The Navigo Pass represents a substantial budget for many Ile-de-France residents, but fortunately Paris and the Ile-de-France region have developed a wide range oftransport aids to ease this financial burden. Whether you're a student, senior citizen, job-seeker or disabled, there are schemes to reduce or even eliminate the cost of your daily commute. From totally free travel for RSA recipients to substantial reductions for families, we'll guide you through all the assistance available to optimize your transport budget.
The Forfait Navigo Gratuité is the most advantageous form of assistance in the Ile-de-France system. Intended for people in precarious situations, this scheme allows free travel on all zones 1 to 5, equivalent to a full Navigo pass. To qualify, you must be a beneficiary of the RSA under certain income conditions, or of theAllocation Spécifique de Solidarité (ASS) coupled with the Complémentaire Santé Solidaire.
This assistance, managed byAgence Solidarité Transport, is renewed every three months for as long as your social security entitlements are maintained. It's worth noting that all members of the household can also benefit, which represents a substantial saving for families.
Tarification Solidarité Transport also offers 75% reductions on monthly and weekly passes for unemployed people receiving ASS and CSS benefits, and for people receiving Complémentaire Santé Solidaire health insurance.
Parisians benefit from particularly generous special assistance. The Pass Paris Senior, for people over 65 (or 60 if recognized as unfit for work), offers free transport on all Paris zones. This means-tested aid (income tax below certain ceilings defined by the City of Paris) concerns more than 220,000 eligible Parisians.
Pass Paris Access' extends this free service to disabled people living in Paris. These two schemes also include the "Le Plus loisirs" card, offering preferential rates at Paris municipal facilities.
For disabled young people aged 16 to 19 who do not qualify for Imagine R, the Pass Paris Access' Jeunes offers free travel for 12 months on the entire Paris region network.
In addition to free travel in Paris, senior citizens aged 62 and over can benefit from the Forfait Navigo Annuel Tarification Senior. This scheme, which can be taken out without working or with less than half-time employment, halves the cost of the Navigo: around €44 per month instead of the full rate, representing substantial savings over the year.
This preferential rate applies only to the all-zone pass and requires monthly direct debit. Registration is made exclusively at a RATP or SNCF sales office, and can be suspended or cancelled at any time.
The Imagine R pass remains the mainstay of student transport in the Paris region. It usually costs around €390 for high school students, but there are a number of ways in which it can be considerably reduced. The Region's LABAZ application could renew its €100 reimbursement aid, subject to confirmation for the 2025-2026 school year.
The Imagine R Junior pass, for 4-11 year olds, has cost €24.40 a year since 2020, representing a major saving for families. Students under 26 have access to the Imagine R Étudiant pass for around €375 a year.
Young Parisians under the age of 18 have benefited from full reimbursement of their Imagine R by the City of Paris for the 2024-2025 school year. Renewal of this measure for 2025-2026 has yet to be confirmed by the municipality.
Navigo Imagine R and Vélib' reimbursement in Paris for young Parisians 2025 - 2026
In light of its success since its launch, the City of Paris is once again repeating its annual helping hand and opening its public transport and Vélib' reimbursement scheme on Thursday, September 4, 2025, reserved exclusively for young Parisians. Here's everything you need to know about the scheme. [Read more]
The Ile-de-France départements offer their own schemes, depending on their annual budgets. In the Yvelines department, the Conseil départemental has in the past offered up to €150 in assistance for Imagine R cards for secondary school pupils. For school bus passes, grants can vary from €65 to €130, depending on the section and the department's budgetary decisions.
The Scol'R special circuitscard can benefit from subsidies of up to 195€ for pupils using exclusive school buses, subject to departmental budget allocations.
Employees are reimbursed by their employer for 50% of their Navigo pass, in accordance with the French Labor Code. This compulsory reimbursement applies to all public transport passes.
Jobseekers can apply for mobility assistance from Pôle Emploi, covering transport, accommodation and meal expenses as part of their job search or training.
The " Forfait Gratuité jeunes en insertion " allows trainees in vocational training under the age of 26 to travel free of charge for the duration of their training.
To find out exactly what your entitlements are according to your situation, consult theÎle-de-France Mobilités simulator, or visit an RATP or SNCF agency for personalized assistance with your procedures.
