Budapest, 29 October 2026 – Validating tickets on surface public transport lines has become significantly easier: from the second half of October, BKK has been gradually installing QR code stickers inside all above-ground vehicles to facilitate the validation of digital tickets. Thanks to this expansion of validation options, passengers can now scan their digital tickets on board immediately after boarding. The stickers, which will soon be available on all trams, trolleybuses and buses, will be placed on the ticket-validating machines. At the same time, certain penalty fare amounts are increasing: from 2 November 2026, the penalty fare paid on the spot or within two working days will rise from 12,000 HUF to 15,000 HUF.
With the stickers displayed inside vehicles, BKK is providing even more opportunities for the quick and easy validation of digital tickets. Passengers must still validate their tickets before starting their journey. If this is not possible – for example, because they reach the vehicle just before departure – they can now do so after boarding by scanning the code displayed in the passenger compartment, thanks to the new solution.
BKK began installing the stickers in the second half of October. On buses and trolleybuses, the QR codes will be placed on the ticket validators, whilst on trams the QR codes will be available at every door, in addition to the stickers already in place near the driver’s cabins. On HÉV suburban railways, the stickers will be placed next to the ticket validator at every pair of doors.
It is important to note that digital tickets must be validated immediately after boarding. During ticket inspections, the codes inside the vehicle will be temporarily deactivated; BudapestGO and other mobile ticketing apps will notify passengers of this via a message.
Penalty fares will also change from 2 November
From 2 November 2026, in parallel with the development to facilitate ticket validation, certain penalty fares will also change. The amount of the penalty fare paid on the spot or within two working days will rise from 12,000 HUF to 15,000 HUF, whilst the penalty fare paid within 30 days will rise from 25,000 HUF to 30,000 HUF. The reduced penalty fare payable upon presentation of a monthly pass purchased on the day the penalty fare process begins, within two working days, will change from 6,000 HUF to 7,500 HUF.
BKK asks its passengers to always ensure they have a valid ticket or pass when starting their journey, and, when using a digital ticket, to validate it in accordance with the terms and conditions of travel.
