Krakow City Card (KKM) for Students: How to Buy and Use It on Your Phone

Comparison table of student tickets in Krakow (Zone I – Krakow):

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Note: Ticket prices may be subject to minor adjustments by resolutions of the Krakow City Council; You can check the current status for the academic year 2026/2027 on the ztp.krakow.pl stream.

How to connect the Semester Ticket to your phone in the mKKM application step by step?

You don’t have to carry plastic ticket cards in your wallet or queue for vending machines at bus stops. You can do everything on your smartphone.

Step-by-step instructions:

• Download the app: Install the free mKKM app from Google Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS).
• Create an account on the iKKM portal: Register a Passenger Profile on the kkM.krakow.pl website or directly in the mKKM app.
• Confirm Eligibility for Student Relief:

  • When creating an account, upload a photo of your ELS student ID (front and back with a special holographic sticker valid for the semester).

  • Verification by a ZTP employee usually takes from a few hours to 1 working day.

  • Alternative: You can occasionally confirm the discount once a year at any Ticket Sales Point (POK/PSB) ZTP.

• Buy a ticket on your phone: Select Buy Zone Season Ticket and Semester Ticket Student
• Pay online: You can make the payment immediately via BLIK, fast transfer or payment card.
• Done! The ticket is assigned to your account and is visible in the My Tickets tab in the mKKM application.

How to code KKM on a plastic Student ID (ELS)?

If you prefer traditional solutions and do not want to rely on the battery in your phone, your physical plastic Student Card (ELS) issued by the Jagiellonian University, AGH, PK or UEK acts as a KKM ticket carrier.

How do I save my ticket on my ELS card?

• Go to one of the Ticket Sales Points (PSB) ZTP/MPK (e.g. at Podwale 3/5 Street in the center of Krakow or at the Czerwone Maki loop at the Jagiellonian University Campus).
• Request that the KKM ID be assigned to your ELS card.
• After registering your ID card in the system once, you can buy subsequent semester tickets yourself at stationary KKM ticket machines (blue-amaranth ticket machines at stops throughout Krakow).

Daily commuting of MPK, control of semester ticket expenses, class schedule, ECTS credits and settling bills with roommates at the station require good organization. Check out Student360’s all-in-one app for students – it helps you plan your budget, settle utility bills, manage your 5GB of notes, and keep an eye on your schedule for casual work.

MPK Krakow ticket control – how to show a ticket on your phone without internet?

The mKKM application has been designed to work even in conditions of lack of coverage in the underground or in a crowded tram line 50.

What does the mobile ticket control look like?

• The MPK ticket inspector asks you to show your ticket.
• You open the mKKM app and go to the My Tickets tab.
• The app generates a dynamic QR code and displays your photo and ID number.
• The controller scans the QR code with its reader. The QR code is generated offline and does not require an active internet connection at the time of the inspection!
• At the request of the controller, you must also present a physical ELS card or mLegitymacja in the mObywatel application confirming your entitlement to the 50% relief.

What to do if your phone runs out of charge while driving?

Not being able to present the ticket due to a discharged battery results in the issuance of an additional fee (call for payment).

However, since your Semester Ticket is personal and saved in the iKKM system, you have the right to go to the ZTP headquarters (e.g. at 28b Wielicka Street) within 7 days and present a valid ticket. The handling fee for cancelling a fine is then only a dozen or so zlotys.

Managing your student budget and fees becomes a lot simpler when you control fixed costs in one place. Check out the Student360 student life support app, which will help you monitor your public transport expenses, settle bills at the station, and control your earnings from a part-time job.

Metropolitan Ticket and Fast Agglomeration Railway (SKA) – How to take the train on KKM?

Many students limit their thinking about transport in Krakow only to trams and MPK buses. Meanwhile, within the administrative borders of Krakow, there is a powerful, extremely fast system of suburban trains – the Fast Agglomeration Railway (SKA) operated by Koleje Małopolskie and Polregio.

With the Metropolitan Tariff , your Semester or Monthly KKM Ticket can also be valid on trains!

Why buy a Metropolitan Ticket (Zone I + Railway)?

• Travel time: The SKA train ride from Kraków Główny station to Krakow Zabłocie (at the A. Frycz Modrzewski Campus of the Krakow Academy) takes only 4 minutes. The tram ride during rush hour is about 15-20 minutes.

• Getting to Miasteczko AGH / Bronowice: The ride from the Kraków Główny station to the Kraków Łobzów or Krakow Mydlniki stations takes 5–7 minutes, bypassing the congested Aleje Trzech Wieszczów.

• Price difference: A Metropolitan ticket (including trams, buses AND trains within the city limits) is only a dozen or so zlotys more expensive than a regular ticket only for MPK.

Free Resident Status (Krakow Card) for a student at a boarding station – step by step

The Official Resident Status (Krakow Card) reduces the price of the Semester and Monthly Ticket by an additional few dozen zlotys. Most students think that in order to obtain it, you need to settle PIT tax in Krakow. It’s a mistake!

There is a completely legal, free way for any student renting a room or living in a dorm: temporary check-in .

Instructions for obtaining the Resident Status by temporary registration:

• Prepare the documents: Take your room/apartment rental agreement (or a certificate of accommodation in a dormitory, e.g. at the AGH University of Science and Technology Township) and your identity card. According to Polish law, if you live in Krakow for more than 30 days, you are obliged to register temporarily – the owner of the apartment does not need to give additional consent to this!
• Go to the Krakow City Hall (NCU): Go to one of the NCU Residents’ Service Points (e.g. at 28b Wielicka Street, 10 Powstania Warszawskiego Avenue or at Galeria Bronowice/Bonarka).
• Make a temporary check-in: Fill out a simple form in the box. Registration for the duration of the lease agreement (e.g. for 9-10 months) is issued immediately and completely free of charge.
• Submit an application on the website kk.krakow.pl: Log in to the Krakow Card portal, enter your Krakow temporary registration address and select the verification by check-in option.
• Done! The system automatically verifies the data in the PESEL database and grants you the Resident Status for a year. In the mKKM application, the option to purchase the cheapest Resident’s Ticket is immediately unlocked.

MPK Kraków and KKM night lines – how to return from Kazimierz and Ruczaj free of charge

Student life in Krakow often ends late at night in Kazimierz (New Square), the Main Market Square or in the clubs on the AGH University of Science and Technology Town. ZTP Kraków maintains one of the best developed night transport networks in Poland.

Does KKM work on night lines?

YES! Your Semester or Monthly Ticket purchased for Zone I is valid free of charge on all night tram lines (numbers 64, 69) and night bus lines (numbers starting with 6xx, e.g. 601, 608, 610, 664).

Rules for using night lines:

• Main hub: All night buses in Krakow arrive every 30 minutes (or every hour) at the Słowacki Theatre stop (at the Main Railway Station). Buses wait for each other for 3-5 minutes, which allows for a stress-free transfer to any direction of the city.

• Entering your ticket in mKKM: When you get on the night bus, you don’t need to scan or “validate” anything. Just keep your phone with the mKKM app on in case of control.

Frequently Asked Questions about KKM for Students

1. Is mLegitymacja in mObywatel enough for a student discount on KKM?

Yes. During the inspection of MPK tickets in Krakow, the inspectors recognize the digital mStudent Card in the mObywatel application on an equal footing with the traditional plastic ELS card.

2. Does the Semester Ticket work for night and agglomeration lines?

The Semester Ticket purchased for Zone I operates on all tram and bus lines (including night lines with numbers starting with 6xx and 9xx) within the administrative boundaries of the city of Krakow. If you are commuting from outside Krakow (e.g. from Wieliczka or Zabierzów), you must buy a ticket for Zone I+II.

3. What happens to the Semester Ticket during the holidays (July – September)?

The Winter Semester Ticket is usually valid from October to the end of February (or from February to the end of June in the summer semester). For the holiday months (July, August, September) you have to buy standard student monthly tickets.

4. Where is the main Ticket Sales Point (PSB) in Krakow located?

The most famous and central point is the PSB at 3/5 Podwale Street (close to the Bagatela and Plant Theatre). Other popular points are located at the Czerwone Maki (Ruczaj) tram terminus and at the Krowodrza Górka terminus.

5. Can I transfer a ticket from my ELS card to my phone during the semester?

Yes. In the mKKM application or on the kkM.krakow.pl portal, you can make the so-called change of ticket carrier. Remember, however, that at a time the ticket can only be active on one selected medium (either on the ELS card or in the application on the phone).

6. How to get an additional discount on the Krakow Card (Resident Status)?

If you settle PIT tax at one of the Tax Offices in Krakow (indicating Krakow as your place of residence) or have a temporary residence in Krakow, submit an application for Resident Status on the kk.krakow.pl website This gives you the right to purchase the cheapest Resident Ticket.