Disabled Parking Permits in Europe
The blue badge has different names - take it with you on trips.
Under a 1997 resolution, the European Union countries accept each other's disabled parking permits and those from Canada, USA, Australia and other associate EU members.
Disabled Parking Permits are Recognized in the European Union
In 1997, the European Conference of Ministers of Transport adopted a resolution where the disabled parking permits of the European Union member countries, and the associate member countries would be recognized everywhere in the EU member countries.
The badge must display the international blue and white wheelchair symbol.
The full list of EU member countries and associate member countries is provided on the ECMT website.
Currently there are 44 member countries and seven associate member countries.
The associate member countries of the EU are:
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- Korea
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- United States.
If you have a valid handicapped parking permit, blue badge, blue plaque (all of these are the same thing but the names vary between countries), entitling you to the disabled parking privileges in your home country, you may use it in the EU countries as well.
The ECMT website gives details for many of the individual countries' rules about disabled parking using a permit.
Local Parking May Be Limited
In every place where parking is limited - and this of course includes the busiest popular tourist sites - there is no absolute guarantee that you will find a parking spot even though you have a pass. So, do your homework and research the parking if there is some place you particularly want to visit.
