Parking in Utrecht: rates, P+R, car parks and visitor parking

What to do first

Utrecht has paid parking across a large part of the city, and that area is growing. Before you set off, it is worth sorting out 3 things:

• Look up your destination on the parking map. It shows the zone, the paid parking hours, the car parks, the P+R sites and also the low emission zone and zero emission zone.
• Decide in advance: street, car park or P+R. For a day in the city centre, a P+R is cheaper than a car park, according to the city.
• Visiting a resident? Ask whether they have a visitor parking discount. It saves 50% on the street.

All the amounts below are the 2026 rates as published by the city of Utrecht.

Paid street parking: zones and hours

According to the city of Utrecht there are 3 paid parking zones, each with its own hours:

• Zone A1: Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 1:00, and Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00.
• Zone A2: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 23:00.
• Zone BC: the hours differ by parking area.

To find the exact hours and hourly rate for your spot, enter the address at the top left of the parking map and then click in the coloured parking area next to that address.

Note: there is no longer an exception for public holidays. On a public holiday the normal rate for the zone where you park applies.

What street parking costs

The short stay rates for 2026 according to the Parking costs page:

Zone A1

• Per hour: €8.01
• Day ticket: €56.13, valid only on the day of purchase between 7:00 and 1:00 and only in the parking area where you bought it
• Evening ticket: €28.07, valid only on the day of purchase between 19:00 and 1:00, also only in the parking area of purchase

Zone A2

• Per hour: €6.94
• Day ticket: €48.64, valid on the day of purchase between 9:00 and 23:00, in the parking area of purchase
• Evening ticket: €16.66, valid on the day of purchase between 19:00 and 23:00, in the parking area of purchase

Zone BC

For zone BC the city refers you to the parking map for the hourly rate. For Zuilen the city gives a rate of €5.34 per hour for visitors.

Whole city parking permit

Do you need to be in several places in Utrecht, for work for example? Then you can apply for a whole city parking permit. Anyone can apply, including people and businesses from outside Utrecht. You register the number plate the permit applies to. The costs in 2026:

• per day €71.92
• per week €323.13
• per month €971.82
• per 3 months €2,186.57
• per year €6,559.93

This permit is not valid in car parks, and you get no refund if you cancel. If you park for 1 day within 1 parking area, a day ticket from the parking machine is cheaper, according to the city.

Zuilen: paid parking from 1 November 2026

From 1 November 2026 there will be paid parking in part of Zuilen. According to the city it applies Monday to Friday from 6:00 to 11:00. Visitors pay €5.34 per hour during those hours, at the parking machine or via a parking app.

Zuilen is not an exception. The city is introducing paid parking neighbourhood by neighbourhood and expects this to continue until 2034. Planned areas include Hoograven-Zuid, Schaakbuurt and Prins Bernhardplein and surroundings in 2027, Lunetten-Zuid and Leeuwesteyn in 2028, and Parkwijk-Noord, Parkwijk-Zuid and Het Zand-Oost in 2029. So always check the map again, even if you parked there free of charge last year.

P+R: how it works

Parking at a P+R is easy and cheaper than a car park, according to the city of Utrecht. The city lists P+R Berlijnplein, P+R Papendorp, P+R Utrecht Science Park and P+R Westraven for the P+R combination ticket: a full day’s parking plus a return journey by public transport for up to 5 people.

Step by step:

1. Park your car and keep your parking ticket.
2. Choose how to travel. Are there 2 or more of you? Buy a P+R ticket at the yellow machine. Travelling alone? Then it is cheaper with your own OV-chipkaart.
3. Take the U-OV bus (the yellow bus) or the tram to the centre. Check in with your P+R ticket or OV-chipkaart and check out again in the centre.
4. Travel back the same day on the U-OV bus or tram to the P+R stop. Check in and out again.
5. Back at the car park: insert your parking ticket in the payment machine and scan the P+R ticket or your OV-chipkaart for a discount on the parking charge. Finally, drive out with your parking ticket.

With 1 P+R ticket up to 5 people can travel. Children up to and including 11 years old travel free with a paying adult, up to a maximum of 3 children.

Car parks

Anyone may park in a public car park, by the hour or with a season ticket. The city lists car parks including Paardenveld, Springweg, Croeselaan, Kruisstraat, Hoog-Catharijne, De Grifthoek, Kop van Lombok and Berlijnplein. You can see exactly where each one is on the parking map. The 2026 rates for which the city publishes figures:

Paardenveld

• Per hour €7.12
• Daily maximum €71.23

De Grifthoek

• Per hour €2.85
• Daily maximum €28.53
• Evening ticket from 19:00 to 0:00: €7.15
• 5-day monthly ticket (Monday to Friday): €177.84
• 7-day monthly ticket (Monday to Sunday): €248.65

Kop van Lombok

• Per hour €3.58
• Daily maximum €35.79
• Evening ticket from 19:00 to 0:00: €8.92
• 5-day monthly ticket: €177.84
• 7-day monthly ticket: €248.65

Berlijnplein

• Per hour €3.00
• Daily maximum €30.03
• Evening ticket from 19:00: €7.52
• 5-day monthly ticket: €149.20
• 7-day monthly ticket: €208.87

The difference is considerable: a full day at Paardenveld costs up to €71.23, at De Grifthoek no more than €28.53. For the Springweg, Croeselaan and Kruisstraat car parks the rates page has headings but no complete rates we can show here; check them with the city or at the barrier.

For season tickets with an access pass the city charges a deposit: €9.95 for public car parks and €25.00 for the Springweg and Hoog-Catharijne car parks.

Discounted visitor parking

Does your host live in a neighbourhood with paid parking? Then they can apply for a free visitor parking discount. This gives visitors 50% off the normal parking charge. In zone A1 visitors then pay €4.00 per hour instead of €8.01.

How many hours? Every 3 months (per quarter) the resident receives a credit of hours:

• zones A1 and A2: 70 hours
• zone BC: 120 hours

For Zuilen the city also gives 120 hours per 3 months; applications there open from 5 October.

Conditions for the resident

• lives in a paid parking area;
• is registered at that address;
• the other residents at the address do not use the discount (anyone wishing to share the discount with other residents creates a discount code);
• only residents can apply, not businesses.

Applying is done online with DigiD. In zone A1 (pink) or A2 (yellow), choose ‘Bewonerskorting voor bezoek’ on the form. In zone BC (blue) or an area where paid parking is coming soon, choose ‘Bewonerskorting voor bezoek B1’. After applying you immediately receive an email (check your spam folder too) explaining the Mijn Parkeeractie account. The discount does not work without that account.

Using it is done via Mijn Parkeeractie, as the guide explains. There are 2 ways:

• The resident pays and indicates via Mijn Parkeeractie or by phone when the visitor may park. There must first be enough parking credit in the account.
• The resident creates a discount code. The visitor then registers the parking time and pays at the discounted rate themselves. This can only be done online via Mijn Parkeeractie.

Your visitors do not need to leave anything in the car: the city checks by scanning the number plate.

Need help applying or with Mijn Parkeeractie? Call 14 030, or visit a district office, the library or the service point at the city office. The guide is also available in English, Arabic and Turkish.

Paying

On the street you pay at the parking machine or via a parking app. According to the city you can also pay contactless. With a day or evening ticket from the machine, remember that it is only valid in the parking area where you bought it. In car parks you pay at the payment machine before driving out; at a P+R you also scan your P+R ticket or OV-chipkaart there for the discount.

Enforcement and fines

The city enforces paid parking with scan cars that read number plates, and also checks for illegal parking. If you have not paid, you get a fine. According to the rates list, the parking ticket consists of a surcharge of €77.70 plus the parking charge for the number of hours.

Have you wrongly paid too much, or not received a discount you were entitled to? You can reclaim parking charges through the city.

Exceptions

• Disabled parking card: you need a disabled parking permit to park in places where you have to pay. This permit is free. Different rules apply; read the city’s parking rules for disabled people.
• Informal carers and home care: residents who need care get 75% off their carer’s parking charges.
• Public holidays: no exception, you pay the normal zone rate.

Checklist before you set off

• Looked up your destination’s zone and hours on the parking map.
• Compared the hourly rate with a day ticket, evening ticket or a cheaper car park.
• For the P+R: OV-chipkaart or P+R ticket, not OVpay, and back at the car before 1:00.
• Made your last check-in in the centre (zone 5000).
• Visiting a resident: parking session registered via Mijn Parkeeractie, on the street in the correct parking area.
• Driving to Zuilen: from 1 November 2026 you pay on weekdays from 6:00 to 11:00.
• Questions? Call 14 030.