The cards will give persons with disabilities legal certainty that their disability status will be recognised when accessing special conditions or preferential treatment offered by a wide variety of services, activities or facilities, including parking.
When travelling across the EU, cardholders will be able to benefit from such special conditions or preferential treatment on equal terms and conditions as residents with disabilities in the Member State they visit.
The cards are meant for short stays of up to 3 months, with an exception for card holders that participate in an EU mobility programme in another Member State. At the same time, Member States may also decide to apply the provisions for longer periods for card holders visiting or staying in their territory.
What are these cards?
European Disability Card
The European Disability Card will serve as a proof of disability status across the EU , making it easier for cardholders to access a wide range of services, activities or facilities. These include services provided for remuneration, passenger transport services, and other activities and facilities, including those offered free of charge.
The card will grant cardholders equal access to special conditions and preferential treatments offered to persons with disabilities in the Member State they visit.
The special conditions can apply when using transport, attending cultural events and visiting museums, leisure and sports centres, amusement parks, and more.
They can take the form of:
- free entry
- reduced tariffs
- priority access
- personal assistance
- mobility aids
The European Disability Card will benefit EU citizens and their family members with recognised disability status or entitlement to specific services based on a disability by the competent authorities or bodies in their Member State of residence. Cardholders can be accompanied or assisted by one or several persons, where needed, including personal assistants, or assistance animals. The Directive 2024/2842 extends the personal scope to third-country nationals legally residing in a Member State.
There are some exceptions to the scope of the card, including social security and social protection benefits.
European Parking Card for persons with disabilities
The improved European Parking Card will serve as proof of right to parking conditions and facilities reserved for persons with disabilities in all EU countries. It will also contain security features to prevent and combat fraud.
The European Parking Card will benefit EU citizens and their family members with recognised rights to parking conditions and facilities reserved for persons with disabilities by the competent authorities or bodies in their Member State of residence. Cardholders can be accompanied or assisted by one or several persons, where needed, including personal assistants.
The Directive 2024/2842 extends the personal scope to third-country nationals legally residing in a Member State.
By 5 December 2029, the European Parking Card will replace national parking cards for persons with disabilities.
What does the Directive cover?
It sets the rules for both cards, concerning:
- the scope
- the beneficiaries
- the physical formats
- the process for agreeing on the digital format
- the issuance of the cards
- enforcement, compliance, and reporting
- arrangements on consultation, access to information and awareness-raising;
The Directive does not affect Member States’ competence to determine the conditions for assessing and recognising disability status or the entitlement to specific services based on a disability, or for granting the right to parking conditions and facilities reserved for persons with disabilities.
It does not affect Member States’ competence to issue, at national, regional or local level, a disability certificate, disability card or other formal document for persons with disabilities, including a decision on the entitlement to specific services based on a disability.
When will the cards be available?
By 5 June 2027, Member States have to adopt and publish the national laws and rules needed to implement Directives 2024/2841 and 2024/2842, and inform the Commission of those measures.
Member States have to apply those measures from 5 June 2028. From that date, Member States have to issue the cards to eligible persons with disabilities.
Next steps: Full rollout and digitalisation of the cards
The European Disability Card and the European Parking Card are a flagship initiative of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030. In 2023, the Commission presented a legislative proposal to introduce the two cards, delivering on the commitment made in the Strategy.
In 2026, the Commission updated its Strategy through the Communication Enhancing the Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030. The cards remain a flagship initiative, with the aim of making them available in people’s digital wallets.
The updated Strategy also sets out the main upcoming steps for implementing the cards:
- QR codes for the physical versions of the cards, features to ensure security of the cards and prevent fraud, and interoperability requirements for readability across the Member States (through a delegated act);
- accessible digital versions of the cards and related interoperability arrangements (through an implementing act);
- communication efforts to raise awareness of the benefits of the cards; and
- assessment of remaining gaps related to the free movement of persons with disabilities (by 5 June 2029).
EU Disability Card pilot projects
This initiative is built on the experience of the ongoing EU Disability Card pilot project launched in February 2016 in eight EU countries and the EU parking card for persons with disabilities based on Council Recommendation 98/376/EC.
You can access to the national EU Disability Card websites of:
In addition, Croatia has implemented an EU-funded project to already support the introduction of both cards.
A public consultation on the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card initiative was held in February-May 2023.
In September 2023, the Commission presented the proposal to create both cards (Directive 2024/2841). It was complemented in October 2023 by the Commission’s proposal to extend the scope of the Directive to third-country nationals legally residing in a Member State (Directive 2024/2842).
Both Directives were approved by the European Parliament in September 2024 and by the Council of the EU in October 2024.
In July 2026, the Commission adopted a delegated regulation (C/2026/4534) setting out the QR codes to be used on the physical versions of the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card, to ensure the security and interoperability of both cards.