FAQ
The University operates a virtual parking permit system for all staff, students and associates entitled to a permit to park, we no longer issue the pink or blue zone paper permits to drivers.
The active vehicle registration details for a valid permit are feed into the enforcement system, enabling the Security Officer to check if a vehicle has a valid permit for the car park it is parked in by scanning the vehicle registration number.
Find out if you are eligible to apply for a parking permit by navigating the main driving & parking page and choosing the applicable icons.
Please ensure you have received an email confirming your permit is active before parking on campus Monday to Friday between 8am and 5pm.
There are many benefits to having a virtual parking permit system. Applying for the virtual parking permit is quick and simple, and you can update your vehicle details anytime easily online.
No physical permit needs to be collected or displayed in your vehicle. If you have more than one vehicle on your virtual permit, rather than physically switching a permit between vehicles, you just need to activate the vehicle you are driving that day online.
Parking enforcement is more efficient with our virtual permit system, creating a fairer system for all.
By going paperless we are following our travel plan to help the environment by helping reduce waste and pollution.
Parking is free of charge in a marked bay in any car park on campus Monday to Friday between 5pm and 8am, also over the weekends and bank holidays.
Monday to Friday 8am-5pm you must have a valid permit to park and be parked in a marked bay in the car park the permit is valid for.
At all times, to park in an accessible bay you must be displaying either a valid Gov blue badge or have a University of Kent permit that allows parking in these bays.
You must park in a marked bay at all times.
Staff virtual permits are valid for a full calendar month in line with the length of the permit 12, 3, or 1 month.
Student academic year permits are valid from the date of issue until 31st July for that academic year. 3 and 1 month permits are valid for a calendar month in line with the length of the permit.
Postgraduate students who are eligible for a permit and require parking on campus in August will be able to purchase an additional 1 month permit.
You will receive an email 14 days before your permit is due to expire and again on the day your parking permit expires. You can also check the expiry date of your permit online.
The permit price increase was essential to assist with the cover of the administration costs by the system provider which increased from April 2023. There are other increases to parking operation costs such as car park maintenance, ANPR systems and enforcement which the University will cover.
Staff can cancel their parking permit using our online permit cancellation form
Students and associates to cancel your permits, please email the transportteam@kent.ac.uk and inform them of the date on which you wish to cancel your permit.
For any permit cancelled less than one month from issue there may be a £2.50 administration charge.
For staff permits, as these are paid in arrears from your monthly salary you will be charged a full month payment at the end of the month the permit is cancelled in. After this charge there will be no further deductions taken from your monthly salary.
For Student and Associate permits, if a permit has been valid for more than 1 month you will be refunded for the full remaining unused months on the permit using the following equation: Total cost of permit / total number of calendar months x the number of full remaining months.
No refunds are given for Daily Voucher permits that are cancelled.
Note if less than 10 working days are given you may be charged an additional month.
To cancel your permit please refer to the FAQ above on how to cancel a permit.
Daily Voucher permits allow the permit holder to purchase a permit at a lower price than a full permit, on the days that parking is required the permit holder logs onto their permit account and purchases a daily parking voucher.
If you are eligible to park on campus but only do so occasionally, you may be interested in purchasing daily parking vouchers.
Students and Associates are able to register one vehicle on their permit.
Staff are able to register up to five vehicles on their permit, however you must ensure that the vehicle you have parked on campus is ticked as the active vehicle on your permit on the day it is parked. To change your active vehicle Log in to the permit system and select “My permits”. Click on the green vehicle icon and select “add vehicle” or “switch vehicle”. “Switch vehicle” means that this vehicle will be marked as the active vehicle to park on campus in accordance with your parking permit.
To change your active vehicle Log in to the permit system and select “My permits”. Click on the green vehicle icon and select “add vehicle” or “switch vehicle”. “Switch vehicle” means that this vehicle will be marked as the active vehicle to park on campus in accordance with your parking permit.
We need to have contact details so we can get in touch with you if there is a problem, for example, you have left your lights on. Your address is required in case we need to send communications via letter.
Carbon emission data is now needed as part of the parking application process as we are obliged to report this data to the Carbon Trust and HESA report.
If you are found to be using a parking permit fraudulently, the permit will be revoked immediately and no refund will be given, as per the Traffic Regulations.
Disciplinary action may be taken.