Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez used his year-end press conference on 15 December 2025 to announce an unprecedented, flat-fare public-transport pass that will allow unlimited travel on all state-supported medium-distance rail, suburban trains and long-distance bus routes for €60 a month (and €30 for travellers under 26).
The pass—expected to go live in the second half of January 2026—mirrors Germany’s €49 “Deutschland-Ticket” and is designed to make rail and coach travel the default option for commuters and domestic business travellers. Transport ministry officials estimate that a Madrid-based employee who visits clients in Barcelona twice a month could cut annual travel expenses by more than €1,000, while SMEs that rely on inter-city sales teams will see a 40-60 % reduction in reimbursable fares.
The measure comes as Spain’s heavily used high-speed-rail network reaches its busiest period on record and airlines grapple with ground-handling strikes (see separate story). By shifting short-haul passenger volumes from air to rail the government hopes to relieve congestion at hub airports and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from domestic flights by up to 150,000 t CO₂-e a year.
![Spain unveils €60 nationwide public-transport pass to slash business-travel costs]()
Large multinationals with regional headquarters in Madrid and Barcelona welcomed the move. “Our mobility budget has exploded since the post-pandemic rebound; a predictable €60 cap per employee is a game-changer,” said the Iberia HR director of a US software firm. Travel-management companies, however, cautioned that seat availability on popular AVE high-speed services could tighten unless Renfe adds capacity.
Practical takeaways for mobile employees and relocation managers:
• Passes will be sold digitally through Renfe’s and ALSA’s ticketing apps, with identity verification linked to NIE or passport numbers.
• Companies may bulk-purchase passes via corporate-card platforms, simplifying expense reconciliation.
• The flat fare applies nation-wide; journeys that cross into France on Renfe-SNCF joint services are excluded.
• Pass holders continue to accumulate loyalty points, making the product attractive even for frequent flyer elites shifting segments to rail.
For non-EU professionals or digital nomads planning to take advantage of the new €60 pass, securing the right paperwork is essential. VisaHQ’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) streamlines everything from Schengen short-stay visas to long-term residence and work permits, offering clear checklists and real-time updates so newcomers can focus on maximising their travel savings instead of navigating bureaucracy.
Although the initiative was presented amid unrelated corruption allegations surrounding the ruling PSOE, analysts say the transport pass is likely to enjoy broad parliamentary support and withstand any cabinet reshuffle in 2026.
The pass—expected to go live in the second half of January 2026—mirrors Germany’s €49 “Deutschland-Ticket” and is designed to make rail and coach travel the default option for commuters and domestic business travellers. Transport ministry officials estimate that a Madrid-based employee who visits clients in Barcelona twice a month could cut annual travel expenses by more than €1,000, while SMEs that rely on inter-city sales teams will see a 40-60 % reduction in reimbursable fares.
The measure comes as Spain’s heavily used high-speed-rail network reaches its busiest period on record and airlines grapple with ground-handling strikes (see separate story). By shifting short-haul passenger volumes from air to rail the government hopes to relieve congestion at hub airports and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from domestic flights by up to 150,000 t CO₂-e a year.
Large multinationals with regional headquarters in Madrid and Barcelona welcomed the move. “Our mobility budget has exploded since the post-pandemic rebound; a predictable €60 cap per employee is a game-changer,” said the Iberia HR director of a US software firm. Travel-management companies, however, cautioned that seat availability on popular AVE high-speed services could tighten unless Renfe adds capacity.
Practical takeaways for mobile employees and relocation managers:
• Passes will be sold digitally through Renfe’s and ALSA’s ticketing apps, with identity verification linked to NIE or passport numbers.
• Companies may bulk-purchase passes via corporate-card platforms, simplifying expense reconciliation.
• The flat fare applies nation-wide; journeys that cross into France on Renfe-SNCF joint services are excluded.
• Pass holders continue to accumulate loyalty points, making the product attractive even for frequent flyer elites shifting segments to rail.
For non-EU professionals or digital nomads planning to take advantage of the new €60 pass, securing the right paperwork is essential. VisaHQ’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) streamlines everything from Schengen short-stay visas to long-term residence and work permits, offering clear checklists and real-time updates so newcomers can focus on maximising their travel savings instead of navigating bureaucracy.
Although the initiative was presented amid unrelated corruption allegations surrounding the ruling PSOE, analysts say the transport pass is likely to enjoy broad parliamentary support and withstand any cabinet reshuffle in 2026.
