Student Parking

Car parking spaces at the University are severely limited, so parking is restricted to those with a permit. We encourage you to explore our sustainable transport options, before applying for a parking permit.

Before you bring your car onto campus or to halls…

You will need a permit to park on campus or in halls and these are only usually awarded to students with a disability or with an extenuating circumstances that meet the Campus Criteria or Halls Criteria. Blue badge holders may apply for a free of charge permit.

Halls parking permits are only valid within that Hall's car park. If you are a student living in Halls and you do not have a permit to park, you must not park on residential roads within one mile of the campus.

If you have any questions about parking on campus, or in halls, please contact the University Parking Team via email: campusparking@reading.ac.uk

When to apply for your parking permit

Before you apply for your parking permit, you should make sure you know what period of time you will be needing your permit for and when you’ll need to apply.

Parking permit applications are open from the 1 July for Halls parking and 1 August for Campus parking. The deadline for applications is Friday 26 September 2025 at 23:59.

We accept applications from new students, where their course starts part way through the academic year (October-September), within 10 days of the course entry date as specified by RISIS.

Types of parking permits available:

Semester 1 parking permit – valid from the date of issue to the 6 February 2026.
Semester 2 parking permit – valid from the date of issue to the 12 June 2026. Applications open from the 1 February up to 5 days into the start of Semester 2 ending Friday 13 February 2026 at 23:59pm.
Summer vacation parking permit – also known as the semester 3 parking permit. Valid from the date of issue to the 30 September 2026. Applications open from the 1 June up to 5 days into the start of Semester 3, ending Friday 19 June 2026 at 23:59.

We can accept applications after the cut-off date if you have had a significant change of circumstance. Such changes of circumstance should be related to the existing criteria.

Need an annual parking permit? Make sure to select semester 1, 2 and 3 when completing your parking permit application.

New student? If you are a new student, and your course starts part way through the academic year, you can still apply for a parking permit. You will need to submit your parking permit application within 10 days of your course entry date specified by RISIS.

For further information about applying for parking permits, parking regulations and eligibility criteria, check out the University Parking Website.

Applying for a parking permit

If you’re thinking about bringing your car to university and are eligible for a permit, then make sure to check out our step-by-step guide to getting your parking permit...

Step-by-step guide to applying for a parking permit

Step 1 - Check you are eligible to apply for a parking permit

Check that you meet the Campus Criteria and Halls Criteria, so that you know you are eligible to apply for the type of parking permit you are looking for.

If you discover you are not eligible to apply for a parking permit then you will not be able to park your car on campus, and will receive a fine if you do so. However, not to worry, there are lots of other travel options available to you. Check out our ‘Getting about’ page on Essentials to explore the bus, cycling and park and ride options available to UoR students.

Unsuccessful applicants may appeal the decision, if you choose to.

Step 2 - Get your evidence ready before you apply

If you meet the criteria, you will need to provide evidence of this ready for when you complete your parking permit application. The evidence you need to provide will be different depending on your reasons for applying for a permit. Check out the Campus Parking Criteria and Halls Criteria for details about the type of evidence you’ll need to provide.

Step 3 - Apply for your permit online

You’ll need to apply for your parking permit via an online campus parking application form or online halls parking application form, depending on the type of parking permit you need.

If you are a new student, and your course starts part way through the academic year (October-September), then you are able to submit parking permit applications within 10 days of the course entry date as specified by RISIS.

Step 4 - Paying for your parking permit

Once your parking permit has been approved, you will receive an email to notify you that your application has been successful and provide the online payment details so you can pay for your permit.
The amount must be paid within ten working days. Failure to make payment will result in the permit being cancelled.

Students with a valid disabled badge can apply for a free permit. Otherwise the costs are as follows:

£35 per semester for a car permit
£105 for annual car permit
£13.25 for annual motorcycle permit

Step 5 - Collect your parking permit

You will need to collect your parking permit from the reception located on the ground floor of the Palmer Building. The reception is open 10:00 - 14:00, Monday to Friday.

Step 6 - Display your parking permit in your vehicle

Once you have collected your parking permit, you’ll need to make sure it is displayed in your vehicle every time you park on campus or in halls.

Parking at the University is also subject to the Parking Regulations, please note that anyone infringing the regulations is likely to incur a parking charge notice of £75.

We also recommend that you sign up to the car park mailing list to receive any parking updates and details of carpark closures. Email campusparking@reading.ac.uk to be added to the mailing list.

University Parking Webpages