According to the provisions of art. 83 of the Law on the Pre-University Education no. 198/2023:
PUPILS from certified/authorized pre-university education, including those enrolled in pre-university education units registered in the Special Register of pre-university education units, benefit from free domestic rail transport, on all categories of trains (Regio, InterRegio and Intercity), at 2nd class, throughout the calendar year, based on the pupil card/identification card for the current school year.
Providing transport facilities to pupils:
Pupils benefit from:
- free tickets, for all categories of trains, at 2nd class and free reservation fee for trains with a reservation system;
- monthly season-tickets with an unlimited number of free trips, at 2nd class, for all categories of trains.
When travelling by upper class trains or sleeping cars and berth cars, pupils will fully pay the tariff differences and the reservation fee as requested.
Issuance of travel documents (tickets and season-tickets):
a) Free tickets for pupils can be purchased from:
- Ticket offices from railway stations with their own staff and from CFR travel agencies;
- Train staff, when:
- The boarding station is not open for ticket sale;
- Boarding takes place outside the ticket office working schedule;
- The boarding station is not served by CFR Calatori staff;
- The passenger presents a ticket issued on board a train, valid for a train which has arrived in the boarding station for the new train in an interval of up to 15 minutes – under the condition of going to the train staff immediately after boarding the train;
- CFR Călători ticket vending machines (xSell Kiosk) from the stations;
- ONLINE, only after confirming/validating as PUPIL at the ticket offices, which is made only once for each school year, and the issuing of an ID.
b) For monthly passes with 100% discount, with an unlimited number of trips:
- Ticket offices which issue cardboard support tickets, from CFR Călători travel agencies and stations with their own staff;
- Kiosk-type CFR Calatori ticket vending machines from the stations, only after confirming/validating as PUPIL at the ticket offices,
- Apps downloadable on the phone, in the form of a QR code with dynamic elements, only after confirming/validating as PUPIL at the ticket offices
*Confirmation/validation as “pupil” can be requested at any station or CFR Călători travel agency equipped with an electronic issuing system, during their work hours, on the basis of the original note book / pupil ID, which includes pupil’s surname, first name and personal numerical code, stamped for the current school year, or on the basis of the proving certificate issued by the educational institution the pupils belongs to, in original. Confirmation / validation as “pupil” is performed only once per each school year. After confirming / validating as “pupil” and the creation of the online user profile, an ID is issued, on the basis of which the tickets/passes shall be purchased online from the website or from the phone downloadable app.
Necessary Documents for Issuing Tickets/Passes at the Ticket Offices or On Board the Trains:
In order to issue FREE travel documents (tickets and monthly season-tickets) for PUPILS, it is necessary to submit the following documents:
- PUPIL CARD/IDENTITICATION CARD in original, with pupil name, surname, social security number and endorsed by the educational establishment for the current school year;
- or CERTIFICATE confirming the pupil status, issued by the educational establishment of belonging, submitted in original. The certificate must correspond to the model provided in the GD no. 810/2023, as follows:
- or COLLECTIVE CERTIFICATE issued by the educational establishment of belonging, submitted in original. This certificate is used only for pupils traveling in a group. It must correspond to the model provided in the GD no.810/2023, as follows:
There will not be accepted other types/models of certificates for issuing pupil tickets/season-tickets.
Checking documents on board
When checking the legality of train trips, pupils must submit the following:
- free ticket/season-ticket, valid for that train, in original, except for those issued digitally (online)
- an original ID (ID card, passport, residence permit, driver’s license) or birth certificate in original or copy for pupils under 14 years old;
Pupils can submit the original pupil card/identification card instead of the identity document, only if it contains the pupil’s photo and social security number.
Note!
If pupils do not submit on board the previously mentioned documents, they will be considered as not having a ticket/season-ticket and will be treated according to the legislation in force (they will incur the payment of rates established on board – higher than the ticket counter rates, and otherwise they will have to get off the train at the first stop along the route and they will receive a contravention report for the distance already covered). Persons under the age of 14 traveling unaccompanied, in the aforementioned situation, will be handed over to the Police.
According to the provisions of art. XXIX par. (1) of the Emergency Ordinance no.156/ 30.12.2024 published in the Official Gazette no. 1334/ 31.12.2024:
In 2025, by way of derogation from the provisions of art. 128 par. (3) of the Law of Higher Education no. 199/2023, with subsequent amendments and supplements, students enrolled in full-time education programs in accredited higher education institutions, benefit froma 90% reduced fare for domestic rail transport on all 2nd class categories of trains, only on the distance/routes between the place of residence and the place where the higher education institution, at which the student is enrolled, is located.
I. Providing transport facilities for students:
Given the afore mentioned legislative provisions, the provision of transport facilities for students will be carried out as follows:
Starting from 1st of January 2025, students enrolled in full-time education programs in accredited higher education institutions in Romania, holding student ID cards for discounted/free transport, issued/endorsed for the current academic year by the respective education institutions, benefit from a 90% reduced fare for the Romanian domestic rail transport on all 2nd class categories of trains, only on the distance/routes between the place of residence and the place where the higher education institution, at which the student is enrolled, is located.
Students can travel by 1st class car or sleeping/berth car by fully paying the fare differences.
ATTENTION! The 90% discount applies including to students with one or both deceased parents, as well as to students from foster care centers or who were in foster care with extended, foster family or with a foster parent.
II. Issuance of tickets and travel passes:
For the travel of students, the following types of tickets are issued only for the distance between the place of residence and the place where the higher education institution at which the student is enrolled is located:
a) tickets with a 90% discount, valid on train/trains and date, for all 2nd class train categories (regio, interregio and intercity);
b) monthly passes with a 90% discount, with an unlimited number of trips on 2nd class regio and interregio/intercity trains, on distances up to 300 km.
III. Purchasing train tickets:
a) Tickets with a 90% reduced fare for students cand be purchased from:
- ticket offices of CFR Călători travel agencies and railway stations with their own staff
- on the train, from the train staff, only the tickets valid for the current train and, possibly, for the next connecting train, in the following situations:
- the railway boarding station is not open for sales activity with CFR Călători own staff;
- boarding takes place outside the ticket office working schedule.
b) Travel passes with a 90% discount for students can be purchased from tickets offices equipped with an electronic ticket issuing system in CFR Călători travel agencies and railway stations with their own staff.
ATTENTION!
90% discounted tickets for students shall only be issued for the distance/routes between the place of residence and the place where the higher education institution is located, throughout the acaddemic year.
Until the electronic issuing applications are updated, discounted tickets or passes for students cannot be purchased online or from kiosk vending machines.
ATTENTION!
Starting immediately and until further notice, student IDs will not be issued at ticket offices or online.
Starting from 01.01.2025, student IDs issued for the academic year 2024-2025 are no longer valid and tickets will not be issued based on them at ticket offices, on the train, online or at kiosk vending machines.
IV. Documents required for issuing tickets at ticket offices and on the train:
a) Student ID card for discounted/free transport, in original, valid for the current academic year, according to the following model:
Student ID cards for discounted/free transport issued by higher institutions, according to the provisions of the Government Decision no. 42/2017, respectively WITHOUT QR CODE, REMAIN VALID, under the law.
According to the provisions of the Government Decision no. 811/2023, as amended and supplemented, higher education institutions are authorised and bear full responsibility for the timely distribution and endorsement of student ID cards for discounted/free transport.
b) Original identity papers or residence permit.
ATTENTION! Train tickets shall not be issued based on other documents (passports, driving licenses, etc).
V. Checking documents on the train:
Students’ documents will be checked on the train, namely the discounted travel document issued at the ticket offices (ticket, pass) and the student card for discounted/free transport, valid for the current academic year.
Attention!
If students do not submit onboard the previously mentioned documents (ticket with a 90% discount valid for that train and the student card for discounted/free transport, based on which the ticket was issued, both in original) or submit other documents issued by the higher education institutions of belonging, they will be considered as not having a ticket and will be treated according to the legislation in force (they will bear the payment of prices established onboard – higher than the ticket office prices, and otherwise they will have to get off the train at the first stop along the route and they will receive a contravention report for the distance already covered).
