Tarriff zones
The city of Ghent is subdivided into color zones. Each color has its own parking tariff. The zone color is indicated on the parking meter. Parking prices and maximum time for parking depend on the zone you are situated in.
Red tariff zone
- Most epensive rate
- Parking is paid from 9 AM til 11 PM
- Between 9 AM en 7 PM, there's a parking limit of 3 hours.
- Day tickets are not available;
- Free parking between 11 PM til 9 AM, on Sunday and bank holidays;
- Free parking with ticket 2 times 20 minutes a day.
Orange tariff zone
- Parking is paid from 9 AM til 11 PM;
- Between 9 AM en 7 PM, there's a parking limit of 5 hours;
- Day tickets are not available;
- Free parking between 11 PM til 9 AM, on Sunday and bank holidays;
- Free parking with ticket 2 times 20 minutes a day.
Yellow tariff zone
- Located near the train stations Dampoort and Gent-Sint-Pieters, and parking garage Ledeberg en Het Getouw;
- Parking is paid from 9 AM til 7 PM. There's a parking limit of 5 hours;
- Day tickets are not available;
- Free parking between 7 PM til 9 AM, on Sundays and bank holidays;
- Free parking with ticket 2 times 20 minutes a day.
Green tariff zone
- Most advantageous rate;
- Parking is paid from 9 AM til 7 PM, with no parking limit;
- Free parking between 7 PM and 9 AM, on Sundays and bank holidays.
- Free parking with ticket 2 times 30 minutes a day.
Notice: Even on free parking days or moments, you are not allowed to park in reserved parking spaces, such as spaces for residents, car sharing permit holders, stall holders, people with disabilities,... We also monitor the reserved parking spaces on Sundays and on bank holidays.
How to pay for your parking session?
The parking meters are digitally operative. Enter your registration plate and the parking time into the screen of the parking meter. After this, pay the amount and you're good to continue your journey. You no longer need to place a parking ticket behind your windshield.
How to pay at a parking meter:
- choose your language, read the tariff information and press 'start';
- enter you registration plate number;
- choose the time of parking;
- choose your payment method (cash or card - not all meters offer both);
- indicate if you want a proof of payment or not.
How to pay using your mobile device:
- use one of the applications by these providers.
- start your parking session.
- end your parking session.
Registration plate check
The City of Ghent makes use of modern parking meters, at which you enter your license plate. You will not have to place a ticket behind the windshield. If you wrongfully park your car or forget to pay for your parking spot, you will receive a fine. Traffic wardens will use a registration plate check to determine whether you paid for your parking spot or have the right to park at a certain spot.
If you wrongfully park on a parking spot reserved for residents, carsharing, stallholders or other you will receive a fine of 80 euros. If you did not pay for your parking spot, you risk a fine of 40 euros.
Ultra-short term parking
Ghent has various parking spaces reserved for kiss&ride, loading and unloading, max. 30 minutes, max. 15 minutes etc. These spaces will all be renamed to 'ultra-short-term parking' and will follow the same regulations from now on:
- From Monday to Friday, between 7 am and 7 pm, you can park on these spaces for a maximum of 30 minutes in the green tariff zone and for a maximum of 15 minutes in other tariff zones.
To park here, you need to enter your registration plate at the parking meter. You can use a free parking session or a paid parking session in case you have already used your free minutes for that day. People with disabilities and citizens also have to use these parking meters and have to respect the parking time. Parking discs and parking permits are not valid during ultra-short-term parking.
What about trailers?
Certain trailers also have to present a parking fee in certain situations:
- Trailer (+750 kilos) has a proper registration plate: in this case, you need 2 residents permits or 2 paid parking fees;
- Trailer (less than 750 kilos) hooked up to a car: in this case, you need one residents permit or one paid parking fee;
- Detached trailer (less than 750 kilos): you do not need a residents permit or a parking fee.
The traffic wardens will warn the police when a detached trailer is parked on a dangerous location, or is being parked somewhere else for a long time.
