Polish 18-year-olds in Cyprus can get a free ticket to Europe

Young Poles living in Cyprus can receive a free ticket to travel around Europe. The autumn application period for the DiscoverEU program will begin on October 1st and is open to those born in 2008.

A special offer is available for island residents. In addition to a ticket allowing primarily train travel, the organizer can also provide flights from Cyprus to mainland Europe and a return flight. Approximately 40,000 such tickets will be awarded throughout the autumn season.

Which Poles can apply?

The DiscoverEU autumn intake is open to people born between 1 January and 31 December 2008.

It doesn't matter whether the applicant is already 18 years old when they submit the form. It's sufficient that their 18th birthday falls in 2026.

The programme is open to individuals who are citizens or legal residents of one of the European Union countries or a country associated with the Erasmus+ programme.

In practice, this means that a young Pole living in Cyprus can apply based on their Polish citizenship. The form requires the number of their ID card, passport, or residence permit.

What matters is the place of residence, not citizenship

When awarding tickets, candidates are divided according to their country of residence indicated on the form.

A Polish citizen living in the Republic of Cyprus will therefore participate in the recruitment within the pool allocated to Cyprus, not Poland. Citizenship allows them to meet the program's requirements, but it does not determine the national ticket limit.

In the case of a group registration, the place of residence of the group leader determines the appropriate pool.

Recruitment will begin on October 1st

The application form will be available on 1 October 2026 at 12:00 noon Brussels time. In Cyprus, the time will be 13:00.

Applications will close on October 15th at 1:00 PM Cyprus time. Applications will no longer be accepted after this time.

Questions need to be answered

Simply meeting the age and citizenship requirements does not guarantee you will receive a ticket.

Candidates will be asked five questions about the European Union and youth-focused initiatives. There will also be a supplementary question requiring a specific value estimate.

The order of candidates will be decided by:

• number of correct answers,
• result of the additional question,
• ultimately, the order in which applications are submitted.

The recruitment results are expected to be announced in January 2027.

You can go alone or with friends

You can apply for DiscoverEU individually or as a group of up to five people.

In the case of a group, one person becomes the group leader and answers the competition questions. The remaining participants join the entry using a code provided by that person.

Each group member must provide their own information and meet the age, citizenship, and residency requirements. A group may consist of individuals with different citizenships and living in different countries.

People who received a DiscoverEU pass in one of the previous rounds and booked it cannot use the programme again.

What is the journey like?

Qualified individuals will be able to travel between March 1, 2027 and May 31, 2028.

The trip can last from one day to a maximum of one month. During this period, the participant will receive seven days of travel.

This doesn't mean the entire trip can last only seven days. For example, a ticket holder could travel to Rome one day, stay there for a few days, and then use the next day of travel to travel to the next city.

The seven days can be used consecutively or spread over the entire month. Trains remain the primary mode of transportation, with travel in second class.

The program also allows you to reserve up to four seats on trains operated by the reservation system free of charge. This excludes, among other things, sleeping cars and first-class seats.

Will the organizer provide a flight from Cyprus?

People living in Cyprus are in a special situation because the island is not connected to the European rail network.

The program rules stipulate that eligible Cypriot residents can receive flights to mainland Europe and a return ticket. The flight is organized by a contractor acting on behalf of DiscoverEU.

You shouldn't buy a plane ticket yourself and expect a refund later. The program clearly states that transportation must be booked through a designated provider.

After reaching the continent, the participant continues his journey primarily by train.

What does the participant have to pay for?

DiscoverEU provides a travel pass and a discount card. The card allows you to enjoy discounts on accommodation, cultural events, sports, local transport, food, and selected attractions, among other things.

However, the participant must pay for:

• accommodation,
• food,
• basic insurance,
• local transport,
• tickets to attractions,
• part of the train reservations,
• other expenses during the trip.

A free DiscoverEU pass doesn't mean a completely free vacation. Before you travel, you'll need to budget for accommodation and daily expenses.

Where to submit an application?

The form will be available on the European Youth Portal on October 1st. It's worth preparing a valid ID card, passport, or document confirming legal residence in advance.

The budget for the autumn round is €23.5 million. The European Commission plans to award approximately 40,000 tickets to young residents of participating countries.

Sources: European Youth Portal, European Commission, European Education and Culture Executive Agency