From Monday, February 9, students from public and private institutions in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito can apply for special fares on the Panama Metro and MiBus.
Benefits and fares for the 2026 school year The tariff benefit operates from Monday to Friday, from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., allowing for one trip to and one from the destination per day. Requirements include: • Original or copy of the youth ID card or birth certificate (for validation). • Tuition receipt or 2026 school year enrollment certificate from centers in Panama or San Miguelito. • The student's previously used transport card.
First-time application and replacements Students applying for the benefit for the first time must be accompanied by a guardian to the CAEs (Specialized Attention Centers) of Metro Line 1 or 2. These conditions apply only on weekdays, so weekends, holidays, and vacations maintain the regular fare.
Christopher Machazek, Mobility Manager of Smart Cities at SONDA Panama, stated that with the activation of the 2026 student cards, the goal is to ensure that thousands of students have timely access to preferential fares, supporting their mobility and permanence in the education system through an agile process without additional costs for those who meet the requirements.
Procedure for reactivating benefits For students who already have a card from previous years, the reactivation process is free and must be done at one of the eight Specialized Attention Centers (CAEs). Students in Panama can now activate their student cards for public transport • The student card activation process allows access to reduced costs on the Metro and MiBus on weekdays during the school year. In both situations, the remaining balance is immediately transferred to the new card.
Location of Specialized Attention Centers (CAE) The service points operate from Monday to Saturday, from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the following Panama Metro stations: • Albrook, Cinco de Mayo, and Iglesia del Carmen. • San Miguelito, Los Andes, and San Isidro. • Corredor Sur and Nuevo Tocumen.
SONDA Panama, the company responsible for fare collection in the Integrated Urban Public Transport System, announced the start of the 2026 school year student card activation process. This procedure is free while supplies last; subsequently, the issuance cost will be 4.00 balboas. In case of loss or damage caused by the user, the replacement of student cards costs 4.00 balboas. The established fares for this period are 0.10 cents on the MiBus trunk routes, 0.17 cents on Metro Line 1, and 0.25 cents on Metro Line 2. If the damage is factory-made, the replacement is free. A photocopy of the youth ID, the 2026 tuition receipt, and the ID of the responsible adult must be presented.
