ZTM student cards
Free public transport for primary pupils starts with the right document. Check whether your child needs a Karta Ucznia or can travel with their school ID.
Checked 10 September 2026 · School year 2026/2027
Before you apply
Which document does your child need?
Pupils attending a Warsaw primary school qualify for free travel in WTP zones 1 and 2. This also covers Warsaw residents attending primary school outside the city.
Plastic school ID: e-legitymacja
For pupils at Warsaw primary schools, a valid e-legitymacja confirms free travel. A separate Karta Ucznia is not issued. A valid, officially issued mLegitymacja also confirms this entitlement.
Paper school ID
Your child still needs a valid Karta Ucznia. Check the entitlement already loaded on their card before applying to renew it.
This September
Some cards expire on 30 September 2026, including cards held by pupils entering Grade 4. Check your child’s individual expiry date. This is not a deadline for replacing every card.
For Warsaw residents at primary schools outside Warsaw, a Karta Ucznia is still required regardless of ID type. Apply through POP or e-POP; entitlement is loaded for the current school year.
Four ways to apply
Choose the route that suits you.
Through the IAS school link
Open the IAS application. Have a photo ready and, for a renewal, the existing card number. The office will tell you when the card is ready to collect at school.
Through e-POP
Apply with ZTM online. You need a photo, a scan of a valid school ID or the required school certificate, and a Profil Zaufany to sign the application. Follow the collection or delivery options shown in the portal.
At a ZTM Passenger Service Point
Visit a Passenger Service Point (POP) with a photo and valid school ID. Without the ID, bring a school certificate confirming the child’s address and attendance in the current school year, plus proof of the child’s identity.
On paper, at school
Ask the office for the form and submit it with a 3.5 × 4.5 cm ID photo. The office will confirm when the card can be collected.
Photo checklist
A recent, clear ID photo.
- Digital file
- JPG or PNG · at least 200 × 259 pixels · no more than 2 MB.
- Portrait
- Plain, light background; taken within the last six months.
- Printed photo
- 3.5 × 4.5 cm for a paper application.
Good to know
For everyday journeys.
At the metro gate
Free-travel entitlement and opening the gate are separate matters. Ask the office whether your child’s e-legitymacja has an electronic layer and a loaded metro pass. For a card without that layer, a ZTM POP can issue a gate pass.
Moving school or replacing a lost card
Contact the office after a school change. For a lost or damaged Karta Ucznia, use POP or e-POP; replacement fees may apply. See ZTM’s detailed guidance.
Kindergarten and High School
The Karta Ucznia scheme covers primary education. Younger children travel free through 30 September of the year they turn seven. High School pupils should check the separate WTP fare concessions.
Official guidance: Warsaw 19115: Karta Ucznia · ZTM parent guide for 2026/2027 (PDF) · WTP
Photo: Kamionki Jezioro 2 · CC BY 3.0 · Displayed with a responsive crop.
Need a hand?
Unsure which document your child has? Ask the IAS office before applying. The school link above is registered to International American School’s primary school at Dembego 18.
