Completing 26 years of age does not mean the loss of all student discounts. If you are still studying and have a valid ID, you can benefit from, among other things, the 50% discount for public transportation regardless of age. The situation is different for travel by PKP Intercity trains or long-distance buses, where statutory student discounts are limited by age. Check what discounts are available to students after 26 years of age in 2026, where you can buy discounted tickets and what documents must be presented during checks.
In short – the most important information:
Yes, but not all of them. In Poland, the right to use student discounts is governed by various regulations, so it is not possible to set a single age limit for all modes of transport.
The most important thing is to distinguish between urban transport and rail and bus transport outside of urban transport.
Urban transport It includes, among others, buses, trams, metros and trolleybuses operating within urban transport systems. Students holding a valid ID are entitled to the statutory 50% discount regardless of age.
Rail transport and certain bus services However, they are subject to a separate law on the entitlement to discounted travel. It is this law that sets the age limit of 26 for students who benefit from the 51% discount.
For comparison:
Type of transport | Amount of the allowance | Is it due after 26 years? |
ZTM – city buses and trams | 50% | Yes |
MPK – urban transport | 50% | Yes |
Metro and urban trolleybuses | 50% | Yes |
PKP Intercity – national trains | 51% | No, based on the usual student discount |
POLREGIO and other railway operators | 51% | No, based on the usual student discount |
PKS – defined monthly tickets | 51% | No, based on the usual student discount |
Private bus operators | According to the offer | It depends on the regulations |
It is worth remembering that these are discounts resulting from your student status. You may also have other entitlements to cheaper travel, not related to age or studies.
Yes. According to Article 105 of the Higher Education and Science Act, a person holding a student ID is entitled to a 50% discount on public transport fares.
The recipe did not specify the maximum age of the student.
This means that both a person aged 21 and a student aged 35 or 50 can benefit from the statutory discount if they have a valid student ID card.
This also applies to people who started studying several or dozens of years after graduating from high school.
For example:
Age is therefore not a limitation in the case of this statutory benefit.
Warsaw Public Transport allows undergraduate, engineering and master's degree students to use discounted tickets based on a valid ID.
The authorization includes communication organized within the WTP, among other things:
However, one should not confuse the Warsaw Rapid Urban Railway with any railway operator operating in the region. The rules for honoring urban tickets on other trains may result from separate agreements.
In Krakow, students from Polish universities can also benefit from the statutory 50% discount on public transport, without an upper age limit.
This applies to the right to purchase discounted tickets for buses and trams covered by the applicable fare.
In addition, Kraków offers season tickets and solutions for Cardholders of the Krakow Card.
As of March 2, 2026, a revised fare for public transportation has come into effect. It is therefore worth checking the current prices for single, periodic, and student tickets.
ZTM Poznań confirms that students from Polish universities are entitled to the statutory 50% discount based on a valid student ID.
People using the PEKA system should also remember the rules for saving permissions in their account.
The mere fact of having an active student status does not mean that every function of the electronic ticketing system will be automatically updated.
When traveling by train, different rules apply than in public transport.
The statutory student discount 51% is granted upon reaching the age of 26. After reaching this age limit, a student no longer has the right to use it solely on the basis of a student ID card.
This applies, among others, to trains operated by:
The student discount is 51% and applies to certain second-class tickets, in accordance with the carrier's rules and the law.
When purchasing a ticket with the statutory discount of 51%, a student pays the normal price of 49% PLN.
Price of a regular ticket | Price with discount 51% | Saving money |
40 zł | 19,60 zł | 20,40 zł |
60 zł | 29,40 zł | 30,60 zł |
100 zł | 49,00 zł | 51,00 zł |
150 zł | 73,50 zł | 76,50 zł |
The values provided are examples of calculations, and not the price list of a specific carrier.
After turning 26, you can no longer claim the statutory student discount simply because you are still studying and have a valid ELS or mLegitimation.
Yes. The wording „until the age of 26” means that as soon as you turn 26, the statutory rail discount resulting from your student status no longer applies.
For example, if you turn 26 on November 15, 2026, you should not buy a ticket with the statutory student discount for travel after reaching this age limit.
That doesn't change the fact that you won't finish your studies until next year.
Yes, but he/she must take advantage of an offer other than the statutory student discount 51%.
Railway operators run their own promotions, which do not always require the possession of a ticket.
It is worth checking, among other things:
For example, PKP Intercity offers various packages of promotional tickets, but the rules for their sale may change with the current offer.
Therefore, after turning 26, it is worth comparing the available prices instead of assuming that you always have to pay the full rate.
Long-distance buses are another transport category where age restrictions apply.
The statutory 51% -year exemption for students under 26 applies personalized monthly tickets for regular and express bus services, subject to the relevant regulations.
However, this does not automatically mean the right to purchase every single PKS discount ticket of 51% PLN.
For example:
A 23-year-old student who regularly commutes from one town to the university and buys the appropriate monthly ticket can benefit from the statutory discount.
If the same person turns 26, they will no longer have the right to it under their ordinary student status.
Important: Not all intercity buses follow identical rules. Some carriers also offer their own retail discounts.
Therefore, when purchasing a ticket, it is worth checking whether a statutory discount, a commercial discount, or the carrier’s regular fare is available.
Yes. PhD students have separate rights to use rail discounts.
A person holding the status of a doctoral student may use 51% allowances for specific railway journeys until the age of 35.
However, this is not an extension of the regular student discount. The entitlement stems from separate regulations regarding doctoral students.
For example:
From June 30, 2026, the basic form of the doctoral student document is the mLegitymacja in the mObywatel application. Traditional, plastic ELD passports still function as well.
You can find more information about doctoral students' eligibility in our guide on doctoral student discounts.
Yes. Non-resident students, commonly referred to as part-time students, have the same statutory right to 50% discounts on public transport as full-time students.
For the right to a city discount, it doesn’t matter whether you attend classes every day or only on selected weekends.
It is essential to have student status and a valid ID.
This means that:
The situation of people attending postgraduate studies is different.
Participation in postgraduate studies does not equate to the status of a first-cycle, second-cycle, or unified master's degree student. Therefore, a certificate of postgraduate studies in itself does not automatically entitle the holder to the statutory student discount.
The primary document confirming the student status is a valid student ID card.
In the academic year 2026/2027, there are two forms available:
From the 2025/2026 academic year, the mLegitmacja card is the basic form of identification for students holding a PESEL number.
This means that during inspections on a bus or tram, you do not need to have a plastic ELS if you can show a valid ID.
The hologram is used to extend the validity of physical ELS credentials. The institution then updates the data stored in the chip and places the appropriate sticker on the card.
In the case of mLegitimation, the validity is confirmed electronically, without the use of a hologram.
The stickers used on the ELS cards are also of interest to hobbyists. You can find them in our store. ELS student holograms in collectible versions, covering various editions and variants.
However, collector's items do not constitute official confirmation of student status, do not extend the validity of the ID card, and do not entitle to discounted travel.
Yes, many other discounts may still be available.
However, statutory discounts should not be confused with commercial discounts. In the case of private businesses, the owner sets the terms of the promotion himself.
This applies, for example, to:
Some promotions only require showing a valid student ID. Others impose additional age restrictions or require verification by a specific program.
It is also worth noting the international ISIC card, which can allow you to take advantage of additional student offers in Poland and abroad.
However, the ISIC card itself does not replace the Polish ELS card or the mLegitimation when using the statutory rail discount under the rules applicable to Polish university students.
If you no longer have the right to the statutory student discount, you should not buy a train ticket with such a designation.
During the check, the conductor can check both the validity of the ID and the passenger's age.
If it is found that the passenger does not meet the conditions for the discount, the carrier may charge the fare and an appropriate additional fee.
The fee amount depends on the regulations and tariffs of the specific carrier.
It is not enough to rely on the fact that:
The age limit is also important for the statutory rail discount.
The control in public transport will look completely different, where a student with a valid ID can still benefit from the statutory 50% discount even after turning 26 years old.
Yes. A student holding a valid ID can benefit from the statutory 50% discount on public transport regardless of age. This is stipulated in Article 105 of the Higher Education and Science Act.
Yes. If you still have student status and a valid ID, you can benefit from the statutory 50% discount on public transport fares. There is no upper age limit here.
Not on the basis of the usual statutory student discount 51%. This entitlement is available to students until the age of 26. However, you can still benefit from other promotions offered by carriers if their conditions are met.
Yes. Non-residential students have the same statutory right to 50% discounts on public transport as on-campus students. The status of a student matters, not the form of the course organization.
The statutory discount 51% for designated name-based monthly tickets in regular and accelerated bus services is available to students up to the age of 26. After reaching this age, you can take advantage of the carrier's possible commercial promotions.
Yes. Doctoral students have a separate right to the statutory 51%-year railway discount, which is valid until the age of 35. The condition is that they possess the appropriate status and a document confirming their entitlement.
Yes. A student ID card is a separate document confirming the student status. You can use it during ticket checks, but you still need to meet the remaining conditions for the given discount.
Yes, primarily to the statutory 50% discount in public transport. He may also benefit from commercial promotions, the regulations of which do not impose age restrictions. However, he is not entitled to the ordinary statutory 51% discount resulting from his student status.
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The Hologramykolekcjonerskie24.com editorial team has been specializing in the topic for over 10 years. collectible holograms and patterns related to educational documents. We are preparing practical guides on ELS student holograms, doctoral ELDs and school-based ones, and their dates, variants, safeguards, and histories.
The published content is based on reliable sources regarding the Polish education system, applicable legal regulations, regulations of the relevant ministries, and official information provided by universities, schools, and public institutions. We regularly update the materials to reflect changes in regulations, document templates, and policies applicable in Polish education.
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