Parking in Madrid isn’t just a different experience in the summer due to the significant drop in the number of vehicles looking for a spot to park; it also makes a difference in your wallet: although not everyone knows it, the Regulated Parking Service (SER) extends the hours during which parking is free throughout the month of August.
The SER’s operating hours this month—Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays—are only from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., so parking outside those hours is completely free for users. Parking is also free on Sundays and holidays, as the service is not available on those days.
In other words: parking is free on weekday afternoons in August, as well as on Sundays and holidays. You can check the General Urban Planning Inquiry – SER to see if a specific address is located in an area regulated by this service, which is subdivided into neighborhoods.
SER Rates in Madrid
Blue parking spaces
- Minimum fee (up to five minutes): €0.05.
- Half an hour: €0.40.
- One hour: €1.10.
- Two hours: €2.75.
- Maximum rate (four hours): €8.20.
Green parking spaces
- Minimum fee (up to five minutes): €0.15.
- Half an hour: €0.90.
- One hour: €2.05.
- Maximum rate (two hours): €4.10.
The complete rate schedule can be found on the Madrid City Council’s e-Government website.
SER Exceptions, Surcharges, and Rate Reductions
Certain vehicles are exempt from paying the SER fee, such as two- and three-wheeled vehicles or those classified as “Zero Emissions” in the Vehicle Registry of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT).
Similarly, surcharges and discounts apply depending on the vehicle’s environmental classification.
Discounts
- ECO Vehicles: 75%.
- Tag C: 10%.
Surcharges
- Tag B: 20%.
- Tag A: 50%.