Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Parking in Valencia: ORA Zones, Permits and the Blue Zone
Blue zone by the hour, green zone for residents only, and a two-hour cap almost everywhere on-street. Here is how the colours, prices and permits actually work.
Whether you are driving in for a day of sightseeing or trying to park your own car near home every night, Valencia's on-street system runs on the ORA colour codes, and the colour you are looking at changes what you can do.
Visiting for the day? The blue zone is open to anyone who pays, and the meter or app takes care of it in under a minute. Living here and looking for a monthly solution? The green zone resident permit and the private underground options below are the ones worth understanding properly.
The system is more forgiving than it first looks: outside the paid hours, and on Sundays and public holidays, most on-street spaces are free.
ORA parking at a glance (2026)
The zones, prices and hours in one look.
Blue zone (general areas)
25 minutes from EUR 0.30, one hour around EUR 0.80, two-hour maximum stay around EUR 1.50.
Blue zone (centre premium)
Ciutat Vella, l'Eixample and Extramurs run a higher tier: 25 minutes around EUR 0.55, one hour around EUR 1.00, two hours around EUR 1.70.
Paid hours
Generally Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:00, though a few districts vary slightly on Saturday. Sundays and public holidays are free.
Green zone
Resident-only; non-residents cannot pay to use it even if a space is free. A resident permit runs around EUR 86.20 a year or EUR 7.18 a month through the concessionaire, EYSA.
Zero-emission exemption
Cars carrying the CERO environmental badge park free in blue, orange and green zones.
Overstay and towing
A small overstay can often be cancelled for around EUR 4 if you act quickly; a formal fine runs up to EUR 200 in the green zone, and towing risk rises from there.
Blue zone (ORA): how paying actually works
Blue-zone bays are open to any driver who pays, by app, meter or SMS depending on the machine at that bay. Rates in the general areas start at about EUR 0.30 for a minimum 25-minute stay, rise to roughly EUR 0.80 for an hour, and cap at around EUR 1.50 for the maximum permitted two hours.
Ciutat Vella, l'Eixample and Extramurs run a pricier central tier: about EUR 0.55 for 25 minutes, EUR 1.00 for an hour, and EUR 1.70 for the two-hour maximum. Either way, two hours is the hard limit on a single ticket in the blue zone; you cannot pay for a third hour in the same spot.
Paid hours, and when parking is free
Blue-zone charges generally apply Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 to 14:00 and again from 16:00 to 20:00, with a small number of districts closing the paid window slightly earlier on Saturdays. Outside those hours, on Sundays and on public holidays, the same bays are free and unrestricted.
Cars displaying the CERO zero-emission environmental badge do not pay in blue, orange or green zones at all, a rule in force since February 2024. Everyone else pays the posted rate for the zone colour they are parked in.
Green zone: resident-only parking and how to get a permit
The green zone is different in kind from the blue zone, not just in price. It is reserved for residents of the neighbourhood registered with a valid resident card; a non-resident cannot pay to park there even if a bay is empty.
Green-zone streets run through several central neighbourhoods, including parts of Ciutat Vella, Ruzafa, El Botanic, La Roqueta and La Petxina. A resident permit costs around EUR 86.20 a year or EUR 7.18 a month, issued through the ORA concessionaire, EYSA. Apply once you are empadronado at the address, since the permit is tied to registered residence, not simply ownership.
Parking in a green zone without a valid card risks a fine of up to EUR 200 and, in more serious or repeated cases, towing.
Underground car parks: the private alternative
Valencia's centre has a good number of private underground car parks, several offering monthly passes that work out cheaper than daily ad-hoc rates for anyone parking the same car in the same area every day.
Rates vary a lot by operator and neighbourhood, so it is worth comparing two or three nearby options rather than assuming the first one you find is representative. This is usually the practical answer for a resident who does not qualify for, or cannot get, a green-zone permit.
Overstaying, fines and towing
A short overstay in the blue zone, up to about an hour past your paid time, can often be settled for a reduced fee of around EUR 4 if you deal with it quickly rather than waiting for a formal notice by post.
Parking illegally in the green zone, blocking access, or overstaying badly enough to draw a formal ticket runs into real money: fines up to EUR 200, plus the cost of the tow itself, roughly EUR 90 to 150, and a daily storage fee at the municipal depot on top if the car is not collected quickly.
Mistakes that cost money
Assuming Sunday is always free everywhere
Sundays and holidays are free in the ORA zones, but private car parks and some special-event restrictions do not follow the same calendar. Check the specific street.
Trying to pay for a green-zone bay as a visitor
Green zones are not for sale to non-residents at any price. Look for a blue zone or a private car park instead.
Parking past the two-hour blue-zone limit
You cannot extend a blue-zone ticket past two hours in the same spot by paying again. Move the car or use a private car park for a longer stay.
Ignoring a Saturday-only variation
A handful of districts close their paid blue-zone window earlier on Saturdays than the weekday hours. Check the meter or app for that specific street rather than assuming the standard hours apply everywhere.
Which option actually suits you
Here for a day of sightseeing or a single meeting? The blue zone is built for exactly that: pay by app and move on. Living here and driving daily? A green-zone permit, if your street qualifies, beats paying blue-zone rates every day by a wide margin.
No green zone on your street, or not yet empadronado? A private underground monthly pass is usually the next best option, and worth comparing before assuming street parking is your only route.
Resident in Valencia since 2016. Founder of BeTranslated. 25+ years in translation, interpretation and multilingual SEO.
Reviewed 29 August 2026 by Michael Bastin