Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez used his year-end press conference on 24 December to unveil Spain’s first country-wide public-transport pass. Costing €60 for adults (€30 for under-26s), the ticket will grant unlimited travel on all Renfe commuter lines (Cercanías), medium-distance regional trains and state-run inter-city buses from mid-January 2026.
Continuity of pandemic subsidies
Spain first introduced fare discounts in September 2022 to lure commuters back after COVID-19; the measures were due to expire on 31 December 2025. Instead, the government has extended the subsidies through 2026 and wrapped them into one simplified product, drawing inspiration from Germany’s Deutschland-Ticket.
Benefits for business travellers and assignees
• A Barcelona-Madrid weekly shuttle on regional Media Distancia services will drop from roughly €112 to €60 a month, a 60 % saving.
• Employees living in satellite towns such as Vigo (working in Santiago) or Jerez (working in Seville) can slash commuting costs, making peripheral housing more viable for expatriates.
• The flat-rate pass simplifies expense management for short-term assignees who previously juggled multiple regional tickets.
![Nationwide €60 Monthly Pass to Cover Spanish Trains and State Buses From January]()
Limitations and next steps
High-speed AVE/Avlo services are excluded for now, as are most metro and municipal bus systems; Madrid and Catalonia are invited to opt in later. The scheme will be adopted by Royal-Decree-Law at the final Council of Ministers meeting of 2025, giving Renfe and the national bus concessionaires three weeks to integrate ticketing technology.
Practical advice
Companies should update travel policies and per-diem allowances to reflect the new pass, and encourage staff on assignment to register early via Renfe’s digital channels, where demand is expected to be high. The pass is issued as a QR code in the Renfe app and can be charged to a company card.
For international employees who still need the correct entry documents, VisaHQ offers a streamlined way to secure Schengen visas, digital-nomad permits or residence renewals before they start commuting. Its Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) walks travellers through requirements step by step, ensuring full compliance so that the only ticket they have to think about is the new €60 transport pass.
Environmental signal
Spain frames the move as part of its Green Deal objectives, estimating two million users and a potential annual CO₂ reduction of up to 150,000 tonnes if car commuters switch.
Continuity of pandemic subsidies
Spain first introduced fare discounts in September 2022 to lure commuters back after COVID-19; the measures were due to expire on 31 December 2025. Instead, the government has extended the subsidies through 2026 and wrapped them into one simplified product, drawing inspiration from Germany’s Deutschland-Ticket.
Benefits for business travellers and assignees
• A Barcelona-Madrid weekly shuttle on regional Media Distancia services will drop from roughly €112 to €60 a month, a 60 % saving.
• Employees living in satellite towns such as Vigo (working in Santiago) or Jerez (working in Seville) can slash commuting costs, making peripheral housing more viable for expatriates.
• The flat-rate pass simplifies expense management for short-term assignees who previously juggled multiple regional tickets.
Limitations and next steps
High-speed AVE/Avlo services are excluded for now, as are most metro and municipal bus systems; Madrid and Catalonia are invited to opt in later. The scheme will be adopted by Royal-Decree-Law at the final Council of Ministers meeting of 2025, giving Renfe and the national bus concessionaires three weeks to integrate ticketing technology.
Practical advice
Companies should update travel policies and per-diem allowances to reflect the new pass, and encourage staff on assignment to register early via Renfe’s digital channels, where demand is expected to be high. The pass is issued as a QR code in the Renfe app and can be charged to a company card.
For international employees who still need the correct entry documents, VisaHQ offers a streamlined way to secure Schengen visas, digital-nomad permits or residence renewals before they start commuting. Its Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) walks travellers through requirements step by step, ensuring full compliance so that the only ticket they have to think about is the new €60 transport pass.
Environmental signal
Spain frames the move as part of its Green Deal objectives, estimating two million users and a potential annual CO₂ reduction of up to 150,000 tonnes if car commuters switch.
