Portugal's 18-Year-Olds Have Until 15 October to Compete for 942 Free EU Rail Passes, and an Expired Residence Card Is Enough to Apply

Young people living in Portugal who turn 18 this year have until midday Brussels time on Thursday 15 October to apply for a free DiscoverEU travel pass, the European Union scheme that pays for a month of rail travel around Europe. That deadline is 11:00 in mainland Portugal and Madeira, and 10:00 in the Azores.

The European Commission opened the autumn round on 1 October. Its country quota table sets aside 942 passes for applicants resident in Portugal, out of 40,898 across the 33 participating countries.

The scheme is not limited to EU citizens: a teenager of any nationality who lives in Portugal can apply, and the form accepts a residence permit number in place of an identity card or passport.

Who can apply

Under the rules of the call, published on the European Youth Portal, applicants must:

• have been born between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2008, both dates included;
• be a citizen or a resident of an EU member state (the Azores and Madeira are named as eligible), of an overseas territory associated with the EU, or of Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia or Türkiye;
• enter an identity card, passport or residence permit number on the online form;
• agree to a declaration on honour.

Anyone who has already booked a DiscoverEU pass in an earlier round is excluded, and only a person's first application counts.

The scheme's FAQ deals directly with two situations many immigrant families will recognise. First, an applicant who is waiting for a new passport, identity card or residence card may apply with the current one even if it has expired. A valid document is needed only later, when a successful applicant fills in the booking form and has to upload a photo of it. Second, proof of residence may be requested at that stage, and only official documentation from the national authority of the country of residence is accepted, although electricity bills or rental contracts may be accepted "exceptionally, in duly justified cases".

British teenagers living in Portugal are also covered. The FAQ says UK citizens can apply if they live in an EU member state or an associated country; only those living in the United Kingdom are excluded. The DiscoverEU page adds that the UK will join Erasmus+, including DiscoverEU, from 2027.

How the passes are awarded

This is a competition, not a lottery. Each applicant answers five multiple-choice questions on general knowledge about the EU and its youth initiatives, followed by a tie-break question that asks for an estimate. Applicants are ranked by country of residence, first on their quiz score and then on how close their estimate is to the right answer. If places are still tied at the cut-off, the earliest application wins.

Friends can apply together in a group of up to five. Only the group leader takes the quiz, and the leader's score, submission time and country of residence count for the whole group. The others register with the code the leader receives by email, and must do so before the deadline. Groups may mix nationalities and places of residence.

If fewer people apply in one country than its quota allows, the spare passes go to countries with more applicants than places. Those who miss out may be placed on a reserve list and offered a pass later if a winner drops out. Results are due in January 2027, and the 250 best-ranked applicants across all countries also get a free night in a youth hostel.

What the pass covers, and what it does not

Successful applicants can travel for up to seven days within a period of up to one month, at any time between 1 March 2027 and 31 May 2028. Travel is second class and mostly by train, and the trip must take in at least one country other than the one the traveller lives in. Inside Portugal, the pass covers one journey out and one journey back. Winners must activate their pass, by choosing a start date, by 15 March 2027, or it may be passed to someone on the reserve list.

Residents of the Azores and Madeira, which the rules list among the EU's outermost regions, may be flown to and from the mainland, and then travel by the normal means from there. Up to four seat reservations are free. Winners also receive a discount card for accommodation, culture, sport, local transport and food.

Accommodation, meals, insurance and supplements are not covered. The rules advise travel insurance, since the European Health Insurance Card may not cover repatriation.

Teenagers on a non-EU passport should check the visa rules. Depending on their nationality and route, participants may need one or more visas, and they are responsible for applying in time. DiscoverEU pays the visa issuing costs, and where health insurance is compulsory to get the visa, the scheme's contractor provides it. A pass will not be rebooked because of a delayed visa if the application went in less than four weeks before departure.

Winners must not buy any tickets themselves: passes are booked only through the contractor appointed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), and tickets bought directly are not refunded. The planned budget for this round is 23.5 million euros.

Applications are made only online, on the European Youth Portal, with a working email address for the result.