Parking Permit in Paris: learn how it works and how to apply for a parking permit

If you live in Paris and have a car, then you are most likely looking for a place to park your car for a long period of time. In this case, you can apply for a parking permit, or what is called “le droit de stationnement”, the right to parking. This permit will allow for lower parking rates when parking close to your home and is available for all Paris residents. Therefore, it is beneficial to request one if you live in Paris as you would otherwise need to pay the visitor parking rates, which are higher than for residents.

But what is a residential parking permit exactly? How can you request one? How long does it take to receive the parking permit? What are the risks? What are the conditions to be eligible for a parking permit in Paris? What are the costs? And what can you do while you are waiting for your parking permit?

In this article, all of your questions regarding requesting a parking permit in Paris will be resolved.

Requesting a residential parking permit

What is a residential parking permit?

The residential parking permit is for permanent residents of Paris and allows for lower rates when parking close to your residence, and for free parking on Sundays and public holidays. Your car needs to be in your name and registered at your residential address. Company cars can also be granted a permit if the employee resides in Paris.

In which parts of the city is the parking permit valid?

Paris is divided into different parking zones based on residential areas. If you request the permit, it will only be valid on the “mixed roads” (voie mixte) in the four parking zones closest to your permanent residence. If you park outside of these four zones, parking is more expensive because then the visitor rates apply. However, you can move your car inside these four zones freely. Also, remember that you can only park in the same spot for seven consecutive days. Otherwise, your vehicle will be in violation and can be subjected to fines and impoundment.

Since the 12th of July, only one permit is issued per resident, regardless of how many vehicles you may have. Therefore, it might be a good idea to know which alternatives you have in case you need to park outside the four allocated zones. Scroll down to the paragraph about ‘Alternatives to a parking permit in Paris’ at the bottom of the page for more information.

What is the cost of a parking permit in Paris?

If you own a car in Paris, the residential parking permit costs €45 for one year or €90 for three years. There is a possibility to get this permit for free if you have zero income tax. This needs to be shown on your income tax notice, which you provide when requesting the permit. The permit allows the resident to pay a parking fee of only €1.50 per day or €9 per week.

What are the risks of a parking permit?

There are some risks that should be taken into account when deciding whether to request a parking permit or not. When parking on the streets of Paris, a suitable spot is not always guaranteed. Of course, as you are allowed to park in four different zones, the chance of finding parking increases. However, it does take both extra time and increased traffic and pollution when driving around searching for a spot. Another risk is that your car may be damaged when parking on the street as Parisians are not known to be modest drivers.

The request

Now that you are aware of everything, you can file a request for the parking permit with the city hall of Paris. You can also request the permit by mail. The documents needed for the request depends on your situation. Therefore, it is important to check this summary (in French) to make sure that you have everything needed. There is also valuable information in the FAQ of the municipal pages of Paris depending on what type of permit you need, your living situation, your income etc.

How long does it take to receive the parking permit?

Usually, the residential parking permit will be granted almost immediately as the request is made online. In some cases, the authorities will need to verify your documents which can take an indefinite amount of time. This is definitely something you have to take into consideration when you are planning to move or change your car. Also, it is worth getting to know the other available options in the area for this waiting period.

Where to park while waiting for your parking permit?

When you have applied for a parking permit, you will usually have a period of time where you need to find a temporary solution. You can, of course, park on the street, but that is a pretty expensive option as you will have to pay visitor rates. For visitor rates, you can only park for six consecutive hours and it costs € 50-75 for six hours depending on the district (“arrondissement”).

Another option is to ask your friends and colleagues if they know someone who has an empty parking space for a while. Otherwise, it’s also possible to temporarily rent a parking spot through the Mobypark platform. It saves up to 60% in parking costs in comparison to regular street parking. This is due to you renting directly from other locals who have a parking spot, but are not using it at the moment and would otherwise leave their parking spot empty. This way, you can benefit from lower parking prices, which is great if you need to wait on your permit for a long time.

The future of the parking permit in Paris

Paris is planning to become Europe’s greenest city by 2030, which will have an inevitable effect on car owners and driving in the city centre. Currently, you already need to have an environmental badge in your car window when driving in Paris’ ecological zones. Possibly already by next year in 2022, the mayor Anne Hidalgo will have created a car-free centre covering about seven percent of the city. More bike lanes have been built in the past few years, and major roads have been turned into pedestrian streets during the pandemic year.

As parking permits have already been limited to one per resident as of July 2021, more restrictive measures could be expected in Paris in the near future. For this reason, it might also be worth your while to start looking into a good off-street parking alternative if you cannot get a parking permit where you live.

Alternatives to the parking permit in Paris

If you have more than one car, you are not allowed to get a second parking permit. The parking permit is also not valid throughout the city. What can you do when you have to park in zones that are not covered by your residential parking permit? To avoid paying expensive visitor rates in other zones, it is possible to rent a parking space from a neighbour or a nearby company for a longer period of time. This is more expensive than the parking permit, but it is much cheaper than parking on the street.

Now you know everything there is to know about the parking permit in Paris. You are aware of all the different steps and the possibilities while you need to wait for your permit.

Hopefully, you found this blog useful in your search for information about acquiring a residential parking permit in Paris! If you did and you think others will benefit by knowing this information, feel free to share it with your neighbours, friends or colleagues through one of the buttons below.