Digital Ferry Vouchers Renewal

Digital ferry vouchers for eligible Orkney residents holding a valid National Entitlement Card will be available from 15 March. The digital vouchers can be used on external ferry services (NorthLink and Pentland Ferries)  for travel from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Transport Scotland will issue a letter and information sheet to all qualifying concessionary cardholders in March, providing clear guidance on how to add the digital vouchers ahead of the new fiscal year.

Orkney residents with a National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Saltire card receive four digital ferry vouchers annually (1 April–31 March), allowing free foot passenger travel to the Scottish mainland, or Shetland. These digital vouchers are downloaded directly onto the card using the Transport Scot Pass Collect App.

Transport Scotland’s move to digital ferry vouchers means residents need to add, or 'collect' them to their card each year.

You are eligible if you hold a valid National Entitlement Card because you permanently live in Orkney and are aged over 60, disabled, or are aged 16-21.

Laura Cromarty, Transportation Service Manager, Orkney Islands Council said:

“Don’t worry if you cannot add your ferry vouchers to your card using the App – this can be carried out by a friend, relative, or completed at Customer Services (Kirkwall or Stromness) or at a number of help spots across Orkney.  This information will be detailed in the letter issued by Transport Scotland.

“Please note letters are printed numerically by the card number, not by surname or address, therefore be aware households with more than one eligible resident are likely to receive their letters on different days, or even weeks. 

“We’d also stress the importance of letting the Council’s Transportation Service know if you have moved address in the last 12 months or so – as around 60-80 ferry vouchers are unclaimed each year, due to out-of-date addresses. As a result, any letters that are returned to Transport Scotland are likely to result in cards being cancelled.

“If you are not sure that the address held for you is up-to-date please get in touch with the Council’s Transportation Service so we can check for you and change it if necessary”.

Cardholders who need to update or check their address details can contact the Council’s Transportation Team on 01856 873535 ext 3637 or email ferryvouchers@orkney.gov.uk

Reminder: Free internal ferry travel for Under 22s will be extended by Scottish Government from 1 April. Young people under 22 can travel for free as foot passengers on Orkney Ferries internal services.  If you have an Orkney Islands Council issued National Entitlement Card (free bus pass) or Young Scot card, simply show it to staff on board the ferry.

More Info

Details about the Transport Scot Pass Collect app can be found and downloaded from here.

Residents with a disabled card featuring the C+1 logo are entitled to have a companion travel with them on the ferry.

You can apply for a National Entitlement Card/Young Scot Card at getyournec.scot

Detailed further information and FAQs about ferry vouchers are available at the Transport Scotland website

To find out more about concessionary travel in general in Scotland, visit this link.