Madrid transport card applications plunge after new residency rule

Madrid's issuance of personal public transport cards dropped by 23.5% in the summer of 2026 after the city introduced stricter residency checks. This decline, revealed by Spanish newspaper El País on October 21, 2026, occurred despite the availability of inexpensive ordinary tickets for general use. The new rule requires applicants to provide proof of registered residence, or empadronamiento, in an eligible municipality before obtaining a Tarjeta Transporte Público Personal, or personal transport card.

This change disproportionately affects students, commuters, and foreign residents without an eligible registered address, rather than those using standard travel tickets. The reform took effect on June 15, 2026, when the Regional Transport Consortium (CRTM) began demanding proof of municipal registration for new cards and replacements.

While the regional authority maintains that the data don't directly link the rule to the decline, the requirement still impacts access to certain travel passes and discounts, as opposed to ordinary tickets. The change has sparked criticism from students, commuters, and others who face administrative hurdles in completing the empadronamiento process.