Warsaw paid parking 2026: SPPN rates, fines and permits
Short answer: Warsaw charges for parking Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 20:00: 4.50 zl for the first hour, 5.40 zl the second, 6.40 zl the third. Not paying costs 300 zl, or 200 zl if paid in 14 days.
Paid parking in Warsaw is run by the city road authority ZDM (Zarząd Dróg Miejskich) as the Strefa Płatnego Parkowania Niestrzeżonego, or SPPN. It covers the centre and a growing part of the city, and it was extended again on 7 September 2026. This guide uses the official ZDM Warsaw pages and the consolidated city council resolution of May 2025, read in October 2026. Rates are set by the city council, so check the ZDM site if you park often.
When you pay
According to ZDM, you pay in the SPPN on working days from Monday to Friday, between 8:00 and 20:00. The days without charge are 2 May, 24 December and 31 December. Weekends are not charged. Pay straight after you park.
The rates
The ZDM rates, set in the council resolution, increase for the second and third hour and then drop back:
- First hour: 4.50 zl.
- Second hour: 5.40 zl.
- Third hour: 6.40 zl.
- Fourth and further hours: 4.50 zl each.
The minimum payment is 0.50 zl, which ZDM says equals 10 minutes. You cannot pay for a shorter time. The resolution allows charging for parts of an hour, so you do not have to buy full hours.
How to pay
ZDM encourages mobile payments. Its list of apps is SkyCash Parking, moBILET, Flowbird, AnyPark and CityParkApp, and you can also pay at the nearest parking meter. Some bank apps work too, but ZDM says they are only a layer over one of these five operators. With an app you can set the exact end time and are charged for the actual time, ending the session in the app when you leave.
You do not have to return to the car with a ticket. ZDM says this duty was removed in 2023, because of e-control: special cars scan registration plates to check payment. About 50 ZDM inspectors also check the zone daily, and the city says nine e-control cars work alongside them. Because the system works by plate, you pay for time, not for a specific place, and any meter or app works.
Meters take coins of 5, 2, 1 zl and 50, 20, 10 grosz, or a payment card. Not noticing a meter does not excuse you from paying.
The penalty
If you do not pay, you get an additional fee of 300 zl. ZDM says that if you pay it within 14 days of the notice, or of receiving a payment request, it is 200 zl. Going over your paid time also leads to the same fee. The notice can be left under the wiper by a patrol, or sent to the registered owner after an e-control scan. You can pay it by bank transfer, or at the ZDM office with cash or card. If it stays unpaid, ZDM sends a reminder and then starts collection.
Resident permits
Residents of the zone can get a permit (abonament mieszkańca). ZDM lists two types:
- District permit: 30 zl a year. Lets you park within 200 metres of your registered address.
- Area permit: 600 zl a year. Lets you park in the area set out on the permit map. It can be paid in two instalments of 300 zl.
ZDM gives three conditions: you must be registered (meldunek) at a permanent or temporary address inside the zone, you must settle your PIT tax in Warsaw, naming a Warsaw tax office and Warsaw address, and you must be an owner, co-owner or user of a car (up to 2.5 tonnes, or a passenger car above 2.5 tonnes). You show your PIT proof for the previous year, with the tax office stamp or the UPO confirmation. You can apply at a ZTM passenger service point or online through the ZDM permit portal, and the online payment link is valid for five days. See our guide to the Polish annual tax return and the Warsaw ticket prices for the other city costs.
The zone is growing
ZDM says the zone has been extended six times since 2020. The newest extension, on 7 September 2026, added the area of Odolany and the part of Saska Kępa around Międzynarodowa street. Residents there can get a permit. If you move, check on the ZDM map whether your street is now inside the zone. Private car parks have their own prices and are not covered by this system.
Frequently asked questions
Is parking in Warsaw free on weekends?
In the SPPN, yes. ZDM says charges apply on working days from Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 20:00, except 2 May, 24 and 31 December.
How much is the fine?
300 zl, or 200 zl if paid within 14 days of the notice or request, according to ZDM.
Do I need to leave a ticket in the car?
No. ZDM says this duty ended in 2023 because of plate-scanning e-control. Keeping the ticket is still sensible as proof of payment.
Can a foreigner get a resident permit?
The conditions are registration at an address in the zone, settling PIT in Warsaw and being the owner, co-owner or user of a car. Check the ZDM rules for the documents you need.
