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Using French blue disabled parking badge in UK
The disabled 'blue badge' parking scheme is recognised mutually across the EU; 'full Brexit' this year called this into question
Are EU blue disabled people’s badges still being accepted in the UK?
The good news is that yes, the UK has decided to continue to recognise EU/EEA blue badges, for disabled people’s parking.
These cards allow you to park free of charge in any on-street parking area in the UK, including where there are meters, without time limit unless otherwise specified by a sign. (Some areas in England and Wales may require you to indicate time of arrival by placing a cardboard parking clock in view.)
They also allow use of designated disabled people’s parking bays, which should be used as a priority.
If necessary blue badge holders in the UK can also park on yellow lines for up to three hours, if it is safe to do so, but not within 15 metres of a junction or where there is signage indicating restrictions on loading or unloading.
In France the blue badge, which should be displayed on your windscreen, was previously called carte européenne de stationnement but this has now been replaced by a card called carte mobilité inclusion (CMI) ‘Stationnement’. Some holders of this card will also have another version of the CMI they can carry with them to obtain other disabled people’s advantages, called CMI ‘Priortié’ or CMI Invalidité.
Old French cards can however still be used if within their validity period.
The blue badge scheme is originally an EU one and the European Commission warned during Brexit negotiations that there was no certainty of continuing mutual recognition between the UK and EU countries.
Since full Brexit France does not currently recognise British blue badges according to the latest information from the UK government.
However the UK government is negotiating with individual EU countries over agreeing mutual recognition. Austria, the Czech Republic and Denmark.
We have asked the UK's Department of Transport and the French Interior Ministry if it is possible to update us on any progress with France with regard to this.
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