What are the rules for using this fare product?
It entitles you to unlimited travel in Budapest and surrounding Pest County during its validity period.
The pass can be used by students attending full-time or evening classes with a Hungarian student ID card, and by beneficiaries with a travel voucher. For a detailed description of who is entitled to travel discount, click here.
For what services is the pass valid?
Within Budapest and Pest County on almost all BKK services, suburban and regional buses, HÉV suburban railways and designated trains. This pass is not valid on the 100E Airport Express.
The annual Pest County Pass can be used for travel as follows:
- within Budapest on lines 1-99, 101-299, 900-999, M1, M2, M3, M4, D14.
- trains by MÁV and GySEV in 2nd class (except on trains with supplementary charges but if the journey is only within Budapest, you can take any train and you do not need to pay a seat reservation)
- suburban railway lines by HÉV
- suburban bus services
- regional buses by VOLÁN (lines 300-899),
- local buses in the city of Érd.
Ticket validation – digital tickets
As you enter the metro station or board a street-transport vehicle through the front door, scan the QR code or tap on the "Boarding" button in the top right-hand corner of the product when using the BudapestGO app. After scanning, present the animated image to the staff or, if asked by the ticket inspector, click on the ticket details and show the code there. For more information and a video tutorial on how to use the passes, click here, and on one-step ticket validation, click here.
Ticket validation - with MÁV+ app
No separate validation required after purchase. At the metro entrance and when boarding at the front door, present the ticket from the app (with the validity period and barcode clearly visible).
Validity period
Valid from midnight on the selected start date (but no earlier than the time of purchase) until midnight on the day preceding the same calendar day of the following year.
Photo ID required for use
Students attending full-time or evening classes must use it with a valid Hungarian student ID (or, those without a student ID, with a QR-coded certificate issued by the educational institution in accordance with the Government Decree on Educational IDs), Upon request, an original document suitable for identification (photo ID card, passport or driving licence in card format) must also be presented during the inspection. Please note that no copy/photo of the ID is accepted! When purchasing a pass, the serial number in the upper right corner of the student ID card or the number of the photo ID must be provided. If the pass contains the number of a document suitable for identification, this document and the student ID card (or certificate) must also be presented during inspection.
Is the pass transferable?
No.
Sales points
Download the free BudapestGO app or any digital ticketing app and buy your mobile ticket online.
This type of ticket can be purchased via the MÁV+ application.
Refund rule
Mobile ticket: refundable during the validity period (the amount of 945 HUF will be refunded for each full 30-day period remaining in the validity period). The refund can be initiated in the application before the start of validity and in person at customer service centres during the validity period. However, if the purchase was made by bank transfer, the customer must submit their request at least 5 calendar days prior to the refundable 30-day periods by email to [email protected], and the pro-rata amount will be transferred back to the bank account provided at the time of purchase.
MÁV+ application: You can find information about the MÁV+ application and the use, exchange and refund of tickets purchased in the app here. You can find information about the pass here.
Further information
This type of pass can be purchased only via a smart phone and no paper-based equivalent exists. When using a pass purchased in the form of a mobile ticket, the animated image or code must be presented as described in the section on ticket validation.
The digital pass becomes valid for travel 2 minutes after successful purchase. An active internet connection is required to use the mobile ticket.
You can find information about the MÁV+ application and the use, exchange and refund of passes purchased in the app here.
For more information on the pass (maps, purchasing options, MÁV+ app, other questions), click here and here.
The pass can be used during the validity period of the photo ID or certificate entitling to the discount.
The validity period of the Hungarian student ID is as follows:
- a student ID card without a validation sticker is valid until 31 October following the academic year in which the student reaches the age of 16,
- a student ID card validated with a sticker for the academic year or the second semester is valid until 31 October following the academic year or the second semester
- a student ID card validated with a sticker for the first semester is valid until 31 March following the end of the first semester.
Delay insurance (compensation) for delays of more than 20 minutes on domestic interurban services
If the train, long-distance bus, suburban/metropolitan area bus or suburban railway (HÉV) arrives at your destination at least five (5) times every month during the validity period of your pass with a delay of more than 20 minutes, you are entitled to a 10% compensation on the next purchase of the same type of pass. A further condition for compensation for delays on regional bus and suburban railway (HÉV) lines: according to the timetable (i.e. if there had been no delay), you would have had to wait at least 15 minutes for the next bus or HÉV train after the one you used. Of course, of the later lines, only the one that stops at your destination should be considered.
Delay insurance is valid for the area covered by the pass and only for intercity services. For example, if you are travelling by train with a Pest County Pass, the delay insurance applies to the train stops in Budapest or Pest county - if the train continues to a neighbouring county and is delayed there by more than 20 minutes (or if the existing delay there exceeds 20 minutes), the Pest County Pass does not entitle you to compensation for that delay. If, in another example, you travel from the National Theatre to Keleti railway station on tram 24 and from there to a Pest county town by train, and the tram is delayed but the train is not, this does not entitle you to compensation as the tram is not an interurban service.
Compensation can be claimed based on a delay confirmation within 45 days of the expiry date of the pass - the delay confirmation and compensation claim depend on the type of service and where you bought your pass. The compensation rate is 10% even if there were more than five delays.
Compensation for passes purchased in the form of a mobile ticket (click here for the list of relevant apps):
- the compensation can be claimed at the customer service of MÁV (the electronic voucher code sent after the claim has been validated can be redeemed within 45 days in the MÁV+ application)
- you can request confirmation of the delay of trains from the ticket inspector (only on the train), from MÁV, VOLÁN or GYSEV ticket offices (only on the day of travel) or from the customer service of MÁV within 72 hours. For delays of long-distance buses, the confirmation can be obtained at MÁV, VOLÁN or GYSEV ticket offices (only on the day of travel) or from the customer service of MÁV. For delays of suburban buses and HÉV trains, the confirmation can be obtained from the customer service of MÁV within 72 hours.
Compensation for passes purchased in the MÁV+ app:
- compensation does not need to be claimed separately as a general rule, but only the recording of delays is required, and the MÁV+ application automatically generates an electronic voucher code that can be redeemed within 45 days in the MÁV+ application. Those who can prove delays that entitle them to compensation, some of which have been recorded in the MÁV+ application and some of which have been verified by a metropolitan area/suburban bus and/or HÉV delay confirmation, can claim compensation from the customer service of MÁV
- in the event of delays to trains and long-distance buses, you must select the service you are using in the MÁV+ application menu until it reaches its destination - if the delay meets the conditions, the system will automatically record the delay. For delays of metropolitan area/suburban buses and HÉV trains, a confirmation can be requested from the customer service of MÁV within 72 hours.
A list of regional bus lines can be found here, and in the BKK timetable, where a grey-background ticket pictogram on the right side of the bus lines indicates the suburban bus routes. Further information on metropolitan area/suburban bus lines is available on this page.
Detailed information on delay insurance in Hungarian is available here.
