Spain’s Council of Ministers approved a Royal Decree-law on 23 December that keeps the current 40 per cent state subsidy on local and regional public-transport tickets through all of 2026 and creates a new “Abono Único” (Single Pass) costing €60 per year. The measure extends discounts first introduced after the 2022 energy-price spike and is part of a wider ‘social shield’ package that also re-values state pensions and prolongs protections for vulnerable households.
For employers with a mobile workforce the extension removes uncertainty about commuting costs for assignees based in Spain’s major cities. The €60 pass, which will cover state-run long-distance buses, Cercanías commuter trains and selected medium-distance rail services, offers a predictable mobility budget line for HR teams planning 2026 expatriate allowances. According to Transport Minister Óscar Puente, the ticket could save a typical Madrid-based commuter around €750 per year, while the government estimates a fiscal outlay of €1.37 billion to finance the scheme.
The Single Pass also facilitates multi-city business travel inside Spain: visiting staff will be able to move between, for example, Madrid, Zaragoza and Valencia on one ticket instead of juggling separate regional products. Companies arranging frequent in-country trips—especially under the new digital-nomad visa regime—should factor the pass into travel policy updates and per-diem calculations.
![Spain freezes 2025–26 public-transport fares and unveils €60 nationwide pass]()
Meanwhile, companies sorting out those digital-nomad visas or other Spanish entry permits can lean on VisaHQ for fast, expert assistance. The firm’s dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) streamlines application paperwork, tracks regulatory changes and coordinates submissions, ensuring that expatriates, business visitors and their HR teams stay compliant and ready to take advantage of the new Abono Único without administrative delays.
From a sustainability perspective, the Sánchez administration argues that locking in fare reductions will permanently shift travellers from private cars and domestic flights to lower-carbon buses and trains. Multinationals reporting scope-3 emissions can therefore expect lower mobility footprints for staff journeys that are redirected to public transport.
Implementation details, including purchase channels for foreign residents, will be published in early January; transport operators have six months to integrate their ticketing back-ends.
For employers with a mobile workforce the extension removes uncertainty about commuting costs for assignees based in Spain’s major cities. The €60 pass, which will cover state-run long-distance buses, Cercanías commuter trains and selected medium-distance rail services, offers a predictable mobility budget line for HR teams planning 2026 expatriate allowances. According to Transport Minister Óscar Puente, the ticket could save a typical Madrid-based commuter around €750 per year, while the government estimates a fiscal outlay of €1.37 billion to finance the scheme.
The Single Pass also facilitates multi-city business travel inside Spain: visiting staff will be able to move between, for example, Madrid, Zaragoza and Valencia on one ticket instead of juggling separate regional products. Companies arranging frequent in-country trips—especially under the new digital-nomad visa regime—should factor the pass into travel policy updates and per-diem calculations.
Meanwhile, companies sorting out those digital-nomad visas or other Spanish entry permits can lean on VisaHQ for fast, expert assistance. The firm’s dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) streamlines application paperwork, tracks regulatory changes and coordinates submissions, ensuring that expatriates, business visitors and their HR teams stay compliant and ready to take advantage of the new Abono Único without administrative delays.
From a sustainability perspective, the Sánchez administration argues that locking in fare reductions will permanently shift travellers from private cars and domestic flights to lower-carbon buses and trains. Multinationals reporting scope-3 emissions can therefore expect lower mobility footprints for staff journeys that are redirected to public transport.
Implementation details, including purchase channels for foreign residents, will be published in early January; transport operators have six months to integrate their ticketing back-ends.
