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Public transport passes in Portugal

Which monthly pass you need in Portugal, what it costs, who travels free, the €20 national rail pass, and how to get the card.

Public transport passes in Portugal

Last verified: September 2026.

Who this is for

  • You live in Portugal, or are moving here, and want to know which monthly pass fits you.
  • You live in Porto, Coimbra, Braga, or the Algarve, or travel between regions by train.
  • You are under 23, over 65, on a low income, or paying for a family.

Not for you if: you live in the Lisbon area and want the card steps. Read "Getting a Navegante pass in Lisbon".

Updated September 2026. The €20 national rail pass now covers CP urban trains in Lisbon and Porto, and Porto residents travel free across the Porto area.

Portugal has cheap monthly passes, but each region runs its own. In Lisbon and Porto, one pass covers every bus, metro, tram, and suburban train: €40 a month for the whole metropolitan area, or €30 for one municipality. Everyone aged 23 or under travels free on those networks. A separate €20 national rail pass covers most CP trains across the country. Outside the two big cities, regional passes cost roughly €12 to €40. Getting a personal card takes from one day to about two weeks and costs €3 to €7.

Which pass you need

Start with where you live and how you travel.

  • You live in the Lisbon area. You need a Navegante pass. See "Getting a Navegante pass in Lisbon" for tiers, prices, and the card.
  • You live in the Porto area. You need an Andante pass (see below). If your tax address is in the city of Porto, you may travel free.
  • You commute only by CP train. Compare the €20 national rail pass with your local pass. It may now be cheaper.
  • You live elsewhere on the mainland. Look for your regional pass. Coimbra, Braga, and the Algarve are covered below.
  • You travel long distance often. Add the national rail pass to your local pass.

Lisbon: the Navegante pass

The Lisbon metropolitan area covers 18 municipalities. The Navegante Metropolitano costs €40 a month and the Navegante Municipal costs €30. Both work on Carris, Carris Metropolitana, Metro, CP suburban trains, Fertagus, the south bank light rail, and the Tagus ferries. There are discounts for families, people over 65, and people on low incomes. Lisbon tax residents over 65 travel free. The full detail is in "Getting a Navegante pass in Lisbon".

Porto: the Andante pass

The Porto metropolitan area covers 17 municipalities. One Andante pass works on Metro do Porto, STCP and Unir buses, and CP urban trains. Prices have not changed for 2026.

Andante monthly prices

PassNormalOver 65Family (whole household)
Andante 3Z or Municipal (three zones, or one municipality)€30€22.50€60
Andante Metropolitano (all zones)€40€30€80
Andante Metropolitano IR (adds regional links)€50€37.50€100
  • Over 65: you get 25% off the normal price.
  • Family: each member of the household loads a pass, and the household pays for two passes only.
  • Andante plus CP: a combined pass costs €50.
  • Veterans (antigos combatentes): the pass is free or reduced, depending on age and zone.

Andante occasional tickets

If you travel only now and then, load single trips onto the blue Andante card, which costs €0.60. A single Z2 trip costs €1.40, and Z3 costs €1.85. Longer trips cost up to €3.25 for Z6. A 24 hour Z2 ticket costs €5.35. Buy 10 identical single trips and you get one free.

Free travel for Porto residents

If your tax address (domicílio fiscal) is in the municipality of Porto, you can travel free across the whole Porto metropolitan area. This started on 10 July 2026. Students who live in Porto also qualify, even with a tax address elsewhere. People who only work in Porto do not qualify.

  1. Get a Cartão Porto (the city resident card) at cartao.porto.pt or the municipal office.
  2. Activate the free metropolitan pass on it.
  3. If your Cartão Porto has a chip, activate it at an Andante shop or a Payshop agent.

Getting an Andante card

For a monthly pass you need a personal card (Andante prateado). It costs €6, or €3 for young people with a free pass. It lasts five years. Get it at an Andante shop or a sales point in your municipality, with your identity document. You can then top it up at shops, machines, Multibanco, or the Anda app.

The €20 national rail pass (Passe Ferroviário Verde)

This pass costs €20 a month and covers most CP trains in mainland Portugal. It started in October 2024.

What it covers

  • All Regional and InterRegional trains.
  • Intercidades trains in second class.
  • CP urban trains in Coimbra.
  • CP urban lines at the edges of Lisbon and Porto (such as Azambuja, Braga, Guimarães, and Aveiro).
  • From September 2026, the CP urban trains inside the Lisbon and Porto areas too.

What it does not cover

  • Alfa Pendular trains.
  • Intercidades in first class.
  • Metro, buses, trams, and ferries. It is a train only pass.
  • Fertagus, for now. The government says Fertagus will be added later.

Rules you must follow

  • If you ride an Intercidades train, book a free seat at least 24 hours before the train leaves. Without it, you count as travelling without a ticket.
  • You can book only one reservation per train per day.
  • The pass is loaded on a personal CP card. Buy it through the CP app, cp.pt, ticket offices, or station machines.

Who should switch

The government approved the extension to Lisbon and Porto urban trains on 17 September 2026. If you commute only by CP train, the €20 pass may now replace a €30 or €40 local pass. It can save up to €480 a year. Keep the local pass if you also use metro, buses, or ferries. Check cp.pt for the exact start date on your line.

Young people do not get the national rail pass free. The free youth pass below covers local networks only.

Who travels free or pays less

Young people aged 23 or under

If you are 23 or under, you can travel free on the Lisbon and Porto networks. You do not have to be a student. The free pass normally runs until the end of the month in which you turn 24. You need a personal card and proof of age, such as a Cartão de Cidadão, passport, or residence permit. Most regional networks, including Coimbra and the Algarve, also let under 23s travel free. Children under 4 usually travel free without a card.

People over 65

  • Lisbon area: the Navegante +65 costs €20 a month for the whole area. Lisbon tax residents travel free inside the city.
  • Porto area: over 65s get 25% off, so the Metropolitano costs €30. Porto tax residents travel free.
  • Elsewhere: check your regional operator.

People on a low income (Circula PT)

Circula PT replaced the old social pass (Passe Social+) in January 2025. It gives 50% or 25% off monthly passes in Lisbon, Porto, and on CP trains.

  • 50% off: you receive the elderly solidarity supplement (CSI) or social integration income (RSI), or you have a disability of 60% or more.
  • 25% off: you are a pensioner, you are unemployed, or your household income is at or below 1.2 times the social support index (IAS).

In 2026, 1.2 times the IAS is €644.56 a month per person. Apply at an operator's counter with your identity document and proof of income. For disability, bring your multipurpose disability certificate.

Regional passes outside Lisbon and Porto

Outside the two metropolitan areas, each region sets its own passes. These are the main ones.

  • Coimbra (MOVE-C): €30 a month for one municipality, €35 for two, and €40 for three or more. It covers the Metrobus and SMTUC buses. From 1 October 2026 it also covers CP trains and the SIT regional buses. Under 23s travel free. The card costs €6.
  • Algarve (Passe Algarve): €40 a month for every Vamus regional bus route. It does not cover town buses, trains, or the airport bus. Older passes that cost less keep their price.
  • Braga (TUB): since March 2026, a one zone pass costs €12 and a two zone pass €24. The youth and student pass costs €9 or €18. The city plans free travel for residents by 2029.
  • Madeira and the Azores: the island operators run their own passes. Ask them directly.

For any other area, search for your intermunicipal community (CIM) and "passe". Many towns also run free or cheap town buses.

How to get a pass card

The steps are much the same everywhere.

  1. Pick the pass that fits your trips.
  2. Get a personal card from the operator. Bring your identity document and, for some discounts, proof of age, income, or student status.
  3. Wait for the card. Normal cards take about 10 working days; urgent cards take one day and cost more.
  4. Load your monthly pass at a machine, counter, Multibanco, or the operator's app.
  5. Tap in at the start of every trip, even with a free pass.

What it costs to travel without a valid ticket

Inspectors check tickets on all networks. If you travel without a valid ticket, the fine starts at €120. On long distance trains it can reach €700. You pay less if you pay voluntarily on the spot or soon after.

Sources

Last verified September 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

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