T-mobilitat: what it is and which card a visitor needs
T-mobilitat is not a ticket: it is the card your tickets are loaded onto. Most of the confusion comes from that. There are three versions, they cost different amounts and they do not take the same tickets. For a holiday in Barcelona, the answer is almost always the cardboard card.
The three versions
| Card | Price | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Anonymous cardboard card | 1,00 € | Sold at metro, train and tram ticket machines. Takes non-personal tickets only. |
| On your phone (app) | 1,00 € | Managed from the TMB App. |
| Personalised plastic card | 4,50 € | You have to register. Takes every integrated ticket and holds up to two at once. |
This price is the card only. The ticket goes on top: a T-casual is another 13,00 €.
Which one you need
Cardboard (1,00 €) for a short stay. If you are here for a few days on a T-casual or a T-dia, this is the one. Buy it from any metro machine, with no registration. It is the quickest option when you arrive.
On your phone (1,00 €) if you would rather not carry anything. It is managed from the TMB App, but it depends on your phone having battery when you reach the barrier.
Plastic (4,50 €) only for a long stay. It is personalised and needs registering, and it is the card you need for the T-usual, the 30-day pass. It takes every integrated ticket, including personal ones, and holds up to two at once.
Where to get one
- Online, on the T-mobilitat website, the TMB App or TMB Tickets
- At a Punt TMB customer office, where you get it on the spot with a ticket already loaded
- By post, in about ten days, if you order it online
The practical difference: at a Punt TMB you walk out with the card in your hand; ordered online, it takes about ten days to arrive. Not something to leave until the week before you fly.
What we do not take for granted.
None of the official sources we checked says the paper ticket has been withdrawn completely, so we do not assume it.
You will read in many places that paper tickets no longer exist. No official source we have consulted says so in those words, so we would rather not repeat it.
What it really costs to start
Arrive in Barcelona with nothing and want ten journeys, and the full bill is 1,00 € for the cardboard card plus 13,00 € for the T-casual: 14,00 €. That is the number you will not find in any fare table.
Which ticket to load onto it is a separate question, answered in Barcelona metro tickets and prices.
Frequently asked questions
What is T-mobilitat?
A contactless ticketing and validation system that is gradually replacing paper tickets in Barcelona. It is not a ticket itself: it is the card (or app) your tickets are loaded onto.
How much does a T-mobilitat card cost?
The anonymous cardboard card costs 1,00 €, the phone version 1,00 € and the personalised plastic card 4,50 €. That is only the card: the ticket is paid for separately.
Which T-mobilitat card do I need as a tourist?
For a short stay, the cardboard card. You buy it at any metro machine without registering, and it takes the T-casual and the T-dia. Your first T-casual therefore costs 14,00 € in total.
Where do I get a T-mobilitat card?
Online, on the T-mobilitat website, the TMB App or TMB Tickets. At a Punt TMB customer office, where you get it on the spot with a ticket already loaded. By post, in about ten days, if you order it online.
Does the cardboard card work for everything?
No. It is anonymous and only takes non-personal tickets. For the T-usual monthly pass you need the personalised plastic card.
Have paper tickets disappeared?
None of the official sources we checked says the paper ticket has been withdrawn completely, so we do not assume it.
Checked 22 October 2026. Sources: t-mobilitat.atm.cat · TMB (cards and sales points)