BUSSED IT BOSSED IT - FREE bus travel for young people under 22 in Scotland!

Keep your cash and ride for free with your under 22 free travel pass.  Tap your Young Scot NEC card and tell your driver where you want to go.  No more hassling your parents for a lift and forking out on expensive taxis. 

Your free bus pass gives you total freedom to travel whenever and wherever you like! 

Choose to BUS IT for free travel and great savings with cheap discounted bus tickets for students, choose the BUSSED IT BOSSED IT way of life.

Over 22 and got FOMO?

If you are a student over the age of 22 or just studying in Scotland for a short time, our student bus passes give you discounted travel anywhere within your selected zone -  pay once and use it as many times as you like throughout the term with a 4 week or 13 week MegaRider ticket, or buy as you need to travel with our single, DayRider, Flexi 5 or 7 day student MegaRider tickets..

Use your student bus pass each time you board the bus, along with your student ID, and you'll get unlimited bus travel on Stagecoach North Scotland services with just one ticket.

Choose to BUS IT for free travel and great savings with cheap discounted bus tickets for students, choose the BUSSED IT BOSSED IT way of life. 

Buy your student ticket now

Students can buy a single ticket from our driver - saving 25% on an adult fare, or purchase one of our great value DayRider or MegaRider tickets.
Don't forget, our Flexi 5 ticket is also available on the Stagecoach Bus app, offering 5 DayRider tickets for the price of 4!

Our multi-journey tickets are split into 3 prices - Aberdeen city, commuter and regional North Scotland, covering local towns and cities. Ticket costs vary per zone type.

If you can get there by bus with Stagecoach North Scotland, you can get there with one of our student tickets. 

Still not sure which ticket is right for you?

Contact us and we can help

All young people and children aged 5-21 years living in Scotland can apply for a free bus travel card to access the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.

The scheme is an initiative from the Scottish Government and with support from Transport Scotland young people and children can travel for free on all buses across Scotland.

Children or young people will need a new or replacement National Entitlement Card (NEC) or a Young Scot National Entitlement Card (Young Scot NEC) before they can travel for free.

Younger children under five years old will still be able to travel for free by bus and don't need a card.  

Apply for your U22 free bus pass in Scotland

How can I buy a student bus pass?

You can buy student tickets online, on our app or on the bus. Please see the table below for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Who can get free bus travel? 

Every 5–21 year old living in Scotland can travel for free by bus access free bus travel if they have a valid National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot National Entitlement Card (Young Scot NEC). If you are 5–15 years old, your parent or guardian will apply for you. If you are 16–21 years old, you should apply for your own NEC or Young Scot NEC. Children under 5 years old do not need an NEC as they can already travel for free on buses. 

What to I need to apply for free bus travel?

Before you get started, there are a few documents you need to speed up the application process. 

Free bus travel for under 16:

• Sign in or register at mygovscot 
• Look out your proof of identity - passport, driving licence, young scot card, biometric residence permit are all accepted or use your Yoti account 
• Parent, guardian of carer proof of address - a council tax or bank statement can be used 
• Birth certificate for children under 11, passport, young scot card, biometric residence permit 
• Proof of child's address if they don't live with you 
• Child's birth or adoption certificate 
• A recent digital image of the child (if aged 11+) showing head and shoulders 

Don't worry if you can't apply online, you can contact your local council for more information on drop in centres for your area. 


Free bus travel if you're aged between 16-21 and applying yourself:

• If you already have an active NEC or NEC Young Scot NEC you can activate free travel on your card with the Transport Scot Pass Collect app right away 

Or 

• Sign in or register at mygovscot 
• A recent digital photo showing your head and shoulders 
• Proof of passport, driving licence, young scot card, biometric residence permit are all accepted or use your Yoti account 
• Proof of address 

Remember, to use free bus travel you need to replace your current card with a new one.   If you don't have a valid card, you will need to pay your bus fare in the normal way. 

I live in Scotland for part of the year. Can I still get free bus travel?

If you live in Scotland for the majority of the year (at least 6 months), then you are eligible. This could be if you study and live in one council area but your family home is in another.

I've got my NEC card with free bus travel, how do I use my card? 

Where can I go under the free bus travel scheme?

You can travel anywhere in Scotland on local and long distance bus services, apart from a few exceptions such as premium-fare night buses, city sightseeing buses, some airport transfer services, and some closed school bus contracts.  Please check within your area which services are included. If you are travelling to England, you will be able to travel to Carlisle or Berwick-Upon-Tweed, but you cannot travel within these towns.

What should I do if my National Entitlement Card doesn't work on the bus?

We know like any smartcard, your card might become broken or cracked that's why it's important you look after it.  If you notice it's damaged, you can apply for a replacement at getyournec.scot or contact your local authority,  If your NEC doesn't work on the bus, the scheme rules mean you have to pay your bus fare until your replacement card arrives. 

I've lost my card - can I travel for free without it? 

No, you can only travel for free with a valid National Entitlement Card (NEC)/Young Scot NEC for travel each time you travel by bus, if you don't have your card you will need to pay a fare.