Warsaw Semester Ticket: How to Save on WKM with ELS

Ticket carrier: ELS or Warsaw City Card?

Before you buy a semester ticket, you must have a physical medium on which it will be encoded. In Warsaw, you have two main ways: using a card issued by the university or getting a separate ZTM card.

Electronic Student Card (ELS) as a city card

Most Warsaw universities, such as the University of Warsaw, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw School of Economics, UKSW or WUM, issue ID cards with a built-in electronic system (Mifare standard). This means that your student ID card is also a carrier of ZTM tickets. You do not need to make an additional plastic card at the office.

In order for the ID to work as a semester ticket, it must be:

1. Up-to-date – have a valid hologram for a given semester.
2. Activated in the ZTM system – this is done automatically when you first purchase a ticket at a ticket machine or a Passenger Service Point (POP).

Warsaw City Card (WKM)

If your university does not issue ELS compatible with the ZTM system (which is rare in the case of large universities) or you simply prefer to have a separate medium, you need to obtain a Warsaw City Card. It is a personalized photo card that you will receive free of charge when you first get it.

How to get the Warsaw City Card step by step?

The process of obtaining a card is simple, but requires the preparation of appropriate attachments. If you are opting for WKM instead of ELS, follow these steps:

1. Prepare a photo: It must be up-to-date, in portrait orientation, with dimensions of at least 3.5 x 4.5 cm. You can bring a paper photo to the point or upload a digital file in JPG/PNG format through the ZTM website.
2. Fill out the application: The form is available online on the wtp.waw.pl website or at any Passenger Service Point (POP), e.g. at metro stations (Centrum, Świętokrzyska, Ratusz Arsenał).
3. Submit the documents: You can do it in person at POP or send a request online. In the case of online submission, you collect the card in person upon receipt of the notification by presenting an identity document.
4. Card collection: The first WKM card is free. Each subsequent duplicate (e.g. in case of loss) costs PLN 14.

Zone selection: Zone 1 or Zone 1+2?

Warsaw is divided into two ticket zones. Choosing the right zone for your semester ticket is crucial to the price and range of your travels.

1. Zone 1: It covers the entire capital city of Warsaw and some neighboring municipalities with which ZTM has signed an agreement. If you live, for example , in Ursynów, Wola or Prague and study there, Zone 1 is completely sufficient.
2. Zone 2: It applies to towns near Warsaw (e.g. Pruszków, Piaseczno, Legionowo, Otwock). If you are commuting to Warsaw for studies by SKM train or suburban bus “L”, be sure to buy a semester ticket for Zone 1+2.

Please note that having a Zone 1 only ticket when traveling to a town in Zone 2 will result in a fine if you do not purchase an additional ticket for the missing section.

Where and how to buy a semester ticket?

Once you have the medium (ELS or WKM), you need to physically “load” the semester ticket onto it. In Warsaw, you have several options:

Stationary and mobile ticket machines

This is the most popular method. You will find ticket machines at every metro station, at most tram stops and on every bus, tram and SKM train.

• Insert the card/card into the reader.
• Select “Season tickets” -> “Semester ticket” from the menu.
• Select the number of days (140 or 150) and the zone (1 or 1+2).
• Pay by card or cash (not all ticket machines accept cash).

Passenger Service Points (POPs)

At POPs, you can not only buy a ticket, but also get help in case of technical problems with your card. An employee of the office will encode the ticket on your card and issue a confirmation of purchase (invoice), which is useful if you need to settle costs.

Mobile Apps & E-pop Portal

You can buy a ticket online, however, in the case of physical card coded season tickets (WKM/ELS), after purchasing online, you need to go to a ticket machine or validator to “transfer” the purchased ticket to the card chip. Without this physical step (called ticket activation), your card will be blank during the inspection.

Varsovian Ticket for Student: Additional Discount

If you live in Warsaw permanently or settle income tax (PIT) here, you are entitled to a Varsovian Ticket. Students with the status of a Warsaw resident pay even less for semester tickets. To use this option, you must have a hologram “Varsovian Card” uploaded to the card. You can get it at any District Office or POP by showing the first page of the PIT for the previous year or a certificate from the tax office.

Ticket control and student ID card validity

The biggest pitfall for students in Warsaw is the loss of validity of their ID card while having a valid semester ticket.

• A semester ticket is only valid with a valid ID.
• If your ticket ends on March 15 and your ID expired on March 31 (because you forgot about the new hologram), after that date your ticket becomes invalid in the eyes of the controller.
• In case of inspection, you must show your ID with a valid hologram. If you do not have one, you will receive a summons to pay an additional fee (fine). You can cancel it within 7 days at a ZTM point if you prove that you were a student on the day of the inspection, but then pay a processing fee.

Loss of a card or card with a semester ticket

If you lose your ELS or WKM on which your semester ticket was coded, you don’t lose the money you invested. You need to go to the ZTM Passenger Service Point and:

1. Report lost media.
2. Make a new WKM card or bring a new ELS card from the university.
3. Submit a request to transfer the unused part of the ticket to a new medium.

This operation is paid (handling fee), but it allows you to recover a ticket worth several hundred zlotys.

Specific tips for students of Warsaw universities

• For UW and WUT students: Your ID cards are 100% compatible with ZTM ticket machines. Don’t waste time getting a WKM, unless your ID card has been mechanically damaged.
• Check the range of SKM: The semester ticket for Zone 1 allows you to travel on SKM and Koleje Mazowieckie trains within the borders of Warsaw (Joint Ticket ZTM-KM-WKD). This is the fastest way to get from Rembertów, Włochy or Wesoła to the center.
• Ticket at night: All semester tickets are valid on night lines (marked with the letter N). This is crucial when returning from the Vistula boulevards or clubs in the center to the dormitories in Jelonki or Mokotów.
• Remember the session: By choosing a 150-day ticket, you can be sure that your card will work throughout the summer session, until the end of June or September (depending on the date of purchase).

International students and semester tickets – ISIC and mLegitymacja

If you came to Warsaw for an exchange under the Erasmus+ program or you are a student from Ukraine studying at a Warsaw university, the rules for making a semester ticket are almost identical, but there are some nuances regarding the documents.

• ISIC (International Student Identity Card): If you do not yet have a Polish ELS card, you can use the student relief on the basis of an ISIC card. However, it must be issued outside of Poland to entitle you to purchase discounted tickets. Remember that you will not be able to encode a ticket machine on your ISIC card – in this case, you must obtain a physical Warsaw City Card (WKM) and always carry it together with the ISIC card as a confirmation of entitlement.
• Students from Ukraine: People studying at Ukrainian universities who are staying in Warsaw can use student discounts on the basis of a Ukrainian student ID card with a sworn translation, but the safest solution is to get an ISIC card or a Polish WKM card.

“Warsaw+” programme – Metropolitan tickets for commuters

Many students of Warsaw universities live in the municipalities surrounding the capital. If your municipality (e.g. Wołomin, Marki, Pruszków) has signed an agreement with ZTM as part of the Warsaw+ program, you can get a semester ticket at an even lower price than a standard ticket for Zone 1+2.

To take advantage of this discount, you must have a Resident Card of your municipality. This ticket is encoded on your ELS card or WKM card, but it is usually only available at Passenger Service Points (POPs). Stationary ticket machines do not always recognize the entitlements of the metropolitan program, so when charging the “Warszawa+” ticket for the first time, it is worth going to a point at the Metro Świętokrzyska or Metro Ratusz Arsenał station.

Technical aspects of encoding an ELS ticket

The process of encoding a semester ticket on a student ID card is done using contactless technology (NFC). Although the system is modern, there may be technical errors that will prevent you from buying a ticket at the ticket machine.

The most common technical problems:

• Card reading error: If your ELS card is scratched or you carry it in a case with other contactless cards (e.g. payment cards), the ticket machine may not initiate the transaction. Remove the card from your wallet before tapping it on the reader.
• Card blocked by the university: If the dean’s office of your university (e.g. at the Warsaw University of Technology) has not updated the status of your card in the electronic system, the ticket machine may reject the attempt to purchase a reduced ticket. In such a situation, it is necessary to visit the IT department of the university or POP ZTM, where the employee will check the correctness of the data recording on the chip.
• Phantom ticket: It happens that after buying through an e-pop portal, the ticket does not appear on the card. Please note that after the online transaction, you must go to the yellow validator in the vehicle or to the ticket machine and select the “Extend Ticket / Activate Ticket” option. Only this activity physically records the information about your semester ticket on the card.

How to avoid a fine? Appeal procedure after the inspection

Even if you have a semester ticket, you may receive a call for payment (fine) if you do not have a valid student ID card with you during the check. ZTM controllers in Warsaw (often referred to as “canaries”) operate efficiently and rigorously.

What to do if you get a ticket despite having a ticket?

1. Do not argue with the inspector – it is his duty to issue a document if you cannot confirm your entitlement to the relief at the time of the inspection.
2. Accept the demand for payment.
3. Within 7 working days, go to any ZTM Passenger Service Point.
4. Show your valid student ID (ELS) and the semester ticket that was active at the time of the check.
5. Your penalty will be cancelled, but you will have to pay a processing fee (currently around 15-20 PLN). This is a much lower cost than the full amount of the fine (which exceeds PLN 200).

Semester Ticket Return – Procedure and Rules

Life as a student in Warsaw can be unpredictable – you can go on an emergency internship abroad, take a dean’s leave or change your mode of study to part-time in another city. In such cases, you are entitled to a refund of your semester ticket.

Refunds are made only at Passenger Service Points. The amount you receive is calculated in proportion to the number of unused days. ZTM deducts 20% of the value of the refunded amount as a handling fee (unless the refund is due to reasons attributable to ZTM, which happens rarely). The money is returned to the payment card you made the purchase with or in cash (depending on the payment method and the availability of funds at the cash register).

Break between semesters – How to maintain continuity of rides?

A semester ticket for 140 or 150 days is ideal for the study period, but what to do in February or during the holidays when the ticket expires and you still live in Warsaw and work or take advantage of the city’s cultural offer?

Many students make the mistake of buying a semester ticket too late or too early. The best strategy is to activate the ticket exactly on the expiration day of the previous one. If your ticket expires, for example, on February 15, you can code a new semester ticket (for the summer semester) in advance – the ZTM system will place it in the “queue” and activate it automatically on February 16. This avoids the stress of freelancing on your way to college.

Practical POP ZTM locations for students

In order to efficiently deal with matters related to the city card, it is worth knowing where the points with the shortest queues are located. Although POP at the Metro Centrum station is the most visible, it is usually the most crowded.

Recommended POP locations for students:

• Metro Rondo Daszyńskiego: Ideal for people studying in the vicinity of the office center of Wola.
• Wilson Square Metro: A point in Żoliborz, usually much quieter than those in the very center.
• Metro Station Vilnius: The best point for students living in Praga.
• ZTM headquarters at 61 Żelazna Street: This is the main office where you can handle the most complicated complaints and technical matters that cannot be solved at points on the metro.

Specific technical and organisational guidance

• Write down the card number: Take a photo of the back of your ELS card or WKM card. In the event of wallet theft, this number will be necessary to block the semester ticket and recover it.
• Varsovian Card at the ticket machine: If you are entitled to the “Varsovian Card”, remember that you must select a special subcategory in the ticket machine: “Varsovian Ticket” -> “Semester Ticket”. Choosing a regular semester ticket will result in you paying the full student rate, losing the additional city discount.
• Payment by phone: Most mobile ticket machines (on buses and trams) support contactless payments (Blik, Apple Pay, Google Pay). You don’t need to have a physical payment card to top up ELS.
• Compatibility with PKP Intercity trains: The ZTM semester ticket is not valid on Intercity or Pendolino trains running through Warsaw (e.g. between the Eastern, Central and Western stations). Use only SKM (red trains) and Koleje Mazowieckie and WKD (within the zone boundaries).

The most frequently asked questions about the semester ticket in Warsaw

Is the semester ticket valid on Koleje Mazowieckie trains?

Yes, as part of the “Joint Ticket ZTM-KM-WKD” offer, a semester ticket for Zone 1 is valid on KM trains in the Warsaw area. If you have a ticket for Zone 1+2, the range of KM trains increases significantly (e.g. to Pruszków, Sulejówek or Legionów).

Can I buy a semester ticket if I’m not yet 26 years old but not a student?

No. The semester ticket is reserved only for people with student status confirmed by an ELS or ISIC card (in the case of students of foreign universities).

What happens if I turn 26 during the term of my semester ticket?

According to ZTM regulations, if you buy a semester ticket before your 26th birthday, it remains valid until the end of the period for which it was purchased, even if you exceed this age in the meantime.

Is a student ID card in the mObywatel application enough during the check?

Yes, in Warsaw, controllers accept mLegitymacja in the mObywatel application. However, you need to keep in mind that the physical ticket still needs to be encoded on your plastic ELS or WKM unless you are using single-use tickets in the apps (but semester tickets on apps like Jakdojade cannot currently be purchased in the form of a “virtual card”).

Will a semester ticket for 140 days be cheaper than two tickets for 90 days?

Yes, the semester ticket is calculated to be the most cost-effective option for a student. The price of a 140 or 150 day ticket is lower than the prorated cost of purchasing 30 and 90 day tickets.

Can I refund my semester ticket if I drop out of college?

Yes, you can return your ticket at the Passenger Service Point. ZTM will refund the money for the unused period, deducting a processing fee (usually 20% of the refund value, not more than a certain amount).

Getting a semester ticket in Warsaw is one of the first formalities you should take care of after receiving your student ID. Thanks to it, you gain unlimited freedom of movement around the capital, from the main campus in Krakowskie Przedmieście to distant districts such as Białołęka or Wilanów.

What should you do now?

1. Check if your ELS card has a current hologram.
2. Go to the nearest ticket machine.
3. Choose the option of a semester ticket for 140 or 150 days.
4. Encode it on the card and enjoy unlimited transportation throughout the semester.