Double parking fee for heavy cars in Budapest postponed until 2028

In Budapest, the introduction of double public-space parking fees for vehicles weighing over 2 tonnes has been postponed until January 1, 2028. However, free parking for cars with green license plates will end on January 1, 2027, in line with the previous decision: the city assembly did not decide on a discounted rate, but only ordered a review of the issue.

Double fee for cars over 2 tonnes delayed until 2028

Under the parking proposal previously approved by the city, cars with an unladen weight exceeding 2 tonnes were to be charged a uniform double parking fee from early 2027. The rule would apply to conventional cars—that is, petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles—as well as electric cars. The city assembly has now moved the start date to January 1, 2028; according to the source, the weight-based fee remains part of the plans unchanged.

The key condition in the news about the postponement is not a specific type of car, but the vehicle’s unladen weight. Therefore, an electric powertrain alone does not mean that a car would be exempt from the double fee when it is introduced. Similarly, for conventionally powered vehicles, the rule described in the source also depends on whether the unladen weight exceeds 2 tonnes.

Mayor Gergely Karácsony also spoke at the city assembly about a technical requirement for introducing the fee. He said that access to the vehicle registry would be needed to apply the fee, as it contains information about the weight of each vehicle. Access to the registry is a matter for parliament, so Budapest cannot resolve this issue on its own. Alongside the postponement, the source highlights this requirement in connection with the double fee.

No decision made on discounts for cars with green license plates

As part of the parking package, the current free parking option for environmentally friendly cars with green license plates will end in early 2027. On September 28, several news outlets, including Telex, reported that the city assembly had approved a 50% discount for these vehicles. The Mayor’s Office denied this in response to an inquiry from Totalcar: no decision has been made on a discount.

A motion to amend the proposal submitted by the mayor was supported at the city assembly, but for now it only calls for a review. The review will assess how many environmentally friendly vehicles there are in Budapest and the surrounding metropolitan area, and how they are used in the capital. Whether a discount will be introduced later may become clear once the results are available.

What should you check before parking?

If you park in Budapest, it is worth treating the two changes separately. The introduction of a double fee for vehicles with an unladen weight exceeding 2 tonnes has been postponed until January 1, 2028. However, from January 1, 2027, parking fees will apply to cars with green license plates, with no discount according to the information currently available. The sources do not provide specific hourly parking rates, so the amount payable cannot be determined from them.

According to the city’s earlier rationale, the public space used by different modes of transport is limited, while room must be made for several types of transport. The city administration also justified the double fee for heavier cars by citing the increasing size of cars and the space they require. It expects that after the higher fee is introduced, more owners of affected cars will use public transport.

Before starting a parking session, you can check the zone code for the relevant paid parking area in the parking zone finder. The official text of the amended municipal decree has not yet been published; the details will be finalized after that.

Correction (2026. 09. 29.): an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated, based on Telex’s report, that cars with green license plates would receive a 50% discount until July 1, 2030. According to information from the Mayor’s Office, no decision has been made on this.

Source: Telex, Totalcar

Last updated: 29. 09. 2026.