Where can I park?
The city centre of Maastricht prioritises cyclists and pedestrians and therefore there are only few parking spots on the streets. You will have to buy a ticket anywhere in the city centre from 08.00h to 18.00h (on Thursdays the time slot is extended until 21.00h). The rule of thumb here is that the closer to the city centre you park, the more you can expect to pay.
However, Maastricht has several (cheaper) Park + Walk and Park + Ride locations close to the city centre. Maastricht Bereikbaar has a handy overview of the best places to park. The site also contains a lot of information about different zones and parking spots in town.
In most districts of Maastricht you have to pay to park your car. These districts are clearly marked by several street signs. Unless you have a permit you can pay for your parking spot at the parking metres. If you don’t pay for your spot or if you didn’t pay the full amount you will receive a fine in the area of about €60. For information about paying your fine, check out this government page.
If you disagree with your fine, you can file an appeal within six weeks.
Please note: you always need to pay your fine first. Failing to do so results in significantly higher fines. After paying, follow these official guidelines by the municipality to file such an appeal.
How do I pay for parking?
You can normally pay through an app such as Stadtsparking or from a parking metre. The parking metres usually accept both cash and card payments, though cards other than Maestro don’t always work! If you pay through the Stadtsparking app, you will have to type your licence plate number into the app and it will register your ticket digitally. Therefore, there is no need to insert any physical ticket onto the windshield of your car.
Parking permits
Foreign Student Parking Permit
Student parking permits are for students who commute to the university from abroad. Note: you can only apply for the student parking permit if you study (at either UM or Zuyd), but live abroad. You may read the rest of the requirements here.
If you live and study in Maastricht, you need a resident parking permit (see below).
The foreign student parking permit entitles you to park in one of the following zones: Brusselsepoort; Jekerdal, Villapark en Sint Pieter; Noorderbrug/Franciscus Romanusweg and Mariaberg. For 2022, the cost is €5.50 per month (plus a one-time admin fee of €19.85).
You can apply for this permit directly with the municipality. Follow the link and fill in your information. Note that the documents listed below are required (and must be legible).
- Proof of registration at your university for the coming academic year
- A certificate of residence (from the place you are registered at abroad)
- The registration certificate of the vehicle. If the latter is registered in the name of somebody else living at your home address, you have to send the documents of this person’s registration as an extra attachment.
For more information, check out the municipality’s page on the matter.
Resident Parking Permit
If you live and study in Maastricht (i.e. you do not commute to university from abroad), you can apply for a resident parking permit. This permit entitles you to park your car in the zone you live in. Prices depend on how far away from Maastricht’s city centre you live. You can apply for a residents parking permit online. Be sure to always place your parking permit to be clearly visible in your car’s windscreen.
