Ibercaja will manage the Madrid Youth Card with 600,000 euros annually

The Community of Madrid and Ibercaja Banco, S. A. have signed an agreement for the promotion and revitalization of the Carné Joven Comunidad de Madrid (Community of Madrid Youth Card) and the issuance of the card in its financial card modality. The agreement, signed on September 22, 2026, is published in the OFFICIAL GAZETTE OF THE COMMUNITY OF MADRID number 254, dated October 24, 2026, within section I.D) Announcements, with the reference BOCM-20261024-21. The financial entity will provide 600,000 euros annually and will assume the full cost of the travel assistance insurance for all holders.

The origin: a previous selection by Order of the Ministry

The agreement fulfills Order 110/2026, of February 2, of the Ministry of Family, Youth and Social Affairs, which established and initiated the procedure to select a collaborating entity for the promotion and revitalization of the Youth Card, along with the issuance of its financial card. That order was published in the BOCM on February 10, 2026, and Ibercaja was selected as a result.

The regulatory basis of the program is Order 806 bis/2009, of July 22, which regulates the Carné Joven Comunidad de Madrid and recognizes three benefits for its holders: economic advantages in accessing goods and services, coverage of travel assistance insurance, and free access to information regarding the operation of the card and its national and international benefits. Competence lies with the General Directorate of Youth, in accordance with Decree 241/2023, of September 21.

The text is signed by the minister Ana Dávila-Ponce de León Municio, representing the Community of Madrid, and Víctor Royo Escosa, on behalf of Ibercaja Banco, S. A.

Who can have it and how to apply

Holders of the Youth Card are young people between the ages of 14 and 30 who reside in the territory of the Community of Madrid. The document establishes two modalities:

• Financial card: requested at any Ibercaja office in the region or via the internet, through the entity’s website or application, and delivered at the designated office or at the home address if the request was online, along with the operation PIN.
• Conventional card: if the young person waives the financial advantages, Ibercaja will send the applications daily to the youth information service determined according to the locality.

The issuance of the financial card will be free of charge and will be initially linked to Mastercard, although the entity may replace the brand by notifying the monitoring commission. The format may be a plastic or digital card and will incorporate the EYCA European member number through a free Madrid Digital interface. The granting or denial of the financial card is the exclusive competence of Ibercaja, following a risk assessment.

Money, travel insurance and exclusivity

Ibercaja’s economic obligations are fixed in the agreement:

• Annual fixed contribution of 600,000 euros, excluding VAT, for the management of the card by the Community of Madrid during the four-year duration.
• Annual promotion campaign for 250,000 euros, excluding VAT.
• Acquisition of the plastics, design, technology, and distribution of the cards.
• Subscription to a free travel assistance insurance policy for all holders, regardless of the modality.

The insurance covers medical assistance for illness or accident abroad up to 4,000 euros (6,010.12 euros in the United States and Canada), emergency dental expenses up to 60 euros, repatriation or sanitary transfers, transfer of remains, shipment of medications or cash up to 1,500 euros, and private civil liability of at least 60,000 euros with a deductible of 150 euros. It applies to trips of up to 90 consecutive days and, generally, to more than 15 kilometers from the habitual residence.

The Community of Madrid reserves the possibility of signing agreements with local entities and adding sponsors, but Ibercaja will be the official sponsor at all times, and no other competing financial entities will be admitted during the term.

Validity and Control

The agreement extends from June 1, 2026, or from its formalization if later, until December 31, 2029, and is renewable for equal periods. Its monitoring is the responsibility of a six-member commission: chaired by the head of the General Directorate of Youth, with a casting vote, and five members, three appointed by Ibercaja and two by the general directorate, one of whom serves as secretary. Agreements are adopted by unanimity.

The Community of Madrid also maintains its own commitments: discounts at youth hostels and summer pools in accordance with the Agreement of June 19, 2018, of the Governing Council, recruitment of collaborating companies and businesses, and management of the website and profiles on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.

The impact for the readers is twofold: young Madrileños aged 14 to 30 gain access to a free card with travel insurance included and discounts on regional services, while the Community secures 2.4 million euros over four years and a sole sponsor in the financial sector.

Source: OFFICIAL BULLETIN OF THE COMMUNITY OF MADRID, no. 254, of October 24, 2026, section I.D) Announcements, pages 116 et seq. (official reference: BOCM-20261024-21).