Turning 18? You Could Win a Free Europe Travel Pass

Europe has long encouraged youth from around the world to get out, explore, and learn about new cultures.

With dozens of countries across nearly 4 million square miles, the continent offers an endless supply of incredible trips and opportunities for adventure.

This is why the EU's latest offer is so enticing.

If you were born in 2007 and are a citizen/resident of an EU member state/one of the third countries associated with Erasmus, you can apply to win one of 40,000 DiscoverEU Travel Passes.

We're here to break down what you need to know about these passes and how you can apply now.

Hurry, though, applications close on November 15th (2025).

What is the DiscoverEU Travel Pass?

The DiscoverEU Travel Pass is a pass designed for 18-year-olds looking to explore the European Union.

"[It's] a travel experience that will foster their sense of belonging to the European Union, allow them to explore the diversity of Europe, its cultural heritage and history, connect with people from all over the continent and ultimately discover themselves." - The European Union

The passes give their holders free or reduced-cost transportation (with the most environmentally-friendly option being prioritized), as well as discounts on a ton of other tourism-related things like accommodations and sights.

The European Union lists that the card will include discounts for:

• Accommodations
• Local transportation
• Food
• Activities
• Other visits

This pass can be used for up to one month (minimum 1 day), and the trip must start no earlier than March 1st, 2026.

On top of that, the recipient must visit at least one of the eligible EU/Erasmus+ foreign countries.

There are several details and some fine print regarding how the DiscoverEU Travel Pass must be used, so make sure you check them out in the DiscoverEU's official rules.

The pass offers one free transportation (the most environmentally friendly decision) from your qualifying country of residence to a qualifying foreign destination. Then, discounts on local transportation thereafter.

According to the official rules, "Travel passes for the successful applicants will be booked, purchased and delivered solely by the contractor designated by EACEA [European Education and Culture Executive Agency]."

Who is eligible to apply?

In order to apply for a DiscoverEU pass, you must meet all of the following criteria.

• Your 18th birthday needs to have happened between January 1st, 2025, and December 21st, 2025 (so, you were born in 2007).
• You are a citizen or resident of a European country and/or the following Erasmus+ associated countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Türkiye.
• You must fill out your correct passport number, resident permit number, or ID on the application form.
• You must agree to the Declaration on Honour on the application form.
• You must not be a former recipient of the DiscoverEU Travel Pass.

If you meet all of these criteria, you can fill out the online application for the DiscoverEU Travel Pass.

How to apply for a DiscoverEU Travel Pass

For eligible candidates, the application form can be found online on the official DiscoverEU application page.

Confirm your eligibility

You'll first be asked to confirm your eligibility. After that, you can follow the prompts through the online application process.

One of the best things about the DiscoverEU travel pass is that you can apply with a friend or as a group! Groups of up to 5 are welcome to apply together.

Verify your email address

After you have proven your eligibility and stated whether you're applying solo or as a group, you will be asked to provide your valid email address and confirm it to move on to the next part of the process.

Provide personal details

The application process will require you to give out a number of personal details, such as:

• Your name
• Gender
• Country of residence
• Occupation
• And more.

Take a short quiz

Winning depends on a small quiz. You will be asked to answer 5 general questions about the European Union and youth initiatives in the EU. These questions are multiple choice.

You will also be asked an additional related question.

You can change the answers to your quiz up until you submit your application.

Those who answer the questions most correctly (including the additional subsidiary question) will be most likely to be awarded. If there is an equal footing, DiscoverEU Travel Passes will be awarded on a "first-come, first-served" basis. That said, there will be a committee that oversees which applications will be successful.

Now, if you are applying as a group, only the member submitting the application will need to take the quiz, so keep that in mind.

Share your travel plans

While your travel plans don't have to be ready in full, you will be asked a bit about them when you apply.

For instance, you will be asked when you plan to take your trip and what you're hoping to learn from the experience. Remember, trips need to take place after March 1, 2026.

You'll also be asked if it's the first time you're traveling without your parents, and how you plan to pay for your trip (even with the potential discounts provided by the DiscoverEU Travel Pass)

This section will not affect your chance of winning a pass. Instead, it is for the European Union to collect a little bit of information and learn more about its candidates.

Send in your application!

Once you have given all of the information, you'll need to verify and confirm your application before hitting "submit"!

Once you have submitted your application, you won't be able to change any of the responses, even those for the quiz, so that's why it is very important to double-check everything.

Once submitted, you will receive an email to the email address provided letting you know that your application has been received.

In said email, there will be a confirmation code that is directly connected to your application (for tracking), as well as a timeframe of when you can expect to be notified about whether or not you've been selected to receive a DiscoverEU Travel Pass.

How do you know if you have won?

If you are one of the lucky 40,000 recipients of the DiscoverEU Travel Pass, you will be notified by email, as well as in your European Youth Portal account.

If you don't already have an account, you will be automatically prompted to make one during the application process.

Once the committee has decided, you will receive an email letting you know whether you have won, have not been selected, or have been placed on a reserve list.

If you win and need a visa

If you are selected to receive a DiscoverEU Travel Pass and need to apply for a visa for your trip, a designated contractor will assist you. That said, you (the recipient) will be responsible for making sure you have the required visa/travel documents ahead of your journey.

If this is the case, DiscoverEU will pay for the cost of your visa, as well as the related costs of any mandatory travel insurance.