School transport; application for reimbursement of school transport costs

The necessary transport of pupils

• public primary, secondary and special schools
• public or state-recognised private secondary schools, grammar schools, vocational schools (excluding part-time vocational schools), two-tier business schools and three- or four-tier business schools up to and including year 10
• public or state-recognised vocational schools for full-time teaching
• public or state-recognised secondary schools, grammar schools, vocational schools, vocational colleges - excluding part-time vocational schools -, business schools, technical colleges and vocational colleges who are dependent on transport due to a permanent disability,

must be ensured by the responsible body. In the case of public primary, secondary and special schools, the responsible body is the school expenditure organisation, otherwise the districts and independent cities in which the pupil has their habitual residence.

Transport to regular compulsory and compulsory elective lessons at the nearest school is necessary if the journey to school is longer than 2 km for pupils in grades 1 to 4 and longer than 3 km for pupils in grade 5 and above. For compulsory schools, the nearest school is usually the Sprengelschule, for other schools the school of the chosen type of school, training and specialisation that can be reached with the lowest transport costs.

Exceptions: Pupils who are dependent on transport due to a long-term disability are entitled to free transport, regardless of the distance. Similarly, transport may be provided for journeys to school that fall below these distance limits if, following an assessment by the local authority, the route to school is deemed to be particularly arduous or dangerous.

Pupils from Year 11 onwards at state and state-approved private

• Grammar schools
• Vocational schools (excluding part-time vocational schools)
• Business schools
• Technical colleges
• Vocational high schools
• Part-time vocational schools

are not entitled to transport, but to reimbursement of travel costs to and from school that exceed a personal contribution of 320 euros per pupil per school year or a maximum of 490 euros per family.

For families entitled to child benefit for three or more children and families entitled to subsistence assistance or citizen's allowance, the necessary travel costs are reimbursed in full.

Detailed information on this can be found on the website of the Bavarian State Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs (see "Related links").