Katowice Paid Parking: Zones, Rates, Fines, Resident Card
Short answer: Katowice has two paid zones, 7:00-17:00 on weekdays (zone A also Saturdays). Rates run from 2 to 8.40 zl, and plate scanning replaces notices.
Katowice has a compact paid parking system with two zones, a short working day and a strong focus on number-plate scanning. It is run by the city road authority MZUiM (Miejski Zarząd Ulic i Mostów). This guide uses the official Katowice parking pages (parkowanie.katowice.eu), which state that the current borders and rates have applied since 1 December 2023, read in October 2026. The city can change the zone by council resolution, so check the official site for a new decision about your street.
Two zones and the hours
According to the city:
- Downtown Paid Parking Zone (Śródmiejska Strefa Płatnego Parkowania, "Zone A", blue): paid Monday to Saturday, from 7:00 to 17:00, except Saturdays that are days off work.
- Paid Parking Zone ("Zone B", green): paid Monday to Friday, from 7:00 to 17:00.
You must pay straight after you start parking. Outside these hours and on Sundays you do not pay in these zones.
The rates
Zone A (downtown):
- up to 30 minutes: 3.00 zl
- over 30 minutes up to 1 hour: 6.00 zl
- second started hour: 7.20 zl
- third started hour: 8.40 zl
- each next started hour: 6.00 zl
Zone B:
- up to 30 minutes: 2.00 zl
- over 30 minutes up to 1 hour: 4.00 zl
- second started hour: 4.80 zl
- third started hour: 5.60 zl
- each next started hour: 4.00 zl
How to pay
The city lists mobile payments through AnyPark, SkyCash-MobiParking, mPay, moBILET, ePARK and Flowbird, or a parking meter, where you can pay with cash, card or BLIK. You do not need to put a ticket behind the windscreen, because meter payments are recorded in the system. The meters do not allow topping up an existing ticket. If you want more time, you have to pay again, immediately after the earlier payment ends.
E-control: no ticket under the wiper
Since 1 December 2023, the main way the city checks payments is e-control. Vehicles with special scanners read the number plates of parked cars and compare them with the database of paid stays. Inspectors check streets where a scanning car cannot drive.
This changes how penalties work. You will not find a notice under your wiper and you will not get a notice by post. The first letter you receive is a reminder (upomnienie) under administrative enforcement rules, with its costs added. To find out whether you were charged, enter your registration number on spp.katowice.eu. The data can take up to 72 hours to appear, so the city advises checking on the next working day after 7:00.
The city also warns about typing errors. Because e-control reads plates, a single wrong character in the registration number, or choosing the wrong zone, leads to an additional fee. Paying at a Zone B meter and parking in Zone A is also treated as unpaid.
The additional fee
According to the city, the fee for not paying is:
- Zone A: 150 zl if paid within 7 days of the stay, 300 zl after that.
- Zone B: 100 zl within 7 days, 200 zl after that.
The city says the rules do not allow cancelling the fee. You can only explain that the stay was in fact paid but not recorded, for example because of a technical problem.
Resident parking card (PKM)
The Parkingowa Karta Mieszkańca is an electronic record, not a card for your windscreen. You can get one if you meet one of two conditions: you have a permanent registration (zameldowanie) inside the zone, or you have a temporary registration inside the zone and you pay personal income tax (PIT) at a Katowice tax office. It covers one car or motorcycle that you own or have a valid legal title to.
Prices per month, quarter and half year:
- Zone A card: 20 zl, 50 zl and 100 zl. Valid in zones A and B.
- Zone B card: 10 zl, 25 zl and 50 zl. Valid in zone B only.
You must apply online first on spp.katowice.eu, and only then pay with the link you get by email. A payment made before the application is refunded. Apply up to 30 days before your current card expires.
Cheaper permit for Katowice residents outside the zone
Katowice residents who live outside the zones can buy a preferential permit, if they have permanent registration in Katowice or pay PIT at a Katowice tax office. The city lists these prices per month, quarter and half year: zone A 300 zl, 750 zl and 1,500 zl, and zone B 200 zl, 500 zl and 1,000 zl. It is meant for people who often park in the zones. See our guide to the Katowice resident card and the Katowice public transport ticket prices for other ways to get around.
Electric cars
The city's FAQ says electric vehicles are exempt from parking fees in the zone by law. The new resolution has no exemption for hybrid cars, which park on the same terms as other cars.
For other cities, read our guides to paid parking in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk and Łódź.
Frequently asked questions
Is parking in Katowice free on Sundays?
Yes. The zones are paid Monday to Saturday in zone A (except Saturdays off work) and Monday to Friday in zone B, 7:00 to 17:00.
How much is the fine?
Zone A: 150 zl within 7 days, 300 zl later. Zone B: 100 zl within 7 days, 200 zl later, according to the city.
Will I find a notice on my car?
No. Since 1 December 2023, e-control scans number plates and the city does not leave notices. Check your plate on spp.katowice.eu.
Does a foreigner qualify for the resident card?
The conditions are registration inside the zone (permanent, or temporary plus PIT paid in Katowice) and a legal title to the car. Check the exact documents on the city site.
