European disability card

European disability card

Proof of disability

People with disabilities often find that their national disability cards or certificates are not recognised when they visit or travel to other EU countries.

The new European disability card will serve as a proof of disability status anywhere in the EU. 

Special conditions and preferential treatment

Using the card, people with disabilities should have access to the same special conditions and preferential treatment as residents of the country they visit.

EU countries usually offer special conditions when using public transport and preferential treatment at cultural, leisure and sports events and activities. For example when visiting a museum or when attending a concert.

Advantages are different across member states, and can include:

• free entry
• reduced prices
• priority access
• personal assistance
• braille or audio guides
• mobility aids
• assistance animals

Eligibility criteria

The new European disability card will be issued by the competent national authorities in each member state. EU countries will remain responsible for determining the eligibility criteria and the procedure for granting disability status.

Format

The card will be offered in both physical and digital format. Member states will be able to issue bilingual cards, featuring both English and their national languages. They could also include a QR code on the cards, as the most effective and easy-to-implement tool to prevent fraud.

European parking card for people with disabilities

An EU parking card for people with disabilities already exists. Unfortunately, the current card is not always recognised in other member states due to format differences between countries.

To ensure uniform implementation and mutual recognition across the Union, an improved version of the EU parking card with a common EU format will replace national cards.

Preferential parking rights and facilities

The European parking card will ensure that all people with a recognised disability have access to the preferential parking rights and facilities of the country they visit.

Such as:

• extended parking space
• reserved parking places
• reduced parking fee
• access to restricted traffic zones

Format

The European parking card will be issued by the member states in physical format, with an option to voluntarily offer the card in a digital format too.

Benefits

The new European disability card and the improved European parking card for people with disabilities are expected to:

simplify the mutual recognition of disability status

facilitate free movement across the EU

ease access to the same preferential conditions as residents of the host country

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When will the cards be available?

In October 2024, the Council adopted two directives establishing the European disability card and European parking card for persons with disabilities.

For both directives, EU member states will have 2.5 years in which to adapt their national legislation and 3.5 years in which to apply the directive.

• Council and Parliament pave the way for a European disability card and a European parking card for persons with disabilities (press release, 8 February 2024)
• European disability card and European parking card for persons with disabilities: Council adopts new directives (press release, 14 October 2024)

Disability in the EU

The European Commission estimates that 30 million people in the EU have a recognised disability and can therefore benefit from special conditions and preferential treatment.

However, the real number of people who declare to have limitations in usual activities due to some kind of disability is estimated to be much higher.

Eurostat data, from 2024, shows that 24% of the EU population over 16 years of age might have some form of disability. That equals to 90 million people or 1 in 4 adults in the EU.

• Level of disability (activity limitation) by sex, age and income quintile (Eurostat)

Poverty and social exclusion

A range of inequalities exist between people with disabilities and non-disabled people. For example, people with disabilities are at greater risk of poverty and social exclusion. In 2024, 29% of people with disabilities were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 18% of people without disabilities.

For this reason, EU countries want to facilitate people with disabilities to access the special conditions they are entitled to when travelling across the EU.

• Inability to afford paying for one-week annual holiday away from home (Eurostat)

People with disabilities are at higher risk of poverty or social exclusion

This graph shows the percentage of people with disabilities at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared to people without disabilities (data refers to 2024).

• Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion by level of disability, sex and age (Eurostat)