The Sofia Administrative Court (AS-Sofia) issued a decision temporarily suspending the increase in prices for blue and green zones and their expansion –before assessing the legality of the new ordinance.This means that the change cannot go into effect on January 5, 2026, as planned, until the court makes a final decision.final void –only imposed a temporary measure.Therefore, the current blue and green zone rules remain in force under the old conditions –no increased prices, no expansion of zones.If the court confirms that the new regulation is illegal, the changes can be permanently revoked;if not –they may come into force after legal proceedings have taken place.
Paid Parking Rules
Below are the proposed significant changes to the rules for paid parking, which were expected to come into effect on January 1.The new regulation of the Metropolitan Municipal Council wanted to update the prices, expand the zones, introduce additional conditions for the residents, stricter control and environmental restrictions.
Blue and Green Area
The blue and green zones remain the main parking modes, but their boundaries are expected to expand.The blue zone will cover a larger perimeter in the center, including additional streets in "Sredets", "Lozenets" and "Oborishte".The green zone will include new areas such as "Ivan Vazov", parts of "Slatina", "Yavorov", "Hippodrome", as well as the vicinity of key metro stations.
Working hours do not change:
- Blue Zone: Monday –Saturday, 08:30–20:00
- Green Zone: Monday –Friday, 08:30–19:30
The Hours
From 2026, hourly rates are scheduled to increase as follows:
- Blue zone: BGN 3.50/hour
- Green zone: BGN 2.50/hour
Restrictions remain - up to 2 hours in the blue zone and up to 4 hours in the green zone.Payment is via SMS, app or parking meter.
Stickers
Annual stickers are expected to be priced differently depending on the number of cars in the household:
- First car: BGN 150 (green)/ BGN 200 (blue)
- Second: BGN 300/ BGN 450
- Third: BGN 600/ BGN 900
The ...
The Sofia Administrative Court (AS-Sofia) issued a decision temporarily suspending the increase in prices for blue and green zones and their expansion –before assessing the legality of the new ordinance.This means that the change cannot go into effect on January 5, 2026, as planned, until the court makes a final decision.final void –only imposed a temporary measure.Therefore, the current blue and green zone rules remain in force under the old conditions –no increased prices, no expansion of zones.If the court confirms that the new regulation is illegal, the changes can be permanently revoked;if not –they may come into force after legal proceedings have taken place.
Paid Parking Rules
Below are the proposed significant changes to the rules for paid parking, which were expected to come into effect on January 1.The new regulation of the Metropolitan Municipal Council wanted to update the prices, expand the zones, introduce additional conditions for the residents, stricter control and environmental restrictions.
Blue and Green Area
The blue and green zones remain the main parking modes, but their boundaries are expected to expand.The blue zone will cover a larger perimeter in the center, including additional streets in "Sredets", "Lozenets" and "Oborishte".The green zone will include new areas such as "Ivan Vazov", parts of "Slatina", "Yavorov", "Hippodrome", as well as the vicinity of key metro stations.
Working hours do not change:
- Blue Zone: Monday –Saturday, 08:30–20:00
- Green Zone: Monday –Friday, 08:30–19:30
The Hours
From 2026, hourly rates are scheduled to increase as follows:
- Blue zone: BGN 3.50/hour
- Green zone: BGN 2.50/hour
Restrictions remain - up to 2 hours in the blue zone and up to 4 hours in the green zone.Payment is via SMS, app or parking meter.
Stickers
Annual stickers are expected to be priced differently depending on the number of cars in the household:
- First car: BGN 150 (green)/ BGN 200 (blue)
- Second: BGN 300/ BGN 450
- Third: BGN 600/ BGN 900
The sticker will only be valid for the address zone, and the car must be registered in the applicant's name.
Restrictions on service subscriptions are requested to be tightened –companies can have a maximum of 2 workplaces in a blue zone.The fees will be BGN 900/month for blue and BGN 700/month for green zone.All subscriptions are tied to specific registration numbers.
Modernized system
SOS wants to introduce a modernized inspection system:
- mobile cameras that read numbers
- QR codes on the stickers
- direct integration with the traffic police databases for property validation
Diesel cars under the Euro 4 standard are not allowed to be parked in the blue zone. Cameras will monitor the eco-stickers and violations will be automatically sanctioned.
Living
For households, the new regulation provides for changes to encourage families to have fewer cars through:
- 10% discount when renewing an annual sticker
- access to "live+" locations
- free night parking
- bonus minutes when parking in other zones
The new regulation provides that in 2026, over 3,200 new places will be built: peripheral parking lots, Park &Ride zones, resident-only spaces and underground parking in key neighborhoods.
The proposal also included, by the end of 2025, the launch of an information campaign with online calculators, a chatbot, explanations by neighborhoods and clips on public transport.By mid-2026. To analyze the effect of the reform: employment, old car fleet, traffic and public reaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the new blue and green zone prices come into effect from January 2026?
Answer: At the moment – no.The Sofia Administrative Court imposed a temporary measure and stopped the increase in prices and the expansion of the zones.This means that the old rates and conditions are maintained until the court makes a final decision.The new rules can come into force later only if the ordinance is found to be lawful.
What were the planned new parking rates?
Answer: The project stipulated that the blue zone would cost BGN 3.50 per hour, and the green zone - BGN 2.50 per hour.The time limits were to remain the same – up to 2 hours in the blue zone and up to 4 hours in the green zone.Payment was planned to be done via SMS, mobile app or parking meters.These rates do not currently apply.
Would the paid parking zones be expanded?
Answer: Yes.The ordinance provided for expansion into central areas and new neighborhoods.The blue zone was supposed to enter parts of "Sredets", "Lozenets" and "Oborishte", and the green - in "Ivan Vazov", "Yavorov", "Slatina" and other areas around metro stations.This expansion has also been temporarily halted by the court and the old boundaries remain in place.
What changes are planned for residents and stickers?
Answer: The price of the annual stickers was supposed to depend on the number of cars in the household - the first car cheaper, each subsequent car significantly more expensive.The stickers had to be valid only for the area of registration address and the car was registered to the owner.The goal was to limit the number of cars in the central areas.
What new control rules and environmental restrictions were envisaged?
Answer: It was planned to introduce mobile cameras, QR codes and automatic checks through the traffic police databases.Diesel cars under the Euro 4 standard would not be allowed in the blue zone. Sanctions would be imposed automatically by reading the license plates and eco stickers.And these measures are currently not being implemented.
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The Sofia Administrative Court (AS-Sofia) issued a decision temporarily suspending the increase in prices for blue and green zones and their expansion –before assessing the legality of the new ordinance.This means that the change cannot go into effect on January 5, 2026, as planned, until the court makes a final decision.final void –only imposed a temporary measure.Therefore, the current blue and green zone rules remain in force under the old conditions –no increased prices, no expansion of zones.If the court confirms that the new regulation is illegal, the changes can be permanently revoked;if not –they may come into force after legal proceedings have taken place.
Paid Parking Rules
Below are the proposed significant changes to the rules for paid parking, which were expected to come into effect on January 1.The new regulation of the Metropolitan Municipal Council wanted to update the prices, expand the zones, introduce additional conditions for the residents, stricter control and environmental restrictions.
Blue and Green Area
The blue and green zones remain the main parking modes, but their boundaries are expected to expand.The blue zone will cover a larger perimeter in the center, including additional streets in "Sredets", "Lozenets" and "Oborishte".The green zone will include new areas such as "Ivan Vazov", parts of "Slatina", "Yavorov", "Hippodrome", as well as the vicinity of key metro stations.
Working hours do not change:
- Blue Zone: Monday –Saturday, 08:30–20:00
- Green Zone: Monday –Friday, 08:30–19:30
The Hours
From 2026, hourly rates are scheduled to increase as follows:
- Blue zone: BGN 3.50/hour
- Green zone: BGN 2.50/hour
Restrictions remain - up to 2 hours in the blue zone and up to 4 hours in the green zone.Payment is via SMS, app or parking meter.
Stickers
Annual stickers are expected to be priced differently depending on the number of cars in the household:
- First car: BGN 150 (green)/ BGN 200 (blue)
- Second: BGN 300/ BGN 450
- Third: BGN 600/ BGN 900
The ...
The Sofia Administrative Court (AS-Sofia) issued a decision temporarily suspending the increase in prices for blue and green zones and their expansion –before assessing the legality of the new ordinance.This means that the change cannot go into effect on January 5, 2026, as planned, until the court makes a final decision.final void –only imposed a temporary measure.Therefore, the current blue and green zone rules remain in force under the old conditions –no increased prices, no expansion of zones.If the court confirms that the new regulation is illegal, the changes can be permanently revoked;if not –they may come into force after legal proceedings have taken place.
Paid Parking Rules
Below are the proposed significant changes to the rules for paid parking, which were expected to come into effect on January 1.The new regulation of the Metropolitan Municipal Council wanted to update the prices, expand the zones, introduce additional conditions for the residents, stricter control and environmental restrictions.
Blue and Green Area
The blue and green zones remain the main parking modes, but their boundaries are expected to expand.The blue zone will cover a larger perimeter in the center, including additional streets in "Sredets", "Lozenets" and "Oborishte".The green zone will include new areas such as "Ivan Vazov", parts of "Slatina", "Yavorov", "Hippodrome", as well as the vicinity of key metro stations.
Working hours do not change:
- Blue Zone: Monday –Saturday, 08:30–20:00
- Green Zone: Monday –Friday, 08:30–19:30
The Hours
From 2026, hourly rates are scheduled to increase as follows:
- Blue zone: BGN 3.50/hour
- Green zone: BGN 2.50/hour
Restrictions remain - up to 2 hours in the blue zone and up to 4 hours in the green zone.Payment is via SMS, app or parking meter.
Stickers
Annual stickers are expected to be priced differently depending on the number of cars in the household:
- First car: BGN 150 (green)/ BGN 200 (blue)
- Second: BGN 300/ BGN 450
- Third: BGN 600/ BGN 900
The sticker will only be valid for the address zone, and the car must be registered in the applicant's name.
Restrictions on service subscriptions are requested to be tightened –companies can have a maximum of 2 workplaces in a blue zone.The fees will be BGN 900/month for blue and BGN 700/month for green zone.All subscriptions are tied to specific registration numbers.
Modernized system
SOS wants to introduce a modernized inspection system:
- mobile cameras that read numbers
- QR codes on the stickers
- direct integration with the traffic police databases for property validation
Diesel cars under the Euro 4 standard are not allowed to be parked in the blue zone. Cameras will monitor the eco-stickers and violations will be automatically sanctioned.
Living
For households, the new regulation provides for changes to encourage families to have fewer cars through:
- 10% discount when renewing an annual sticker
- access to "live+" locations
- free night parking
- bonus minutes when parking in other zones
The new regulation provides that in 2026, over 3,200 new places will be built: peripheral parking lots, Park &Ride zones, resident-only spaces and underground parking in key neighborhoods.
The proposal also included, by the end of 2025, the launch of an information campaign with online calculators, a chatbot, explanations by neighborhoods and clips on public transport.By mid-2026. To analyze the effect of the reform: employment, old car fleet, traffic and public reaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the new blue and green zone prices come into effect from January 2026?
Answer: At the moment – no.The Sofia Administrative Court imposed a temporary measure and stopped the increase in prices and the expansion of the zones.This means that the old rates and conditions are maintained until the court makes a final decision.The new rules can come into force later only if the ordinance is found to be lawful.
What were the planned new parking rates?
Answer: The project stipulated that the blue zone would cost BGN 3.50 per hour, and the green zone - BGN 2.50 per hour.The time limits were to remain the same – up to 2 hours in the blue zone and up to 4 hours in the green zone.Payment was planned to be done via SMS, mobile app or parking meters.These rates do not currently apply.
Would the paid parking zones be expanded?
Answer: Yes.The ordinance provided for expansion into central areas and new neighborhoods.The blue zone was supposed to enter parts of "Sredets", "Lozenets" and "Oborishte", and the green - in "Ivan Vazov", "Yavorov", "Slatina" and other areas around metro stations.This expansion has also been temporarily halted by the court and the old boundaries remain in place.
What changes are planned for residents and stickers?
Answer: The price of the annual stickers was supposed to depend on the number of cars in the household - the first car cheaper, each subsequent car significantly more expensive.The stickers had to be valid only for the area of registration address and the car was registered to the owner.The goal was to limit the number of cars in the central areas.
What new control rules and environmental restrictions were envisaged?
Answer: It was planned to introduce mobile cameras, QR codes and automatic checks through the traffic police databases.Diesel cars under the Euro 4 standard would not be allowed in the blue zone. Sanctions would be imposed automatically by reading the license plates and eco stickers.And these measures are currently not being implemented.