Varna parking: Blue Zone and Green Zone, how to pay by SMS or app (2026)
Street parking in central Varna: €0.51/h. Blue Zone daily 9:00–20:00, max 3 h; Green Zone Mon–Fri 9:00–19:00, max 5 h. Foreign SIM? Use MPark.
Street parking in central Varna costs €0.51 per hour (as of October 2026). The Blue Zone in the centre is paid every day 9:00–20:00 with a 3-hour limit; the Green Zone around it is paid Monday to Friday 9:00–19:00 with a 5-hour limit. Pay by SMS to 1352 (Blue) or 1353 (Green) only if you have a Bulgarian SIM; with a foreign phone, use the MPark app or pay cash at a shop with the parking sticker (varnaparking.bg).
Where are the zones and how do I recognise them?
The Blue Zone covers the centre between Hristo Botev, Maria Luiza, Osmi Primorski Polk, Tsar Osvoboditel and Primorski boulevards, plus the “Wide Centre” around Slivnitsa, Vladislav Varnenchik and Knyaz Boris I. Since November 2025 the Green Zone surrounds it out to Vasil Levski Blvd, including Chayka and Levski. Each zone starts at a parking sign with an extra zone plate (for example “Синя зона”, Blue Zone) and an info board with prices and payment options. Boundary streets are paid too. The operator’s website, varnaparking.bg, has maps of the zones and of the cash points.
Hours and prices
| Blue Zone | Green Zone | |
|---|---|---|
| Paid hours | Mon–Sun 9:00–20:00 | Mon–Fri 9:00–19:00 |
| Price | €0.51/hour (app: €0.26 per 30 min) | €0.51/hour (app: €0.26 per 30 min) |
| Full day | €8.18, app only | €8.18, app only |
| Max stay | 3 hours | 5 hours |
| SMS number | 1352 |
1353 |
After the maximum stay you must move the car; a new period can start 30 minutes later. You must pay as soon as you stop. Official public holidays are free, and the city sometimes suspends charges on special days such as election days (see below), so check varnaparking.bg. Source: Varna Parking.
Is the Blue Zone free on election days?
Only when Varna Municipality announces it. According to the municipality’s notice carried by BTA on 23 October 2026, the Blue Zone did not operate on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026 because of the presidential election, so parking there was free; paid parking resumed on Monday 26 October. Parking rules still applied, and offenders could be fined or towed. The Green Zone is free at weekends anyway.
The presidential runoff is on Sunday 1 November 2026. As of 26 October 2026, the municipality has not announced any Blue Zone suspension for 31 October or 1 November, so plan to pay as usual (9:00–20:00) unless a notice appears on varna.bg, varnaparking.bg or in BTA’s official messages. We will update this page if one is published.
How do I pay by SMS?
- Text the plate number as printed, e.g.
В1234АВ1352(Blue) or1353(Green). Check the number on the street sign. - Wait for the confirmation SMS. Parking is valid only after it arrives.
- About 5 minutes before the hour ends you get a warning; send another SMS to extend. Source: Varna Parking.
One SMS buys one hour, and you pay the hourly fee plus your operator’s SMS charge. Every SMS is charged, even with a typo. An SMS sent between midnight and 9:00 starts your hour at 9:00.
Foreign SIM or foreign plate: what works?
The SMS service lists only Bulgarian operators, so a foreign SIM will very likely not work. Your options:
- MPark app (Android/iOS): register, top up the wallet with a bank card, pick the zone yourself and choose 30 minutes to 3 or 5 hours, or a full day. Payment is valid only in the zone you choose.
- Cash at shops showing the “virtual parking meter” sticker.
- Bulgarian prepaid SIM, if you stay longer. Source: Varna Parking.
Foreign plates are entered exactly as printed, in Latin letters.
Who parks free?
Fully electric and hydrogen fuel-cell cars and two-wheelers park free; electric cars with green EA plates need no registration. Disabled badge holders park free for up to 3 hours in marked bays. Source: Varna Parking.
What happens if I don’t pay?
Enforcement is by wheel clamp (“скоба”). Removal costs €10.23 plus €0.51 per started hour; call 070 070 352 or pay “unclamp” in MPark, and you need not wait by the car. A clamped car left over 3 hours can be towed (“паяк”): €23.01 in the centre, €25.56 in neighbourhoods, €28.12 on the outskirts (less if you arrive before towing ends), plus €0.51/h storage, capped at €153.39. The impound lot is under Asparuhov Bridge; phone 052 820 921. Source: Varna Parking.
Where else can I park?
Municipal 24-hour car parks near the station, Musala Square and the Town Hall cost €1.02 per hour; see car parks in Varna. Residents of the zones can get a resident permit; see your first 30 days in Varna.
Quick checklist
- Check the sign: Blue or Green, and the SMS number.
- Foreign SIM? Install MPark before you arrive.
- Set a phone alarm for the 3- or 5-hour limit.
- Prefer walking in the centre: see walking, cycling and taxis, driving to Varna and tips for first-time visitors.
Got a parking ticket or a camera fine? Check where to look it up by plate on our fines and vignette check page.
Sources
- Varna Parking – municipal operator (zones, prices, clamps, towing, car parks)
- Visit Varna – Blue Zone (in Bulgarian)
- Visit Varna – Green Zone
- BTA – €0.51 per hour in the Blue and Green Zones from 2026
- 24 Chasa – Varna parking about four times cheaper than Sofia
- Nova Varna – No Blue Zone on election Sunday, 25 Oct 2026
- BTA – Varna Municipality: Blue Zone not operating on 24 and 25 October (elections)
- Varna News – Blue Zone not operating on 24–25 October
- BNT – Presidential vote on 25 October, possible runoff on 1 November
- Sofia Globe – Yotova and Gyurov go to the runoff (26 Oct 2026)
- Tevi Apartments – Paying the Blue Zone without a Bulgarian SIM
- Bud na Varna – Green Zone: more subscribers than spaces
- MPark app (Google Play)
💬 What people say
Summarised from public reviews, forums and social posts — paraphrased themes, not individual quotes.
24 Chasa ↗Local media point out that at €0.51 per hour Varna's zones are about four times cheaper than Sofia's Blue Zone.
Bud na Varna ↗Residents complained when the Green Zone opened that the city had sold more resident subscriptions than there were spaces; people in Chayka and Levski said there were too few spaces, and some called it a racket.
Tevi Apartments ↗A Varna apartment host warns guests that SMS payment needs a Bulgarian SIM and suggests the app, paying cash at a shop counter or buying a Bulgarian prepaid SIM; it works, but takes some planning.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay for Varna parking by SMS with a foreign phone number?
Very likely not. The SMS numbers 1352 and 1353 work with Bulgarian operators (A1, Yettel, Vivacom). With a foreign SIM, pay in the MPark app or in cash at a shop with the parking sticker.
Is parking free in Varna on Sunday?
In the Green Zone, yes: it is paid only Monday to Friday. The Blue Zone in the centre is paid every day, including Sunday, from 9:00 to 20:00, except on official public holidays.
How much does a wheel clamp cost in Varna?
€10.23 for removing the clamp plus €0.51 for every started hour. Request removal on 070 070 352 or pay the 'unclamp' option in the MPark app.
Is the Blue Zone in Varna free on election day?
Only when the municipality announces it. The Blue Zone did not operate on 24–25 October 2026 because of the presidential election. As of 26 October 2026 there is no notice for the 1 November runoff, so pay as usual unless one is published.
Where is my car if it was towed in Varna?
At the impound lot in the South Industrial Zone under Asparuhov Bridge. Call 052 820 921. Towing plus storage is capped at €153.39.
Do white lines mean paid parking in Varna?
Not on their own. The operator says a paid zone is marked by a parking sign with a 'Синя зона' (Blue Zone) or 'Зелена зона' (Green Zone) plate and an info board with the rules and prices. White bay lines alone do not tell you whether you must pay, so look for the sign.
