Silver Pass
What the Silver Pass is
The Silver Pass is a travel pass for people aged 70 and over who live in Tokyo. It is valid across Toei transit, which includes Toei buses, the Toei Subway, the Tokyo Sakura Tram (Toden Arakawa Line) and the Nippori-Toneri Liner, and also on the routes of the private bus companies operating within Tokyo. Buses that charge special fares, such as highway buses and airport shuttle buses, are not covered.
Eligibility covers people aged 70 and over who are registered as living in Tokyo, with those who are bedridden stated as excluded. Applications can be made from the first day of the month in which you turn 70.
Instead of paying a fare every time you ride, you pay a set contribution to buy the pass, and it is renewed on a cycle running from October 1 each year to September 30 of the following year. As of August 2026 the official guide gives the issuing cost in two bands, ¥1,000 and ¥12,000 a year. Those exempt from residents' tax for that fiscal year, or whose total income for local tax purposes in the previous year was ¥1.35 million or less, pay ¥1,000, and everyone else pays ¥12,000; where a pass in the ¥12,000 band is newly purchased on or after April 1, 2026, the cost has been reduced by half, to ¥6,000. The bands and the documents required are revised from time to time, so check the conditions that apply at the time of your application in the official guide to the Tokyo Metropolitan Silver Pass before you apply.
One thing that is easily overlooked when starting out is that, on the guidance as of August 2026, the reduction in cost and the shortness of the usable period take effect at the same time. Passes are issued all year round, but a pass bought partway through the cycle still expires on September 30 of that year, so the later in the cycle you buy, the shorter the period you can use it for. Someone in the ¥12,000 band who buys a new pass in September, for instance, pays only ¥6,000, but the pass is only good until September 30. Anyone in the ¥1,000 band pays ¥1,000 whenever they buy, so the reduction does not apply to them. Whether to wait for the October renewal and start on a full year, or to start using one straight away even with little time left, is best judged by how often you expect to go out. Passes are issued at around 150 permanent counters across Tokyo, such as the commuter pass offices of the bus companies, and applications by a proxy are also accepted.
What changes once you hold one
The greatest value of the Silver Pass lies in being freed from counting out money every time you board. Since you can ride without thinking about the fare, the barrier drops for casual outings, not only shopping and hospital visits but also trips of the "the weather is lovely, let's go one stop along to the park" variety. Transfers and roundabout journeys can also be chosen without worrying about the cost, which makes it easier to do things like picking a quieter run so you can settle into a seat.
On Toei buses, the basic way to use it is to show the pass to the crew as you board. The form of the pass and the way it is handled on board can change, so check the finer points in the official guide. Either way, with no need to fish coins out of a purse, boarding goes more smoothly, which is reassuring for anyone unsteady on their feet.
How it differs from a one-day pass
A ticket that feels similar in use is the one-day pass, but the two are quite different in character. A one-day pass is a ticket anyone can buy that is valid for that single day, whereas the Silver Pass is restricted to eligible holders but can be used throughout its period of validity. For anyone who meets the age requirement, the Silver Pass is the default choice as long as they use buses regularly, and the one-day pass can be filed away as the option for days out with family or friends who do not hold a pass.
Ways of riding that help older passengers travel with confidence are covered in detail in our article on riding the bus for older passengers.