Parking in Berlin
Almost all German cities were built before the invention of the car. Due to this fact, parking in the center of many German cities, as well as in residential areas built in the 1950s and 60s, is a problem.
Reasons are a growing population and that many households have more than one car. Today, there are many paid ‘parking zones’ within cities. As a general rule, look for a payment station and buy a ticket for the amount of time you wish to park and place it in your front window.
There are different parking options in Berlin:
Berlin Public Parking
There are some free parking spots within Berlin. The general rule is that in most of the outer city districts you can park your car for free, but in almost all of Berlin’s inner-city districts you will have to pay to park your car.
In these areas, parking fees vary between 25 cents for 15 minutes (or 1 Euro per hour) up to 1 Euro for 15 minutes (or 4 Euros per hour).
Berlin has several free parking spots. In most of Berlin's outer neighborhoods, you can park your car for free. But in many inner neighborhoods, you need to pay to park your car. The parking fees in these areas range from 25 cents for 15 minutes (or 1 euro per hour) to 1 euro for 15 minutes (or 4 euros per hour)
Parking map tool:
The City of Berlin has released a map tool that points out where you have to pay and how much is charged by the hour. It also points out that you don’t have to pay anything.
You can either check this Google Map or use the parking tool map.
On the right side of the page, please enter the street name (‘Straßenname’), the street number (‘Haus-Nr.) and the postal code (‘Postleitzahl’) into the fields. Then hit enter (‘Weiter’).
You can see the address you just entered on the following screen. A parking ticket is required in the zones marked yellow. Blank areas are zones that are free of charge.
Phone-Parking:
You can pay the parking fees with your mobile phone if you don't have any loose change for the vending machines. There are several different providers, such as Easy Park, PARK NOW, Park and Joy, and others. You just need to download the app and register your car with the app. If you use phone parking, put a note by the window that says you paid through the provider you want. So when you get checked, they will know that you have paid the fee. For more information, please visit here.
Resident Parking Permits:
There are long-term parking tickets for Berlin residents. A long-term ticket allows residents of a parking zone to park free of charge within the zone.
The residential parking ticket costs 20.40 euros and is valid for two years. The application can be submitted either online or at your local Citizen's office (Bürgeramt).
It is also possible to apply for a guest vignette for the resident parking zone of the visited resident.
The official requirements for the issue of a temporary guest vignette are as follows:
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The Applicant is registered in Berlin – in the parking area he/she applies for
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The Visitor is not registered in Berlin
Please check here for more information.
