How to Get the Abono Transporte (Madrid Public Transport Pass) as a Student in 2026

If you are under 26 and moving to Madrid, this is genuinely the best deal in the city: the Abono Joven gives you unlimited metro, bus, and commuter trains across the entire region for a tiny price (and during many promo periods, it is free). Here is exactly how to get it without wasting an afternoon in the wrong office.

What is the Abono Transporte?

It is a monthly travel card for the Madrid region (Consorcio Regional de Transportes). One card covers Metro, city buses (EMT), regional buses, Metro Ligero, and Cercanías trains.

The Abono Joven (youth pass) is for anyone under 26 and is dramatically cheaper than the adult version — it covers ALL zones (A to E2) for the same low price, so you can travel anywhere in the region.

You need the personalised TTP card first

The pass loads onto a personal "Tarjeta de Transporte Público" (TTP). You must request this card before you can load any monthly pass onto it.

• Apply online at tarjetatransportepublico.crtm.es (choose the Abono Joven if under 26).

• You will need: a passport or NIE, a passport-style photo (you upload it), and a Madrid address.

• The physical card is mailed to you, usually within a week or two. There is a small one-time card fee.

In a hurry? Get it the same day

If you cannot wait for the post, book an appointment ("cita previa") at a CRTM/Metro management office (e.g. Sol, Nuevos Ministerios) and they can issue the card on the spot. Bring your passport, a photo, and the card fee in card or cash.

How to top it up every month

Once you have the card, recharge it each month via the official "Tarjeta Transporte Público" app, at any Metro machine, or at tobacconists (estancos). Tap in at the metro and on buses — that is it.

Quick tips

• Apply for the card in your first week — you will use it daily.

• Keep the same card; just recharge it monthly.

• Under 26 = always choose Abono Joven, never the normal one.

• Lost card? You can block it and recover your pass because it is personalised.

Living somewhere well-connected makes the pass even more powerful. Our rooms in Plaza Olavide (Chamberí) and central Lavapiés sit minutes from several metro lines — so a single tap gets you to class or the city centre fast. Browse available rooms and you will see the metro stations right on the map.