People with reduced mobility or visual impairment can apply for a disabled parking badge. With it, you are allowed to park in designated disabled areas, or in green and blue zones, among others.
One problem facing British drivers is that because of Brexit, disabled parking badges issued in the UK are not valid in Spain. Some local authorities will give special dispensation as they clearly identify the need for special treatment, but, as such, in order to facilitate easier parking if you have reduced mobility, you need to apply for a new blue badge in Spain.
The issuing of the disabled parking badge normally falls under the local administrative functions of the town hall in the municipality where you live. Therefore, there may be some local variations to the requirements and procedure, but we will explain the general process.
People who have some type of disability and use the car to get around need mobility and, above all, parking for their car. For that, there is the disabled parking badge (Tarjeta Europea de Estacionamiento). It is a European-standard document that allows people with reduced mobility to park in certain parking spaces reserved for them.
Let us start by explaining what the Spanish Governments says about the disabled parking badge:
Contents
What is the Tarjeta Europea de Estacionamiento?
If you suffer from a disability that reduces your mobility, you may be entitled to a “European Parking Card” for people with disabilities in your country of residence.
Card validity
The European parking card for people with reduced mobility issued in any EU Member State is valid in Spain.
The card is personal and non-transferable and can be used whenever its holder drives a vehicle or travels in it (in other words, the card holder does not have to be the driver).
You must place your card in a visible place inside your vehicle (the most obvious location being the windscreen).
Cardholder rights
As long as you travel in a vehicle and carry your European parking card for people with reduced mobility, you can park in reserved spaces, usually marked with a sign or drawing of a wheelchair.
In some locations you can also:
- park or stop in areas reserved for loading and unloading
- benefit from discounts in places where a fee has to be paid for parking
- access restricted traffic areas
You should consult the regulations in the town you are going to to find out which of these cases is applicable.
Limitations on the use of the card and penalties
The European Parking Card does not allow parking in pedestrian zones, crossings, and other places where stopping or parking is prohibited.
Its improper use will be penalised.
How to apply for the disabled parking badge
To request the parking card for people with reduced mobility, go to your town hall, where they will inform you of the requirements, necessary documentation and application form.
Where can I request the blue badge?
It can be requested in any country of the European Union and, therefore, it can be used to park in any state that is part of this body.
We will now explain a couple of those points in more detail:
To apply for the Tarjeta Europea de Estacionamiento in Spain you must go to your local town hall, or through an autonomous body, it all depends on where you live. For example, in Madrid you can request the disabled parking badge at the town hall, but if you live in Andalusia you must request it at the Ministry of Equality and Social Policies. Therefore, you should ask your town hall who is in charge of carrying out this process and they will point you to either the local or regional body to apply.
How to apply for the disabled parking permit, step by step?
Although, as we have said, it depends on where you reside, the procedure is very similar in all cases, with some minor adjustments in some cases.
We will give you the application as an example, in this case staying with the focus on Madrid, but as we say, it is mostly similar everywhere:
You must request an appointment to carry out the procedure in person or, in some cases, it can be done online.
To apply, you must be registered on the appropriate padrón.
You must have official recognition of your disability, which you can obtain through your doctor, and you must have a degree of disability of at least 33%.
In the event that the disability is due to a visual disability, you must present the certificate issued by the ONCE or by an ophthalmologist recognised by this organisation.
You must submit two passport size photographs.
You must fill in the corresponding form.
Requirements to apply for the disabled parking permit
Whoever requests the card must be considered a person with mobility difficulties to use public transport.
Blind or visually impaired persons must prove that they meet one of the following conditions in both eyes:
Visual acuity equal to or less than 0.1 (1/10 on the Wecker scale) obtained with the best possible optical correction.
Visual field decreased to 10 degrees or less.
How does the disabled parking permit work and who can use it?
The card is personal and non-transferable and you can use it whenever the holder drives the vehicle or is in it as a passenger. It is important that you place it in a visible place inside the car, preferably on the front windscreen.
This card entitles its owner to park in spaces reserved for the disabled, which will normally have the image of a wheelchair, the same one that appears on the car itself.
In some circumstances (and please check first to avoid problems), you can also park at:
- Loading and unloading zones with no time limit.
- ORA (blue parking) zones without having to pay the corresponding fee.
- In some cities you will be able to access areas restricted to traffic.
On the contrary, you cannot park in pavements, pedestrian zones, crossings, or in other places where stopping or parking is prohibited (for example, in a ford).
The validity of the card will be specified on it, depending on the age of the holder and the characteristics of the opinion on mobility.
If you want to learn more about the regulation of the blue badge in Spain, it is covered by Royal Decree 1056/2014, of December 12, which regulates the basic conditions for the issuance and use of the parking card for people with disabilities.
What is the fine for improper use or falsification of the disabled card?
Whether you misuse the card or falsify it, both behaviours are punishable by a prison sentence of between 6 months and 3 years, in addition to a financial penalty of 6 and 12 months, as stated in the Penal Code.
More information about the disabled parking permit from the Spanish Governemnt
Concusion
Talk to your town hall.
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