I ran into some of my classmates from the TtMadrid TEFL course this past weekend and as a Madrid veteran, was asked a lot about how to get an abono monthly pass, so I’ll break it down for anyone else having trouble:

If you are under 26 years old, you will get a youth (joven) card that is only 20€ a month and includes all zones for Madrid. If you are 26 years old or older, the price for zone A for a month pass is 54,60€. You can check all the prices on the official webpage.

You can fill out an online form by uploading a passport-sized picture and paying the 4 Euros online. However, it will take 5-7 days to receive it by mail. The other option is to make an appointment.

To make an appointment go online here: TRANSPORTE PÚBLICO

When you first arrive at the portal you need to tick the box ‘Quiero obtener una Tarjeta Transporte Público‘ (I would like to get a Transportation Monthly Pass). You’ll then need to pick which age range you fall in ‘El solicitante tiene entre 7 y 25 años‘ (You are between 7 and 25 years old) or ‘El solicitante tiene 26 años o más‘ ( You are 26 years old or older). Next, you will select which document type you will get registered with, either your passport or NIE, and put in the document number. Finally you will select ‘Pedir cita’ (make an appointment) where you can slect and office and a date and time.

Remember, around the first of the month are the busiest times, so don’t hesitate on selecting a time! For your appointment, you need to bring 4 Euros, a photocopy of your passport or NIE (they will not make the photocopy for you at the appointment office), your actual passport or NIE. An electronic picture of you will be taken there. You can also choose to pay for the 30 days (month-ish) at that time.

If you do everything online, you’ll need to have your address, bank account number and a passport photo that you can upload. If you haven’t paid online with your Spanish bank account yet, you might want to check if you need to request a code or permission. For example, I had to set up my online account in order to pay online or do a bank transfer. Each time I get sent a text message with a code to enter on the website.

For either option, you’ll want to select ‘Primera solicitud nueva Tarjeta‘ (new card application — you haven’t lost your card!).

So, once you pay and activate the card (from the first time you use it), it is good for 30 days. Also, if it is lost or stolen you can report it so that it will be deactivated. You can pay 4 Euros for a new card and receive the remaining time on your card. Once you pay for the 30 days, you have to activate it (use it) within 14 days or it will deactivate. For example, if you activate your card on November 1st, it will be good for all 30 days of November. However, in December, if you activate on the 1st, it will only be good through the end of the day on the 30th. Make sense?

For any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask anyone on the TtMadrid staff for help!