International tickets

You can purchase international train tickets from NS International, NS International agents or individual carriers. The carrier is the organisation operating the train service and the data controller with regard to the personal data on the ticket. Travellers can buy tickets for themselves and/or for their co-passengers.

NS International sells international train tickets for services operated by various carriers, including Eurostar, Deutsche Bahn and SNCF.

For services to Belgium, Luxembourg and several destinations in Germany, travellers can purchase tickets from an NS ticket machine or at the domestic NS Service Desk without having to make a prior reservation. These tickets do not contain any personal data.

NS International asks passengers for their given name, surname, e-mail address and occasionally their phone number, date of birth and gender. If you purchase a Eurostar ticket to England, we also process your nationality, type of travel document, travel document number, country of issue of the travel document, and the travel document expiry date.

NS International is the data controller with respect to personal data on tickets sold by NS International for services not operated by NS international. NS International may also engage agents to sell tickets. In this case, NS International is the data controller.

In some partnerships with other carriers, NS International is both the seller and the carrier, such as for the Amsterdam-Brussels service. 

Tickets for which NS International is the seller are marked with the code CIV 1184. Tickets for which NS International is the carrier are marked with the code 1184. 

When NS International is the ticket seller, it uses your given name, surname and e-mail address to create and send the ticket, to send notifications in case of an emergency and to build and maintain a customer relationship.For more information, visit: Building and maintaining a customer relationship.

Carrier: your given name and surname are printed on the ticket so that your tickets can be checked. Your e-mail address is only shared with Eurocity/Eurocity Direct and SNCF for the purpose of sending service messages about the train service operated by the carrier. We also share your date of birth with SNCF for identification purposes. For night train services with a sleeping car, we will also share your gender with the carrier to ensure that passengers of the same gender are allocated the same compartment.

The agent passes on data to the seller and carrier so that the tickets can be created and checked. NS International has made specific arrangements with agents with regard to sending service messages.

The agent's agent passes on data to the carrier via the agent and seller for the same reasons listed under 'Carrier'.

The principle for processing is: entering into and performing an agreement

We need the information requested for personal OV-chipkaarten or personal international tickets in order to enter into an agreement with you and to execute said agreement. If you do not provide this information, or if you are unwilling to do so, you cannot purchase a personal OV-chipkaart or international ticket. If you purchase a personalised international train ticket, your data will be used to check your ticket. We will also use your personal data to communicate about your trip with you. 

The principle for the processing is: compliance with a legal obligation

If you purchase a Eurostar ticket to England, the British Advance Passenger Information legislation applies. NS must then provide the UK government with the information above, in addition to the data required for the ticket. You provide this data directly to Eurostar, which then provides it to the British government. This is required by British law, and you cannot purchase a valid ticket without providing this data. More information.   

The principle for data processing is: legitimate interest

If you purchase an international train ticket or if someone books a ticket for you as a co-passenger, your personal data will be used to offer services in preparation for your trip and to request feedback after your trip. NS International has a legitimate interest in processing data for this purpose. For more information, visit: Building and maintaining a customer relationship.

Your given name and surname are printed on the ticket and are shared with the relevant carrier for the reasons listed above. Your e-mail address is only shared with Eurocity/Eurocity Direct and SNCF for the purpose of sending service messages about the train service operated by the carrier. We also share your date of birth with SNCF for identification purposes. For services with a sleeping car, we will also share your gender with the carrier to ensure that passengers of the same gender are allocated the same compartment. We have made agreements about the processing of personal data with these parties, pertaining to how this information is secured and stored, for instance. 

The personal data you provide when purchasing a Eurostar ticket to England will be passed on to Eurostar and the British government by means of a secure connection.

We contract third parties to provide IT services. These third parties process our data solely for our own internal use, and for no other purpose. We have made agreements with these parties pertaining to the processing of personal data.

We will store your customer data for no more than 18 months after your trip. The additional data you provide when purchasing a Eurostar ticket to England will be stored until directly after you have travelled.