How long does it take to get your money back after an NS claim?

After an approved NS claim, the money usually lands in your account within one to two weeks. NS processes most applications within around ten working days. After that, the transfer takes a few more days. But that only holds during quiet periods. After a major disruption or strike, the turnaround time climbs sharply. So how quickly you get your money depends mostly on when you claim. Below you'll find what to expect, and how it can be faster.

How long it takes at NS

NS only pays out once your claim has been approved. How long that takes varies a lot depending on the timing.

During quiet periods

In a quiet period, NS processes most claims within around ten working days. Once your claim is approved, the money lands in your account a few days later. From submission to payout, count on one to two weeks. If you submit within five days of your trip, it can take a little longer, because the delay data isn't yet final in the systems.

During disruptions and strikes

As soon as a lot of claims come in at once, processing falls behind. After the nationwide strikes in 2025, tens of thousands of applications poured in and NS needed more time to assess everything. The turnaround time stretched to weeks back then. The number of applications also doubles in a single day during winter weather. Precisely when the chance of delay is highest, paying out takes the longest.

Why does it sometimes take so long?

Two things slow down your payout. The first is volume: after a disruption or strike there's suddenly a pile of claims, and each one is assessed by hand. The second is an incomplete claim. If a check-out is missing or a train number doesn't match, NS can't confirm your trip. Your claim is then delayed or rejected. You can read more about the conditions in when you get money back for a train delay.

Get your money back faster via trein-vertraging.nl

You don't have to wait for the backlog at NS. Via trein-vertraging.nl, you link your card once. After that, we find your delays automatically and submit the claim for you, including retroactively over the past three months. That way you never miss a single claim.

Want your money straight away? Then choose Direct payout. As soon as your claim is approved, the amount is in your account within one to two hours, before NS has transferred anything. We then take over the claim and settle it with NS. For that service we charge an extra 5%. So you trade weeks of waiting for a few hours. You can read exactly how it works in this article about direct payouts.