Resident parking

In areas with high parking pressure, cities are allowed to set up resident parking zones to improve the parking situation for residents. This means that visitors to these areas have to buy a parking ticket and residents are exempt from paying a fee to use the machines.

Resident parking zones have been set up in Aachen since 1982. Around 40,000 cars are now registered in the 28 zones. There are around 18,600 parking spaces on public streets. (as of 2024)

As of December 31, 2024, 21,743 resident parking permits had been issued. Any person who meets the criteria for a resident parking permit may obtain one, regardless of the number of parking spaces available in the zone. A resident parking permit does not entitle the holder to a parking space.

In May 2025, the zones within the avenue ring will be redistributed; the new zones are shown in red in the image. Today there are nine zones, in future there will only be six. The new zones will be larger, giving residents more flexibility when parking. The new and old allocation of the streets to the zones can be found in this street directory.

How do I get a resident parking permit?

Eligible persons can apply for their ID card online via the service portal of the City of Aachen and print it out immediately. All information on this can be found in the service portal

To the link

It is also possible to apply for resident parking permits in person at the Citizens' Service and the district offices. At Bürgerservice Bahnhofplatz, Hackländerstraße 1, at Bürgerservice Katschhof, Johannes-Paul-II.-Straße 1, or at one of the six district offices.

What does a resident parking permit cost?

The cost of a resident parking permit is currently 30 euros. For many years, this was the permissible limit for an administrative fee.

From May 1, 2025, the fee for a resident parking permit will be calculated based on the area occupied by a vehicle on the street, i.e. according to length and width. A fee of 30 euros will be charged for each square meter occupied. There is also an administrative fee of 15 euros for the application. In future, the costs will be based on the economic value of the parking spaces in public areas and the production and maintenance costs for parking spaces.

The new card can be applied for for three, six or twelve months.

With the revision of the Road Traffic Act, the legislator has allowed local authorities to determine the value of a resident parking space themselves in addition to the administrative fee. In June 2024, the political committees of the city of Aachen decided that in future the price for a resident parking permit should be 30 euros per square meter of vehicle space and the administrative fee should be 15 euros.

Prerequisite

From May 1, 2025, all persons who are registered in a resident parking zone in Aachen with their main or secondary residence and who also live there can apply for a resident parking permit. Applicants must also be the owner of the specified motor vehicle or be able to prove that they use it permanently.

Residents who are members of a Car-Sharing organization can also apply for a parking permit for the zone in which they are registered and live.

All eligible residents receive only one resident parking permit for one vehicle.

Finally, family members and close relatives can apply for an exemption. They must prove that they support a person in need of care at home who lives and is registered in a resident parking zone. In this case, the exemption relates to the residence of the person in need of care.

This special permit can be applied for at the Mobility and Traffic Department, Road Traffic and Special Uses Division (FB 68/400) in the Marschiertor administration building, Lagerhausstraße 20.

Which residents' parking zones should be set up next?

The administration and politicians have agreed that there should be more resident parking zones. Most recently, in May 2023, the Aachen-Mitte district council and the mobility committee decided the order in which this should take place. Two new zones per year can be implemented.

• "BU 5" (Malmedyer Strasse)
  
• "ERZ" (Erzbergerallee)
• "BU 4" (calverbs)
• "West 1" (Hörn)
• Erw. "J1" (Junkerstrasse) (implemented together with zone "U" in July 2024)
• Erw. "E" (Soerser Weg)
• Erw. "E2" (Old Tivoli)
• "VQ" (Vaalserquartier)
• Erw. "K" (Henricistraße)
• "RO 1" (Ronheider Weg)

The planned new zones are shown on this map. BU4 and BU5 are shown separately as the two zones in preparation ("Stage 2").

Regulations

All streets within the Alleenring and on the Alleenring as well as Zollamtstraße, Hackländerstraße, Friedlandstraße and lower Burtscheider Straße belong to tariff zone 1, where parking tickets must be purchased from Monday to Saturday between 9am and 9pm. The maximum parking time is 60 minutes and the tariff is three euros.

All other streets in the city area with resident parking zones belong to tariff zone 2, where parking ticket machines must be used from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 7 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm. However, there are exceptions for the following parking zones and parking spaces, which are displayed on the machines:

• In the residents' parking zones E, K, N, O, T, V and Z, service hours apply from Monday to Saturday until 9 pm.
  
• There is no charge for parking in zone KU on Saturdays.
• Parking at the Vaals-Grenze parking lot is also subject to a charge on Sundays and public holidays.
  

There is no maximum parking time in tariff zone 2, with two exceptions in zones BU1 and W. In these two zones, parking is permitted for a maximum of two hours. The parking tariff is 1 euro for the first 40 minutes and 50 cents for each additional 20 minutes or part thereof. Day tickets are offered in the dark gray resident parking zones in tariff zone II:

• 5 Euro in parking zone East 2
• 6 euros in parking zones E2, BU2, Ost 3 and in the Kleverstraße parking lot in Burtscheid
• 8 euros in parking zones V, U and East 1

In Aachen, drivers can pay in all residents' parking zones using the EasyPark app.

Further topics