Pass ID for pensioners

Only the pass ID for pensioners shown below is valid for travel. The formerly issued pass IDs are not accepted.

Price: HUF 250

To issue a pass ID, a good-quality ID photo with an empty background is required the size of which must not exceed 3.5×4.5 cm. A printer and photo paper can also be used, but it is not acceptable if the photo shows additional objects or people. BKK Pass IDs can be issued and their validity extended at BKK ticket offices and customer service centres – please check locations with the help of the map-based sales point finder. When purchasing a pass, you will need to enter your Pass ID number - the 9 digits printed next to the QR code (on the left).

By adopting Act CLXVII of 2011 on the Termination of Pre-retirement age old-age pensions, on Pre-retirement age Allowance and Service Emolument on 28 November 2011 and Act CXCI of 2011 on Allowances for Persons with Disabilities and the Amendment of Certain Acts on 20 December 2011, the Hungarian National Assembly significantly transformed the pension system to be in effect from 1 January 2012. One of the key elements of the system transformation is that several former allowances have been replaced with new allowances.

The travel discounts for pensioners issued by BKK are specified by Government Decree 85/2007 (IV. 25) on travel reductions in public passenger transport (hereinafter referred to as: Government Decree), which was adjusted to the transformation of the pension system by the Hungarian Government by Government Decree 44/2012. (III. 20.), in effect from 21 March 2012. However, there are still such allowances which the Government Decree does not combine with pensioner travel discounts.

For the proof of entitlement to travel discounts, the Government Decree introduced a new voucher, the so-called pensioner’s travel voucher (“ellátottak utazási igazolványa”) as of 21 March 2012.

By taking the above-mentioned stipulations into account, the following rules apply to the Pass IDs for pensioners and to Pensioner Passes.

To prove entitlement to travel discount for pensioners, passengers need to obtain the following documents (those passengers are entitled to travel discounts for pensioners who have any of the following certificates):

• travel voucher (“ellátottak utazási igazolványa”)issued by the Central Administration of National Pension Insurance ( Hungarian Pension Fund)
• a certificate issued by country (or Budapest) district offices about benefits for persons of active working age.

In addition, no document can be accepted which is not in the above-mentioned list specifying the proof of entitlement to travel discounts for pensioners (e.g. decree about the pensioner’s status, certificate issued about the entitlement to pension, certificate issued about the amount of benefit payment (pension), certificate about the pension payment number, etc. will not be accepted).

1. Issuance, Validation and Replacement of Pass IDs for pensioners

Issuance of Pass IDs for pensioners

Pass IDs for pensioners are validated only on the basis of the following documents and the assigned validity periods:

• On the basis of the Pensioner’s travel voucher (“ellátottak utazási igazolványa”), until the expiry date of the travel voucher
• Until the expiry date indicated on the certificate, on the basis of the certificate issued by district offices about benefits for persons of active age. If the validity period of the certificate is more than one year, or no deadline is indicated, then the validity period is one year from the issuance date of the certificate.

Since neither the vouchers, nor the certificates issued by district offices are photo IDs, passengers need to present their photo IDs (personal IDs, driving licence, passport) for the proof of identity when the Pass ID for pensioners is issued and validated. Different regulation applies to the shared usage of vouchers issued in the name of spouses, partners, wardens and guardians.

Pass IDs for pensioners can be issued to or have its expiry date validated by another person in the name of the Customer if the entitlement can unambiguously verified on the basis of the presented certificates, IDs and photos (in case of the extension of the validity period of the pass ID: photo shown on the pass ID).

After 2 March 2012, solely the new type of the Pass IDs for pensioners is issued:

Other types of Pass IDs for pensioners with different layouts are qualified as old types of Pass IDs and were valid for use with specified conditions until 31 March 2013).

Validity period can be extended in accordance with the following general rules:

a) validity period of the older types of Pass IDs for pensioners cannot be extended, the pass IDs will not be accepted after 31 March 2013. In case passengers are still entitled to this pass ID, the older types of Pass IDs have to be replaced by new types.

b) validity period of the above-indicated new types of Pass IDs for pensioners can be extended anytime, on the basis of the pensioner’s travel voucher (“ellátottak utazási igazolványa”) or the certificate issued to persons of active working age.

If the validity period is extended as per points a)-b), the new validity period is calculated in accordance with the application of validity periods described under the rules of pass ID.

If there is no space left on a pass ID for validation, a new pass ID has to be issued in accordance with the rules specifying the issuance of pass IDs.

Pass IDs for pensioners are valid for 10 years from the date of issue and dates beyond that period will not be indicated on the IDs.

Subject to certain conditions, the use of the Pensioner’s travel voucher can be shared, which means that the travel voucher issued in the name of one Customer can be used by another customer as if it were their own. In case the Customer for whom the travel voucher is issued and the Customer who is using the travel voucher are different, the following actions must be taken:

• Guardians and persons under guardianship, wardens and persons under wardship irrespective of their age can share travel certificates marked ‘GY’, ‘GYÁM’ or ‘GO’. Also the certification of guardianship has to be presented in which guardians and persons under guardianship are indicated (the travel voucher is issued in the name of either of them and a pass ID has to be issued to the other person) or in which the wardens and persons under wardship are indicated (the travel voucher is issued in the name of either of them and a pass ID has to be issued to the other person). The Customer for whom the pass ID is issued and validated has to present a photo ID (e.g. personal ID, passport) for the proof of identity. The name indicated on the presented ID must be registered on the certificate issued about guardianship or wardship. If there are two names on the travel voucher marked ‘GY’, ‘GYÁM’ or ‘GO’, it can be used by the Customers indicated on the travel voucher (in this case, the proof of the guardianship or wardship is not required; only a personal photo ID card has to be presented).
• The person whose name is indicated on the pensioner’s travel voucher can share the voucher with his/her spouse (registered partner) in case the spouse/partner has already reached retirement age. Please see detailed information on the retirement age limit at the end of the section. The retirement age and relation to the spouse (partner) must be verified. To prove retirement age, a photo ID showing the birth date (e.g. personal ID, driving licence, passport) must be presented, while the relation to the spouse (partner) can be proved either by a common address or by a notarised certification issued on the basis of the Registered Partnership Register. The common address is the person’s address for whom the presented voucher had been issued.

2. Further important information

• The travel vouchers are issued by the Central Administration of National Pension Insurance (Hungarian Pension Fund) and sent until 31 March each year to those persons who do not turn 65 before 1 April of the year when the given voucher is sent. 
• Persons who were sent but no longer have the pensioner’s travel voucher (e.g. the voucher has been lost or stolen), can present the certificate issued by the Central Administration of National Pension Insurance (Hungarian Pension Fund). The certificate must indicate the year for which the travel voucher has been issued and delivered. Along with the certificate, a photo ID and certificate of address have to be presented for the proof of personal identity. With these documents, the validation of the pass IDs for pensioners can be requested at the following locations: Baross tér Customer Service Centre, Deák Ferenc tér Customer Service Centre, Main Customer Service Centre.
• Persons entitled to disability allowance can present also the certificate which is issued about this allowance by the Central Administration of National Pension Insurance (Hungarian Pension Fund). The certificate must indicate the year for which the travel voucher has been issued and delivered. Along with the certificate, a photo ID and a certificate of address have to be presented for the proof of personal identification. 
• The voucher of repatriated Hungarian citizens is issued by the Central Administration of National Pension Insurance (Hungarian Pension Fund), based on documents certifying resettlement and pension.
• The pensioner’s travel voucher is valid from 1 January in the year of issuance to 31 March of the following year.
• In relation to the shared usage of vouchers, the retirement age limit is
• age 62 for passengers who were born before 1 January 1952
• the 183rd day after the day when turning 62 for passengers who were born in 1952
• age 63 for persons who were born in 1953
• the 183rd day after the day when turning 63 for passengers who were born in 1954
• age 64 for passengers who were born in 1955
• the 183rd day after the day when turning 64 for passengers who were born in 1956
• age 65 for passengers who were born in or after 1957
• On the basis of the Government Decree, persons who receive the following benefits are entitled to pensioner’s travel voucher:
• Persons who receive old-page pension in their own right
• Old-age and disability pensions paid on the basis of the government decree specifying benefits paid by the Public Foundation for Creative Art
• Religious community pension of churches registered in Hungary
• Old-age pension with higher amount
• Benefit paid to persons unfit for work
• Old-age pension for pensioners in their own right in line with EU regulations specifying implementation and coordination of social security systems and in line with regulations of EEA states
• Widow’s pension
• Orphan benefit
• parent’s pension
• Persons receiving pension on account of a relative (widow’s pension on account of a relative of a person killed in accident, orphan’s allowance, parent’s pension)
• Widow’s allowance
• Disability benefit if persons who were entitled to disability pension class I or II on 31 December 2011 or the health status of the person receiving disability pension is 30% or lower on the basis of the complex assessment of the rehabilitation authority
• Disability allowance
• National care supplement
• National moral courage allowance
• Pension transferred from abroad to repatriated Hungarian citizens
• Pension supplement granted to members of clergy
• Guardians and persons under guardianship, wardens and persons under wardship
• benefits to persons of active age (which can be employment replacement allowance or damaged health and child care allowance)

Related materials:

• sample of recommended notarised certificate of active age customers PDF (0,3 MB)