Can you park in Europe with a disabled blue badge?
DISABLED drivers have been warned that UK-issued Blue Badges may not be recognised in popular European holiday destinations.
This is due to a delay in Brexit negotiations which has left 11 EU countries still “undecided” on whether the badges will be accepted.
Where can you not park in Europe with a disabled badge?
Badge-holders could face fines if they try to use their permits in 11 EU countries, which include:
- Bulgaria
- France
- Greece
- Iceland
- Italy
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovenia
- Spain (including Balearic and Canary Isles)
The UK Government website states that negotiations are still taking place.
However, there has been no update to the information available on the site since September 29, 2021.
This is because the Government has failed to reach an agreement over the status of the badges.
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Therefore, it is vital you check with the embassy of the country you are travelling to for the latest developments.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “To keep blue badge users in limbo is simply unacceptable. Blue Badges are issued because of specific health reasons, and to not have their status confirmed two years down the line is simply outrageous.
“Rather than take a chance, we would encourage Blue Badge users to use drop-off and collection zones where possible while the car is parked in a non-disabled bay. While problematic, it reduces the risk of a vehicle being given a ticket or towed away.”
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Where can you park in Europe with a disabled badge?
The European countries that still recognise a UK Blue Badge include:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Germany
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Blue badge holders can park on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours as long as there are no loading or unloading restrictions.
They must display their badge with the parking clock set to the time the person arrived.
If there is an on-street pay-and-display machine or parking meter you can park there for free with your badge visible.
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Double check in private car parks if it is free because some places do still charge for disability parking.
The government website states that the badge is “not a licence to park anywhere”.