With the beginning of the school year for the state education network, students and teachers who intend to use the Free School Pass or the Half Fare for metropolitan transport can fill out the request forms on the EMTU website (https://www.emtu.sp.gov.br/passe/indexregiao.htm) to request the benefit that grants free or discounted fares on intercity lines.
Sales of electronic credits for the Half Fare quota and the use of the Free School Pass quota for those who have already had their request approved on the website started on February 1st. The release of the 2024 database for schools to update the registration of students and teachers on the EMTU Partner Portal took place on January 2nd.
The Free School Pass exempts students in regular, technical or higher education at public schools from paying the fare for intercity travel between home and school. As stipulated by current legislation, the applicant must have a per capita family income of less than 1.5 national minimum wages (R$ 2,118.00), or be part of scholarships such as Fies, Prouni and social quotas.
Students who are not entitled to full free travel can request the Half Fare, which grants a 50% discount on ticket payment. Teachers can request the Half Rate if they live in one municipality and teach in another in the metropolitan region.
In 2023, 83,114 school passes were issued by EMTU in the five metropolitan regions of the State (São Paulo, Baixada Santista, Campinas, Vale do Paraíba/Litoral Norte and Sorocaba), of which 41,342 were Free Passes and 41,772 were Half Fares.
What’s new in the application process in 2024
The School Pass regulations have been revised to provide guidance to students and teachers, with a new look for filling out the pass request form:
- It is possible to enter only the line number, simplifying the way of choosing the line that will be used on the route from home to school. Previously, it was necessary to select the company and then the line.
- For those with low income, filling out and sending the documentation has also become more objective, as the proof will be sent by a family member.
The fee is R$26.60 (value of seven floor rates, which is R$3.80)
How to apply
The first step is for the educational institution registered with EMTU to register the student or teacher on the Partners-Teaching Institution-EMTU/SP Portal, which is exclusive to the school. After registration, the interested party must access the site from EMTU in the School Pass option to fill out the form, send previously scanned documents, print and pay the invoice fee in the amount corresponding to R$ 26.60. The release of the benefit will depend on the analysis and approval of the documentation and the route taken.
TOP Card Request
In the São Paulo Metropolitan Region, cards are not sent to educational institutions. After the notice of release of the benefit on the EMTU website, the person responsible or holder over 18 years of age must request their TOP card via TOP appavailable for Android and IOS, or at one of the more than 60 physical points available for issuing the card.
It is necessary to make an appointment in advance to make the request at physical points, as well as to carry an official document with a photo at the service. To access the complete list of locations, click on the link. For those who choose to receive the card at home, they must pay the delivery fee of R$28.50, in addition to the issuance fee charged by EMTU in the amount of R$26.60.
It is important to highlight that both Half Fare and Free Pass beneficiaries, residents of Greater São Paulo, must follow the following procedure: after receiving notice of benefit release on the EMTU website and in possession of the TOP card, they must update it, Approaching one of the TOP online validators present at EMTU bus terminals and also at Metro and CPTM stations, to take advantage of the benefit and use only on metropolitan intercity buses.
Those who have the Half Fare must pay attention when recharging, and select the school application so that the discount on the fare is applied. The TOP in school mode cannot be used on METRÔ or CPTM (to do this, the student must request the Bilhete Único, from SPTrans). In other metropolitan areas, the procedure remains as in previous years. The passenger must access the option School Pass on the EMTU website and click on the metropolitan region where the school is located.
To top up their TOP Student card, beneficiaries can use the TOP app, ATMs and partner establishments. And, this year, there is something new: it is now also possible to top up via WhatsApp. Just follow the self-service instructions at (11) 3888-2200. If you have any questions about requesting the benefit or using TOP, access the TOP Help Center via the link: Bora from TOP
It is important that the student or teacher carefully reads the School Pass regulations available on the EMTU portal and checks that they have all the documents required by law. When ordering online, the documentation must have already been scanned and ready for shipping. If the process is done correctly, the benefit is released within 10 business days. If there is any pending issue, it is possible to regularize it through the website itself, sending the correct documentation, but the period of 10 working days will start from the date of regularization – the status of the request can be monitored on the website.
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