Home A-ZCross-border pupil entitlements

Cross-border pupil entitlements

Free school transport

Living South, studying North

Eligibility for free transport assistance for pupils living in the Republic of Ireland but studying in Northern Ireland is assessed on the same criteria as pupils who live in Northern Ireland, as identified in the Department of Education Transport Circular 1996/41 (eani.org.uk). However, whilst the route measured will be via the nearest available route from your home to the preferred school, the distance calculated will only be taken from the nearest suitable collection point in Northern Ireland on that route to the preferred school. Source: eani.org.uk.

The statutory qualifying distance is

2 miles for a pupil under 11 years of age (primary school)
3 miles for a pupil over 11 years of age (secondary school)

A child will only be eligible for free transport assistance in circumstances where they enroll at a grant-aided school which is beyond the qualifying distance from their home (see above) and has been unsuccessful in gaining a place at all suitable schools within the qualifying distance from their home. This means that parents must apply to all schools of the same category within the statutory qualifying distance from the home address to be eligible for transport assistance to a further away school. Source: Department of Education

Check eligibility for home to school transport using the Education Authority Eligibility Checker: eani.org.uk. You must still apply for transport assistance online to receive a formal decision based on your circumstances: Transport Online Applications | Education Authority Northern Ireland

Free school transport is administered by a variety of methods including: the issuing of free bus passes/tickets for public transport, ELB buses, contract hire of minibuses and taxis, and the payment of allowances for car travel. Source: Circular 1996/41 – Home to school transport | Department of Education.

If English is not your first language, you can use the accessibility tool that appears on every Education Authority webpage on the top left corner.

Living North, studying South

In the South the School Transport Scheme provides transport to and from school for children who live remote from their nearest school. The scheme is operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education.

School Transport fees have been waived for 2022/23. Usual School Transport ticket fees are:

Primary School Transport: €100 per child
Post Primary School Transport: € 350 per child

If you have an eligible child who holds a valid medical card (GMS Scheme) you should submit their card details in order to avail of an exemption from School Transport charges. You can check online to see if your child’s medical card is valid (Sourced: Bus Eireann)

The school transport scheme supports the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs that come from a diagnosed disability. For information on the scheme, including eligibility criteria see: Department of Education

If you are unsure whether your child is eligible for free school transport in another jurisdiction, we advise that you contact your school, which may have knowledge of the available options.

Access to healthcare at school

For more information on healthcare entitlements for pupils in NI and ROI and those attending school across the border see:

Border People: Child Immunisation Programmes

Page last updated November 2022

This webpage is for general information purposes only and while we endeavour to keep it up-to-date, errors may occur. It is very important that you check with the relevant body to ensure the information is current and is applicable to your situation.

If you would like to suggest amendments or highlight new information that could be useful to others please don’t hesitate to get in touch.