About the monthly public transport pass for EU students

Posted by VeryColdTuna@reddit | budapest | View on Reddit | 18 comments

Hey!

Me and the fiancé are both university students (at the end of our masters courses) from Austria and we will visit beautiful Budapest at the end of the year!

Since we might want to use public transport, I've been looking at the available options. Especially the monthly student pass looks really affordable, I'd just love to get some advice on if I understood the requirements correctly!

I understand from the added screenshot that we would be entitled to the EU student pass but we need to carry our Austrian student ID with us. However in the next paragraph it says that we need to also be EU nationality (which we are) but does that also mean that we need to carry proof of citizenship? Are our Austrian drivers licenses enough in this case?

Maybe its a dumb question but id just love to be sure, so thanks in advance! We truly cant wait to visit (also open to must-see suggestions! :))

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mrnv2510@reddit

Hi!

I have a student ID from Denmark without expiry date. The student ID has a card number written in danish and adress is visible on the back of it without the country being named. And I am myself Croatian with a valid passport.

I am planning to use student monthly pass during Sziget festival as I stay in the city. Do you think it will all go alright?

I wish they didn't discontinue the 15 day pass.

usamakhan1022@reddit

If someone is studying full time in an EU country and has a residence permit but is not an EU citizen. Can they buy a student ticket as well?

royalsine@reddit

Hey, I’m from Budapest but I’m currently studying in Munich. When I visit home I always buy this student monthly pass and they’ve only ever asked me for the document that is identified on the ticket (which in your case would be the student ID), although for some other stuff it might be beneficial to have your drivers license on you as well just in case (like nightlife or something official administrative stuff).

Hope you have fun in Budapest!

Bordoberdo@reddit

hey, i just wanted to let you know - since i'm in the same boat as you - that you can apply for a hungarian student id if you're hungarian but studying abroad (oktatási hivatal honlap), which can come in handy for discounts in case you visit back home (discount pest megye bérlet for 950 Ft and stuff like that)

mildlyspicymelon@reddit

Én ezt már nagyon rég óta akarom csinálni! Le tudnád kérlek írni, hogy hová kell vele menni, milyen dokumentummal? (Olaszországban tanulok, egyszer már belekezdtem de nem tudtàk megmondani honnan szerzek jogviszony nyomtatványt illetve hová kellene vele mennem) Köszi!

Jó tudni, köszi :)

fishy_horcrux@reddit

Well, the third paragraph says exactly that. You have to have a proof of citizenship, but basically it is a basic ID card, in this case your austrian driver's license would be enough, but so would your regular ID card as well (isn't that the presonalusweis?).

Individual_Author956@reddit

Austrian drivers licence is NOT a valid proof of ID anywhere except for Austria

Odd_Comment_6171@reddit

Or passport if you don’t have a Personalauswies

NoobPLyer29@reddit

You dont need proof of citizenship. Only the student card. Sometimes the ticket officers asks for it to validate if you really are a student

Certain-Sherbet-2248@reddit

People who are studying in Hungary don't need proof of citizenship, cause they are entitled to the discount regardless of that. People who study in a different EU/EAA country need that document, cause they are only entitled to the discount if they are also citizens of the same or a different EU/EAA country.

LupulusHumulus@reddit

Hi, in addition to the other replies, here's my experience:

I'm from Germany and studied one semester as Erasmus in Budapest recently. My ticket got checked very often (approx. every second ride), and they also checked my student ID several times, especially when they recognized I'm a foreigner. But not a single time my citizenship.

But anyway, I highly recommend to have every required document with you. Also, very important: You have to enter your student ID number with the purchase. Double check it, because I heard stories that a single typo can lead to fines!

FewSprinkles4359@reddit

It's interesting that they checked your student ID that often, it's very rare for me that they check it, if it happens it usually happens around the time when the new validation stickers come into effect (April and November) - but even then it happens a couple times per year.

Hmm, interesting indeed. I just visited Budapest in September and they already checked my student ID on the train ride from the airport (I took 200E first). Also it gets checked very thoroughly everytime, that name, number and expiry date is correct.

Oh yes on trains (MÁV employees) they usually check if you at least have it, and sometimes even thoroughly (for the number) as well. But BKK employees almost never checks it.

Everything is as you described. You can buy this student pass, but NOT the discounted county or country passes with a foreign (EU) student card as well.

They can theoretically check ID but it is very very rare, sometimes they ask for the student ID though.

Also, please note that you have to carry your ID or passport with you anyway in Hungary, the police can stop you on the street and ask for identification (I have seen random checks even on trains running between Hungary and Austria) - I am not sure that a foreign driver's license would be accepted, you are expected to present an ID card or a passport, otherwise you can be detained till it is proven that you are legally in the country.

Any_Strain7020@reddit

A driver's licence isn't an ID document, as it doesn't specify your citizenship.

You should carry EU ID with you at all times when visiting another Member state.

Weekly_Car956@reddit

Scroll ↓ to the Further information part, you will find the info.