The Abono Joven is the 30-day youth travel pass of the Madrid region for residents aged 15 to 25. It costs €10 for unlimited travel on Metro, EMT buses, regional buses, light rail and Renfe Cercanías, across every fare zone from A to E2. You qualify from age 15 until the day you turn 26, as long as you live in the region, and that includes international students registered at a Madrid address. It loads onto a personal transport card that costs €4 the first time and arrives in a week online or the same day in person.
Who can get Madrid’s Abono Joven, and what does it cost? Anyone aged 15 up to the day they turn 26 who lives in the Madrid region or a listed neighbouring town, whatever their nationality. It costs €10 for 30 days in all zones, A to E2, on a €4 personal card. Tourists cannot buy it; registered foreign students can.
Do you qualify
Three conditions, all at once:
- Age: from 15 until the day you turn 26. The cut-off is the exact birthday, not the end of the month or of the pass you are on.
- Residency: you live in the Comunidad de Madrid or in one of the towns of Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León on the consortium’s list. Spanish large-family status waives this test.
- Personal card: the pass only loads onto the Tarjeta Transporte Público Personal, which is in your name.
Nationality is never checked. An au pair, an Erasmus student or a young worker on a residence permit qualifies on exactly the same terms as someone born here.
The order to do things in when you arrive
The card asks for proof of address, so the steps have to run in sequence:
| Step | What you do | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Padrón | Register your address at the town hall | Depends on the appointment |
| Certificate | Get a padrón certificate (volante) | It must be less than 3 months old |
| Card | Apply for the personal card online or in person | A week online, same day in person |
| Pass | Load the Abono Joven | A few minutes |
Registering is explained in padrón registration in Madrid. Until the card is in your hand, travel with the anonymous card and ordinary tickets, set out in the Madrid transport card explained.
What to bring and where to apply in person
For the card you need:
- a recent colour passport-size photo (offices take one for you);
- your passport, DNI or residence permit;
- a padrón certificate issued in the last 3 months, unless you authorise the office to check it.
Online, the card is posted to your address in about a week. In person, book an appointment at an Oficina de Gestión through webttp.comunidad.madrid or by calling 012, and you leave with the card. Someone else can apply for you with your signed authorisation and your original ID. A first card costs €4; a renewal after its ten-year life also costs €4, and you can renew up to two months early.
How much it costs, and how much you save
According to the Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid, 30 days cost €10, with three reduced rates once the discount profile is on your card:
| Abono Joven | Price per 30 days |
|---|---|
| Large family, special | €5.00 |
| Disability of 65 % or more | €8.00 |
| Large family, general | €8.00 |
| Standard | €10.00 |
The saving grows with distance. The adult 30-day pass is €32.70 in zone A and €79.00 in zone E2, so someone commuting from the outer ring pays about an eighth of the adult fare.
That €10 rests on a 50 % subsidy which, as published by the Comunidad de Madrid, runs until 31 December 2026. Without a renewal the pass would go back to €20, which matters if your course runs past January.
Where it takes you
Every fare zone, A to E2, for the same price, from central Madrid out to towns in neighbouring regions that belong to the network, and the Consorcio sets one exception: the pass does not cover journeys that start and end inside Castilla-La Mancha. How the zones fit together is in how Madrid’s transport zones work.
Loading it each month without losing days
Top up in the Tarjeta Transporte app, at ticket machines in Metro de Madrid, Renfe Cercanías and Metro Ligero Oeste stations, in partner tobacconists (estancos) and at interchanges. The 30 days start on your first tap, not on the day you load it. Leave it unused for 10 days and the clock starts anyway, so it expires 40 days after loading at the latest.
Under 15, and what to use if you do not qualify
At 13 or 14, the right pass is the Abono 7-14: free from age 7 until the day you turn 15, but limited to zones A to C2. On your 15th birthday the same card can take the Abono Joven.
Visitors without residency pay per trip: a metro single is €1.50 to €2.00, as set out in what a Madrid metro ticket costs, and the alternative for a short stay is weighed in whether the Madrid tourist travel pass is worth it. Arriving at Barajas on a single ticket adds the €3.00 fee in the Madrid airport metro supplement.
Non-EU students usually sort this alongside their card: booking the TIE fingerprint appointment in Madrid.
Frequently asked questions about the Abono Joven
Can a foreign student get the Abono Joven in Madrid?
Yes. The test is residency, not nationality, so an Erasmus or degree student aged 15 to 25 who is registered at a Madrid address qualifies, applying with a passport or residence permit and a padrón certificate issued in the last 3 months.
How much is the Abono Joven?
€10 for 30 days of unlimited travel in every zone. With Spanish large-family status it drops to €8, or €5 for the special category. The personal card it loads onto costs €4 the first time.
Where can I apply for the card in person?
At one of the consortium’s Oficinas de Gestión, with an appointment booked at webttp.comunidad.madrid or on 012. They take your photo there and hand you the card on the spot.
What if I am 13 or 14?
Under-15s use the Abono 7-14, which is free from age 7 until the day you turn 15 but only covers zones A to C2. On your 15th birthday the same card can take the Abono Joven.
Can a tourist buy the Abono Joven?
No. The card requires residency in the Madrid region or a listed neighbouring town. Short-stay visitors use single tickets, the 10-journey ticket or the tourist travel pass instead.
Register your address first, and Madrid’s cheapest ticket follows a week later.