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.
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 from a 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 location of the higher education institution, at which the student is enrolled.
were supplemented with the provisions of the Government Ordinance no. 535 / 04.06.2025 for the amendment and completion of Decision no. 811/2023, for the approval of Methodological Norms on granting domestic rail and subway transport facilities for students.
I. Providing transport facilities for students:
Given the aforementioned legislative provisions, the provision of transport facilities for students will be carried out as follows:
Students enrolled in full-time education programs in accredited higher education institutions in Romania, holding student cards for discounted/free transportation, 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 location of the higher education institution, at which the student is enrolled.
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.
In the Government Decision no. 535 / 04.06.2025 for the amendment and completion of the Decision no.811/2023, for the approval of Methodological Norms on granting internal rail and subway transport facilities for students, the following provisions are stipulated:
a) The distance/travel routes for which tickets are issued to students for the period and under the conditions specified in the GD, represent:
– the distance between the railway station/stations serving the student’s place of residence and the railway station/stations serving the place where the accredited higher education institution is located
or
– the distance between the railway stations located within the railway route between the student’s place of residence and the place where the accredited higher education institution is located.
b) For students who reside or are enrolled in accredited higher education institutions in cities served by multiple railway stations, tickets may be issued to or from any railway station serving that city;
c) If the student lives in a city not served by a railway station, tickets will be issued for the journey between the railway station/stations to which the student has access from the place of residence and the station/stations that serve the city where the accredited higher education institution is located.
d) For students residing abroad and benefiting from transport discount according to art. 128 para. (3) of the Law on Higher Education no. 199/2023 as amended and supplemented, tickets are issued between the stations located within the railway route between the border point or airport where the student enters/leaves the country and the city where the accredited higher education is lcoated.
e) If the student cannot travel on the distance/routes, as defined above, by the means of transport of a single railway operator, the journey can be fractional and taken by the means of transport of several railway and road transport operators, the discount being granted for the journey taken by each railway transport operator separately, on those distances.
f) At the student’s request, tickets can be issued for the journey to or from am intermediate railway station located on the distance/routes serving the student’s place of residence and the railway station/stations serving the place where the accredited higher education institution is located.
II. Issuance of tickets and travel passes:
For the students’ journey, the following types of tickets are issued only for the distances established according to the provisions mentioned in paragraph I:
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, Interregio or Intercity trains, on distances up to 300 km.
Students can travel by 1st class trains or by sleeping/berth car only with the full payment of fare differences.
III. Purchasing train tickets:
a) Tickets with a 90% reduced fare for students can 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;
- the railway boarding station is not served by its own staff;
- boarding takes place outside the ticket office working schedule.
- online, on the website cfrcalatori.ro and through the downloadable app on your smartphone;
- from CFR Calatori ticket vending machines.
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;
- online, on the website www.cfrcalatori.ro and through the downloadable app on your smartphone*;
- from CFR Călători ticket vending machines
* Tickets can be purchased online and from ticket vending machines in railway stations, only after confirming the student status and obtaining a student ID from the ticket office.
IV. Issuing tickets / Obtaining a student ID from ticket offices:
It is possible to confirm the student status and obtain the student ID only at ticket offices in railway stations and travel agencies, based on submitting the following original documents:
– Student card for discounted/free transportation, valid for the current academic year, which, in addition to the student’s name, surname and Social Security Number, bears the place where the educational institution is located or it is stamped, according the following model:
Student ID cards for discounted/free transportation issued by higher education 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 cards for discounted/free transportation.
– Identity document: ID card, temporary identity card or passport.
Discounted tickets can be purchased from ticket offices, based on the same documents mentioned above, submitted in original.
Attention! If the location of the educational institution is not mentioned or stamped on the student card for discounted/free transportation, discounted tickets for students will not be issued and the student ID cannot be obtained. In this case, the student will be recommended to contact the educational institution to fill in on the student card the place where it is located.
Student status and student ID can be confirmed and obtained simultaneously by establishing the distance/travel routes, consulting the student and complying with the provisions in force, mentioned previously in paragraph I.
Subsequently, based on the student ID that has the data associated with the beneficiary of the facility, including on the distance/travel routes, the beneficiary can purchase discounted tickets both online and from vending machines, only on the respective distances.
Student ID obtained during 2025 remains valid until the expiry of the mentioned validity. Only if you wish to change or add railway stations for the online purchase of tickets and/or from vending machines, a new confirmation of the student status will be required at the ticket office.
In the event of a change of residence, the student is required to submit again the aforementioned documents to the ticket offices, in order to establish the distance/routes on which the student is entitled to travel with a 90% discount.
Attention! Temporary residence visa IS NOT taken into account when establishing the place of residence!
We would like to mention that students who have already obtained the student ID and DO NOT wish to fill in with other stations according to the provisions of the GD 535/04.06.2025, can continue to use it in order to purchase tickets online or from ticket vending machines, on the route already declared in the system, without having to go to the ticket offices.
V. Checking documents on the train:
Students will submit on board the train the original student card for discounted/free transportation, valid for the current academic year and the discounted ticket (ticket, pass) purchased from ticket offices/vending machines. Tickets purchased online can be submitted on board the train either in digital format (as an electronic PDF document) or printed on paper with a QR code, and online passes available through the downloadable app can be submitted only in electronic format, on the associated device.
Attention!
If students do not submit onboard the previously mentioned documents 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).
