Parking in Madrid: SER Blue and Green Zones, Permits and Fines

Most of central Madrid is covered by the SER (Servicio de Estacionamiento Regulado), the city’s paid street-parking scheme. It applies Monday to Friday 9:00–21:00 and Saturday 9:00–15:00. Visitors can park up to 4 hours in blue spaces and 2 hours in green spaces, paying at a meter or in an app, and the price depends on the car’s environmental label, as of November 2026.

What do the blue and green spaces mean?

Street markings tell you who can park and for how long. The main types are:

Once you reach the maximum, you cannot park again in the same neighborhood (barrio) until an hour has passed. A daily cap of 10 hours per vehicle across blue and green spaces also applies. Other special spaces exist for loading, motorcycles and people with reduced mobility; read the sign at the start of the street.

When does the SER apply?

• Monday to Friday: 9:00 to 21:00, except public holidays.
• Saturday: 9:00 to 15:00.
• Sundays and public holidays: free in almost all of the city.

Since 2026 the Ayuntamiento can extend the hours in specific neighborhoods with high demand, and the SER has expanded to more neighborhoods. Some streets near hospitals and other special areas have their own hours. Always check the meter or the app, which show the rules for the exact street.

How much does it cost, and how do you pay?

Prices depend on the type of space, the time and the car’s DGT label: zero-emission (blue label) cars park free and without time limits in blue and green spaces, while older, more polluting cars pay more. Because the tariff changes with each fiscal ordinance and differs by label, check the price on the meter screen rather than relying on a figure from a website. Our guide to Madrid’s low-emission zones explains the labels.

You can pay in two ways:

1. At the meter (parquímetro): enter your plate, choose the time and pay by card. You do not need to leave a ticket on the dashboard, because control is by plate.
2. In an authorized app: the city works with several parking apps that link to the SER system. They let you extend your time remotely within the maximum and, since 2026, end a ticket early with the “desaparcar” option and get the unused time refunded.

How do residents get a parking permit?

Residents can park without a time limit in the green spaces of their own neighborhood with a resident authorization. In general you need to:

1. Be registered on the padrón at an address in a SER neighborhood. See our guide to empadronamiento in Madrid.
2. Have the car registered at that address and the city’s vehicle tax (IVTM) paid there; leasing and company cars have their own documentation rules.
3. Apply through the Ayuntamiento’s electronic office or in person, and pay the resident fee for the year.

A car with foreign plates usually cannot get the permit until it is registered in Spain. If street parking does not work for you, some municipal car parks run by EMT offer long-term spaces for residents; availability and waiting lists are shown on the EMT resident car parks page.

What happens if you get a ticket?

Parking control officers check plates against the SER system. If you overstay by a short time, the meters and apps let you cancel the report (anulación de denuncia) by paying a small extra charge within the time limit shown on the notice, typically within an hour. Parking without paying, or overstaying by longer, leads to a fine.

Under Spanish traffic law most fines can be paid with a 50% discount within 20 calendar days of notification, but paying early means you give up the right to appeal. Fines can be paid online through the Ayuntamiento’s electronic office. Leaving a car in a space where it blocks traffic, a loading bay or a reserved space can also lead to towing.

Where do you collect a towed car?

The municipal tow service (grúa) is run by EMT. Use “Localiza tu vehículo” on the EMT website to find which depot has your car and to pay online. The depots listed by EMT, as of November 2026:

Outside office hours at most depots, you first complete the paperwork at Nuestra Señora Recuerdo. Bring ID, the vehicle documents and, if they are inside the car, ask staff to let you collect them first. You pay a tow fee and a daily storage fee set in the city’s tax ordinance; they are not charged if the car was stolen or moved for works that were not signposted 48 hours in advance.

Bottom line

For a day trip into the center, a public car park or a park-and-ride by a Metro station usually costs less stress than chasing SER spaces against the clock. If you live here with a car, get the resident permit as soon as your padrón and registration are in order, because without it green spaces give you just two hours.

FAQ

Is street parking free in Madrid on Sundays?

In almost all of the SER area, yes: the scheme does not apply on Sundays and public holidays. Check signs in the few areas with special hours.

Do I need to display a ticket?

No. The meters and apps register your plate, and officers check the plate.

Can I extend my parking time from my phone?

Yes, with an authorized app, up to the maximum stay for that space type.

Do electric cars pay for SER parking?

Cars with the DGT zero-emission label park free in blue and green spaces, as of November 2026.