evenings, but also during the weekends and when there is no school during vacation time.
If the students’ right for a free travel card comes to an end in the midst of a semester, the card should be returned to the school. If there’s is extra value loaded to the card, the value should be either used or moved to another card before it is returned. This can be done in a Vantaa info center.

In case of losing a student travel card, the caretaker is required to pay for a new card (5 euros). If the student has a personal travel card, it can be used to re-load a school semester.
There is no charge for the first lost student travel card, but for the second lost card there will be a 8 euro processing fee.
Re-loading the card is done in a Vantaa info center. A valid ID of the student is needed.

If a student's home address or school changes, the school transportation benefit must be reapplied for. Likewise, students transferring from elementary school to junior high school must reapply for the school transportation benefit. If a student's right to free-of-charge schoolchild's travel card ends in the middle of the school year, the travel card must be returned to the school.

Return the application as soon as possible after you know your child's school. If you apply for the school transportation benefit in the middle of the school year, compensations will not be paid for the processing period.

Grounds for school transportation

A free-of-charge schoolchild's travel card is granted based on the length of school travel, if the school travel to the local school exceeds

5 kilometers in case of 3rd-9th-graders
3 kilometers in case of 1st-2nd-graders
3 kilometers for students receiving student-specific support in a small group or a special-education class
3 kilometers in case of under-10-year-old students in preparatory instruction

The school transportation will measure the length of school travel based on the shortest route by foot.

Taxi transportation will not be granted on the basis of the length of school travel.

Students are granted a free-of-charge schoolchild’s travel card if the distance from home to school is over 3 km and the student’s decision on support specifies:

instruction by a special needs teacher or special class teacher in a small group or
instruction by a special class teacher in a special-education class.

The schoolchild’s travel card may be granted for school travel shorter than the above on medical grounds, based on a doctor's, psychologist's or other health care professional's statement. A distance of less than 3 km for 1st–2nd graders and less than 5 km for 3rd–9th graders is too short to grant the travel benefit.

When applying for taxi transportation, a medical or psychologist's report shall be attached as an appendix.

The school transportation will assess how difficult, strenuous and dangerous the school travel is. The road geometry, visibility and student’s age affect the assessment.

A road or crossing of a road is not deemed to be dangerous, if the speed limit is at max. 50 km/h
If the speed limit exceeds 50 km/h, the road is not deemed dangerous, if it has a separate pedestrian and bicycle way or a wide shoulder.
If the speed limit exceeds 50 km/h, the road is not deemed dangerous, if there are marked crosswalks or traffic lights.

As a general rule, the right to school transportation is only applied to the local school specified by the municipality.
A student in weighted-curriculum education can, however, get a free-of-charge schoolchild's travel card, if the student were entitled to the school transportation benefit to his/her local school.
If a student is entitled to taxi transportation due to health reasons, he/she can be granted taxi transportation also for the school providing weighted-curriculum education.

School transportation application

Application periods for the following year’s school transportation take place every spring.

Apply for school transportation or accompanying benefit through Wilma system. Log in Wilma and choose Uusi hakemus (new application) under the Hakemukset ja päätökset (applications and decisions) tab. When required, you can add appendices to the application. You cannot fill in Wilma applications by a mobile app (phone app).

Instructions for filling in Wilma application (in Finnish):

Ohje Wilma koulukuljetushakemuksen täyttämiseen(pdf, 341.47 KB)

If you cannot submit an application through Wilma or if you do not yet have Wilma identifiers, you can make a transportation application on a printable form (in Finnish). When required, the school and Vantaa Infos will help you fill in the application. Return the paper form to the school, or to Vantaa Info, or mail it to: School transportation, PL 1500, 01030 Vantaan kaupunki.

The printable form:

Koulukuljetushakemus perusopetus (531006)(pdf, 138.61 KB)

Allow notifications in the HSL app HSL app notifications help you stay up to date with changes to your routes and their timetables.

News

School transport application times for the 2025–2026 school year

News 3.3.2025

Apply for school transportation: before March 30 (students who begin grades 7-9), before April 30 (students who begin grades 1-6), before May 30...

School transportation benefit can be granted for a shorter school travel in the future

News 6.6.2023

The new grounds for school transportation will enter into force on August 1, 2023.

All news

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For more information about school transportation or regarding its payments, you can contact the school transportation information center.

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School provides basic education in Finnish and music class education. You will find more information about the school by changing the page in Finnish.

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Varistontie 3
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Jokivarren koulu provides basic education in Finnish. You will find more information about the school by changing the page in Finnish.

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School provides basic education in Finnish and music class education. You will find more information about the school by changing the page in Finnish.

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School travel and school transportation

Introduction

Application schedule for school transportation benefit in the 2025-2026 school year

Travel card for students

Grounds for school transportation

School transportation application

News

School transport application times for the 2025–2026 school year

School transportation benefit can be granted for a shorter school travel in the future

Errandservices

School transportation contact information

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TPR channel type

TPR channel type

Availabilities

TPR channel type

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Wilma application

Links

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Vantaa Info general guidance

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School travel and school transportation

Introduction

Tags

Application schedule for school transportation benefit in the 2025-2026 school year

Travel card for students

Grounds for school transportation

School transportation application

News

School transport application times for the 2025–2026 school year

School transportation benefit can be granted for a shorter school travel in the future

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Errandservices

School transportation contact information

Service channels

Wilma application

Links

Service channels

Vantaa Info general guidance

Service channels

Units