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Public transport in Madrid – cards, passes and 2026 fares

How Madrid's integrated transport system works: the personal transport card (which needs a recent padrón certificate), the 30-day pass from €32.70 in zone A, the €10 youth pass, single and 10-trip tickets, the airport supplement and where to get help.

Checked 8 Oct 2026
Applies to
Anyone living in or moving to Madrid. The monthly passes and age discounts require a personal transport card, which is available to residents of the Community of Madrid and of some neighbouring towns in Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León.
Effort
Low effort
Time needed
About 15 minutes online to order a personal card (delivered in about a week); immediate at an office with an appointment
Cost
Prices shown by the transport consortium in October 2026: personal card €4 (first issue); 30-day pass zone A €32.70; youth pass (ages 15 to 25) €10 for all zones; Metro single ticket €1.50 to €2.00; 10-trip ticket €7.30; airport supplement €3.
When
Use single or 10-trip tickets on an anonymous card during your first days, then order a personal card once you have a recent padrón certificate.
Where
Madrid, Spain
On this page
  1. Overview
  2. Before you start
  3. Documents you need
  4. Step by step
  5. Watch out
  6. Common mistakes
  7. Tips
  8. Frequently asked questions
  9. Official links
  10. In your plan
  11. Sources
  12. Related guides

Metro de Madrid, the city buses of the EMT, the Cercanías commuter trains, the light rail lines and the interurban buses form one integrated system managed by the Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid (CRTM). Fares depend on the zones you travel through (A in the city of Madrid, then B1 to E2 outwards), your age group and any discounts, such as large-family status (familia numerosa) or disability.

Most tickets are loaded onto a contactless public transport card (Tarjeta Transporte Público) and validated at the start of each trip. There are two types:

  • The personal card (TTP Personal) carries your name and photo. You need it for 30-day passes and for any age or other discount. It is for residents.
  • The Multi card (TTP Multi) is anonymous and can be shared. It holds single, 10-trip and tourist tickets only.

Before you start

  • Registration in the padrón of a municipality in the Community of Madrid (or an eligible neighbouring town) for the personal card

Documents you need

  • Identity document: DNI, passport or residence card

    required

  • Padrón certificate or volante issued in the last three months

    Not needed if you authorise the check and are registered in the Community of Madrid.

    required

  • Recent colour passport-size photo

    Offices can take it at your appointment.

    optional

Step by step

  1. Step 1: In your first days, use a Multi card and 10-trip tickets

    Buy a Multi card at Metro ticket machines or authorised tobacconists and load single or 10-trip tickets. In zone A in 2026 a Metro single costs €1.50 for up to five stations, plus €0.10 per extra station from the sixth to the ninth, and €2.00 for ten or more. The 10-trip Metro zone A ticket and the EMT's 10-trip Metrobús each cost €7.30. A single EMT bus ticket costs €1.50 and is bought on board. A new Multi card costs €2.50.

  2. Step 2: Order your personal transport card

    Once you are registered in the padrón, order the personal card:

    • Online on webttp.comunidad.madrid; it is posted to your home in about a week.
    • In person at a CRTM management office (Oficina de Gestión) with an appointment booked online or on 012; staff take your photo and you leave with the card.

    You need a recent colour photo (offices can take it), your ID document and a padrón certificate or volante issued in the last three months (if you are registered in the Community of Madrid you can authorise the check instead). The first card costs €4; it lasts ten years and has a three-year guarantee.

  3. Step 3: Choose and load a pass

    Load passes at Metro, Cercanías and light rail machines, authorised tobacconists, transport interchanges or in the Tarjeta Transporte and Mi Tarjeta Transporte apps. Prices published by the CRTM in October 2026:

    • 30-day pass (Abono 30 días), unlimited travel in the chosen zone: €32.70 for zone A, €38.20 for B1, €43.20 for B2, €49.20 for B3, C1 or C2, €66.30 for E1 and €79.00 for E2; passes between outer zones start at €28.70.
    • Youth pass (Abono Joven), ages 15 to 25: €10 for 30 days in all zones.
    • Over-65 pass: free.
    • Children under 7: free with the child card; the 7-14 pass is also free.

    A 30-day pass starts on your first trip. If you do not use it within ten days of loading, the 30 days start anyway, so it expires at the latest 40 days after loading. A zone A pass is not valid on interurban buses, even within zone A.

  4. Step 4: Getting to and from the airport

    A pass that includes zone A covers Metro trips to the airport stations. With a single or 10-trip Metro ticket you also need the airport supplement (Suplemento Aeropuerto), €3.00 per trip. The EMT Exprés Aeropuerto bus costs €5.00, bought on board, and is not covered by passes.

  5. Step 5: Know the other options

    • Cercanías commuter trains accept 30-day passes but have their own single tickets, sold by Renfe.
    • BiciMAD, the city's public electric bike service, is run by EMT; check current plans on bicimad.com.
    • The CRTM's fare finder suggests the best ticket for your age, zone and discounts.

Watch out

Current pass prices include extraordinary discounts funded by the authorities. Check the CRTM fare pages before buying; prices for 2027 have not been confirmed.

The personal card is personal and cannot be lent. The Multi card can be shared, but every traveller must validate.

Lost or stolen cards are not refunded; you buy a new card.

Common mistakes

  • Buying a zone A pass and then taking an interurban bus within zone A, where it is not valid.
  • Ordering the personal card with a padrón document older than three months.
  • Loading a 30-day pass long before you need it; it starts running ten days after loading even if unused.

Tips

  • If you are under 26, the €10 youth pass covers every zone, including trips to towns outside the city.
  • Large families and people with a disability of 65% or more get reduced prices; bring your certificate when you order the card or authorise the data check.
  • On weekends and public holidays the CRTM offices at the airport (T2 and T4), Atocha, Moncloa and Sol are open.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Can I get a 30-day pass before I register in the padrón?

Not usually: passes are loaded on a personal card, and the card requires proof of residence in the Community of Madrid (or an eligible neighbouring town). Members of large families do not need to prove residence. Until you are registered, use single or 10-trip tickets on a Multi card.

Does the zone A pass cover the whole city?

Zone A covers the Metro network in zone A (including light rail line ML1) and the EMT city buses, among others. Check the zone of your home and workplace in the CRTM fare finder.

In your plan

  • Order your personal transport card and load a pass
  • Estimate your Madrid budget, including move-in costs
  • Shortlist the Madrid districts that suit you

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 5 Feb 2027.

  1. Consorcio Regional de Transportes de MadridOfficial source
    Billetes y Tarifas (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Card types, fare finder, youth, child and over-65 passes, Multi card replacement cost.

  2. Consorcio Regional de Transportes de MadridOfficial source
    Abono 30 días (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Zone prices, validity rules, zone A not valid on interurban buses.

  3. Consorcio Regional de Transportes de MadridOfficial source
    Abono Joven (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  4. Consorcio Regional de Transportes de MadridOfficial source
    Sencillos y 10 viajes (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Metro single and 10-trip prices, airport supplement, EMT tickets and Exprés Aeropuerto.

  5. Consorcio Regional de Transportes de MadridOfficial source
    Tarjeta Transporte Público Personal (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Residence requirement, documents, €4 first card, ten-year validity, online delivery in a week.

  6. Consorcio Regional de Transportes de MadridOfficial source
    Atención al cliente (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  7. EMT MadridOfficial source
    Bicimad (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

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