Blue zone parking in Zurich: the parking disc, times, permits, fines

In Zurich's blue zones you can park from Monday to Saturday between 8:00 and 18:00 for one hour, with a parking disc set to your arrival time. On Sundays and public holidays a time limit applies only if an extra sign shows one.

Everything on this page comes from the City of Zurich and from the federal fines ordinance. We read it on 29 September 2026 and the sources are listed below. Rules change, and if a sign and this text disagree, the sign wins.

How long you can stay in a blue zone

On streets and squares in the blue zone, parking is time limited on working days, meaning Monday to Saturday. The city gives these times:

The disc also applies on bays signed «Parkieren mit Parkscheibe» with an extra sign for the maximum duration. There the duration on the sign counts.

Between 19:00 and 7:59 you do not need to display the disc if you drive off again before 8:00. In district 1 (postcode 8001) the city says there are no blue zone bays. It points you to the car parks in the city centre instead.

How to set the parking disc

The dial always goes to the mark that follows your arrival time. The city's example: you arrive at 9:05, you set 9:30, and you leave by 10:30 at the latest.

The disc must be clearly visible on every car in a blue zone, usually behind the windscreen. Electronic parking discs are not allowed. You can get a disc from the permit office of the city's traffic department, at the city police stations, or from specialist shops. The rules are printed on the back of the disc too.

Sundays and public holidays

On Sundays and public holidays a time limit applies in the blue zone only if an extra sign shows one. With no sign, you may stay longer. The City of Zurich counts these as holidays: 1 and 2 January, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, 1 May, Whit Monday, 1 August, and 25 and 26 December.

Resident permit and day permit: what a visitor needs

A permit lets you stay in the blue zone without a time limit. Two permits always come up, and for a visit only one of them is the right way.

The resident parking permit is available to private persons and companies and costs CHF 300 per calendar year. It is valid in the blue zone of the respective postal code district. It gives no claim to a free space. As a resident permit, it is aimed at people who live in the city.

The day permit is the route for a single day. It is valid for one calendar day without a time limit in all of the city's blue zones and costs CHF 15, or CHF 150 for a block of ten (the block is only available from the permit office and at the city police stations). You fill in the date and the number plate yourself. Since 8 April 2026 you no longer need to print it and leave it behind the windscreen. Unused permits are not refunded.

We did not find a «visitor card» under that name on the city's pages. If you need one hour, the disc is enough, and if you need the whole day, the day permit is.

What a mistake costs

In Zurich you are fined if the disc is not clearly or fully visible, the arrival time was set wrong, the maximum duration was exceeded, the time was reset without the car having moved first, or the disc does not meet the rules. The amounts are in the federal Ordnungsbussenverordnung, Annex 1, as of 1 July 2026:

These are federal amounts for Ordnungsbussen and apply across Switzerland. Whether a slip is an official fine or a private parking company's invoice is explained in Parking fines in Zurich: myths and facts.

In a rental car in the blue zone

The rules attach to the parking space, not to the car. A rental car may use the blue zone with a disc like any other light motor vehicle. Two things differ with a rental car.

First, the disc: after pickup, check whether one is lying behind the windscreen, and if not, ask the rental company. Without a visible disc you risk CHF 40, even if you have only just arrived.

Second, the post: the fine goes first to the registered keeper, for a rental car the rental company, which passes it on to the person who was driving. Weeks can pass between the offence and the letter, and your rental is long over by then. How that works with us is in the parking fines article.

If you want a car for the city

We are a handful of well-kept cars in Zurich. You pay with no deposit, nothing is blocked on your card, and you do not need a credit card: a debit card, TWINT, Apple Pay or Google Pay is enough. You open the car with your phone, with no key handover. How the deposit works is explained in Car rental without a deposit or credit card. The cars are on Car rental in Zurich.

Frequently asked questions

How long can I park in a blue zone in Zurich?

One hour from Monday to Saturday, between 8:00 and 11:30 and between 13:30 and 18:00. If you arrive between 11:30 and 13:30, you may stay until 14:30, and if you arrive between 18:00 and 8:00 the disc is valid until 9:00. If an extra sign at a bay shows a different maximum, the sign applies.

How do I set the parking disc?

Set the dial to the mark that follows your arrival time. If you arrive at 9:05, you set 9:30 and leave by 10:30 at the latest. Electronic discs are not allowed, and the disc must be clearly and fully visible, usually behind the windscreen.

Does the blue zone apply on Sundays and public holidays in Zurich?

A time limit applies on Sundays and holidays only if an extra sign shows one. Holidays in the City of Zurich are 1 and 2 January, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, 1 May, Whit Monday, 1 August, and 25 and 26 December.

What does it cost if I set the disc wrong or overstay?

Under the federal Ordnungsbussenverordnung (as of 1 July 2026) a disc that is missing or not clearly visible costs CHF 40, a wrong arrival time CHF 40, and an arrival time changed afterwards CHF 40. Overstaying costs CHF 40 up to 2 hours, CHF 60 for more than 2 up to 4 hours, and CHF 100 for more than 4 up to 10 hours.

What is the resident permit and what does it cost?

With the resident parking permit you can park without a time limit in the blue zone of your postal code district. It costs CHF 300 per calendar year. It does not entitle you to a free space.

I am only visiting: how do I park for longer than an hour?

With a day permit from the City of Zurich. It is valid for one calendar day without a time limit in all blue zones and costs CHF 15, or CHF 150 for a block of ten. You fill in the date and the number plate yourself, and since 8 April 2026 you no longer need to print it and leave it behind the windscreen. We did not find a visitor card under that name on the city's pages.

Can I park a rental car in a blue zone, and who pays the fine?

Yes, with a parking disc the same rules apply as for any other car. The fine goes first to the registered keeper, for a rental car the rental company, which passes the amount on to the person who was driving. That can take weeks after the rental has ended.