General info
Special rules for parking apply in certain areas of the city as shown on the map below. In real life, there can be blue lines on the ground around the spot you parked in – they signify you’re parked in a regulated zone and that you should check the rules that apply.
The parking system is described as residential. It means that local residents enjoy special rights when parking. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t park if you’re not a resident: as a visitor, you just pay for your time parking.
Let’s have a look at the possibilities.
1) Parking as a visitor
You can park anywhere (red A zone needs entry permit!), no need to be nervous about the blue marks on the ground, but you need to pay. Newly, there are three zones, red (A) and green (B) and blue (C), as seen on the map.
As a visitor, you have to pay for parking in all three of them. The price differs, with the red one being the most expensive (and requires you to have a special entry permit – see below) and allowing only the first 30min parking free of charge; the green zone is a bit cheaper and allows first 60min parking free of charge; parking in a blue zone is free of charge from 6 am to 5 pm and after that, the first 60 min parking is free.
You don’t have to pay anything in any zone on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Also, you don’t have to pay if you park for less than 30 minutes in the city centre, and less than 60 minutes anywhere else, BUT you have to get a parking ticket (or SMS or check-in ParkSimply app) immediately after parking and pay if you are staying over 30/60 minutes.
See the full-scale and up-to-date map here.
But!
The city centre (red zone A) is still off-limits; the rules stay the same and you need a special permit to drive in. You can sort out the permit at the office at Zvonařka 5 – in case you’re moving flats have a wedding or a different event.
The blue zone C is a strange one, too. You pay only for parking overnight, between 5 pm and till 6 am.
You can now pay either at the machines, by SMS or ParkSimply app or MPLA app.
2) Parking as a resident
Residents park without paying, they just need to register their car, pay the registration fee and then park anywhere in the area around their house, and in all the adjacent ones, too (apart from the city centre – you have to be a resident of the city centre to drive in without a special permit).
For example, if you live in the Veveří area and obtain a parking permit for Veveří, you can also park in Údolní area. The centre is an exception to this rule: if you have a parking permit for Veveří, you can not park nor drive into the city centre. Only people who live in the city centre can obtain a permit for the centre and park there. With the same permit, they can also park in any neighbouring areas.
An area isn’t the same as a zone. Areas have numbers, zones have colours. See the map above.
To register a car as a resident, you need to:
- prove permanent or long-term residency (nonEU) or temporary residency (EU) or the ownership of the real estate in the area
- prove legal relationship to the car – technical documents of the car (Czech or foreign license plates) with your name
- pay 200 CZK if registering your first car, (8 000 for the second, 12 000 for the third).
You can read about the process in more detail here. You can apply in person at Zvonařka 5 or online at BrnoID.cz
Be aware that it’s not enough to have a lease agreement for an apartment in the centre to obtain the permit: you need to have the address specified (printed) on your permanent/temporary/long-term residence card or in your passport.
You have an online user account where you can assign the visiting hours, or change your car (4 times a year max, for 14 days maximum at a time; without giving any reason).
Even if you don’t live in any of the regulated residential areas but close to one, you can still register and park your car in the adjacent areas.
Can I drive into the city centre?
If you don’t have a residential parking permit for the city centre, you cannot drive into the centre. The Municipality installed cameras to every entranceway, and all unregistered cars will be heavily fined. You can sort out a special permit (for moving flats, having a wedding, etc) at the office at Zvonařka 5.
You can still park as a visitor in the adjacent streets – they are marked red on the map above. Parking for under 30 minutes is free (byt you have to get a parking ticket from a start); if you stay longer you can pay at the machines or through a mobile application.
There are many car parks around the city centre: you can find a complete list here. The Velký Špalíček parking, which is right in the centre, is still available for visitors: the Police camera will register your car entering the centre but it will also register you entering the Špalíček car park and erase your record.
The cars registered as carsharing vehicles have a special permit for the centre and can drive and park in the centre as residents.
3) Parking close to my business/work
Subscribers are self-employed people or legal entities with registered address or their place of business within the area. The rules are very similar to residents. The fee for registering your first car is 4,000 CZK. You don’t have any visiting hours but you can purchase a ‘transferable’ authorisation.
You can learn more at the City’s website. It’s in English, although more details and FAQs can only be found on the Czech version. Or visit the Info office for parking at Zvonařka 5.
1. Permanent residency is the official requirement. However, in practice, we have seen non-EU citizens being registered with only a temporary residency permit or a long-term residency permit (e.g. an employee card).