Sharjah Parking SMS (2026): Format, Number 5566, Fees & Timings

Last updated: October 20, 2026

Parked in Sharjah and there is no meter in sight? You do not need one. Sharjah City Municipality lets you pay for public parking with a single text message. Send your plate source, plate number and the number of hours to 5566, and your parking permit arrives by SMS within seconds. This guide covers the exact Sharjah parking SMS format for every emirate plate, the real fees (including the 38 fils most guides forget), the new parking timings for 2026, and what to do when the SMS does not go through.

Quick Answer: Sharjah Parking SMS

SMS number: 5566 (Sharjah Municipality)
Format: Plate Source + Plate Number + Hours
Example: SHJ 12345 1 (Sharjah plate 12345, for 1 hour)
Cost: From AED 2.38 for 1 hour, including the 38 fils SMS fee
Paid hours: 8:00 AM to 12:00 midnight (new timings since July 2026)

Wait for the confirmation SMS before you walk away. That reply is your virtual parking permit, and traffic inspectors check it digitally against your plate.

Sharjah Parking SMS Number: 5566, Not 5155

The only official number for Sharjah parking SMS is 5566. A common mistake is texting 5155, which appears in some old forum posts. That number does not book Sharjah parking at all, so your car stays unpaid and exposed to a fine. Save 5566 in your contacts as “Sharjah Parking” so you never have to think about it again.

The service is run by the Public Parking Department of Sharjah City Municipality through its smsParking portal, and it works from Etisalat (e&) and du numbers, both postpaid and prepaid.

How to Pay Sharjah Parking by SMS: Step by Step

1. Park in a marked paid parking bay and check the signboard for the zone rules.
2. Open your messaging app and create a new message to 5566.
3. Type your plate source code, a space, your plate number, a space, and the hours (1, 2, 3 or 5). Example: SHJ 12345 2.
4. Send the message. Postpaid users are billed on their phone bill; prepaid users need enough balance, or the transaction fails.
5. Wait for the confirmation SMS with your virtual permit and expiry time. You will also get a reminder 10 minutes before the permit expires.

Tip: want the confirmation in Arabic? Start your message with the letter A, for example: A SHJ 12345 1.

Sharjah Parking SMS Format for Every Emirate Plate

Your car does not need a Sharjah plate to use the service. Use the plate source code of the emirate where your car is registered. Private plates from all seven emirates work without any registration:

Emirate	Plate Code	Example SMS to 5566 (2 hours)
Sharjah	SHJ	SHJ 12345 2
Dubai	DXB	DXB 12345 2
Abu Dhabi	AUH	AUH 12345 2
Ajman	AJM	AJM 12345 2
Ras Al Khaimah	RAK	RAK 12345 2
Fujairah	FUJ	FUJ 12345 2
Umm Al Quwain	UAQ	UAQ 12345 2

Driving a Dubai plate regularly? Parking back home works on a different system, so keep our Dubai parking guide bookmarked as well. Abu Dhabi drivers can compare with the Abu Dhabi parking times and Mawaqif rules before their next trip.

Sharjah Parking SMS Fees

The parking tariff itself is simple: AED 2 for the first tiers below. Every SMS booking adds a flat 38 fils transaction fee, so the amount that actually leaves your balance is slightly higher than the meter price:

Duration	Parking Tariff	Total by SMS (incl. 38 fils)
1 hour	AED 2	AED 2.38
2 hours	AED 5	AED 5.38
3 hours	AED 8	AED 8.38
5 hours	AED 12	AED 12.38

Only 1, 2, 3 and 5-hour bookings are accepted by SMS. There is no full-day SMS ticket: the “AED 15 day pass” mentioned on some websites does not exist in the municipality tariff. If you need the whole day, book 5 hours and extend, or use a parking subscription if you park in Sharjah every day.

How to Extend Your Parking by SMS

Running late? About 10 minutes before your permit expires, you will receive a reminder SMS. Simply reply Y to 5566 and your session is extended by one more hour, charged at the normal rate plus the SMS fee. You can extend again the same way if you need more time, up to the maximum stay allowed in that zone.

Sharjah Parking Timings in 2026: Now Paid Until Midnight

This is the change many older guides have not caught up with. Since 1 July 2026, paid parking hours in Sharjah City, Kalba, Khorfakkan and Al Dhaid run from 8:00 AM to 12:00 midnight in all zones. The yellow-sign standard zones, which used to stop charging at 10:00 PM, were aligned with the blue-sign zones that already ran to midnight.

• Standard zones (yellow signs): Paid 8:00 AM to midnight; free on Fridays and official public holidays.
• Seven-day zones (blue signs): Paid 8:00 AM to midnight every day, including Fridays and public holidays.
• Everywhere: Parking is free between midnight and 8:00 AM.

Sharjah gives a 10-minute grace period when you first park, but do not stretch it: after that, an unpaid car is fined. During Ramadan, the municipality announces adjusted split timings, so check the signboard in that month.

GCC and Oman Plates, Company Cars: Registration Comes First

Private UAE plates need no registration at all. Two groups must register once before their first SMS booking:

• Non-private UAE plates (commercial, taxi, company vehicles)
• GCC-registered vehicles, including cars with Oman, Saudi, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain plates

Register on the Sharjah Municipality parking portal at ppd.shjmun.gov.ae, or through the call centre on 993. After registration you add your vehicle under a nickname, and your SMS format changes to Nickname + Hours (for example: Ali 2) sent to the same 5566.

Parking in Khorfakkan? Since March 2025 the format is unified across the emirate, so use the normal SHJ code there too. The old KH prefix is no longer needed.

Sharjah Parking SMS Not Working? 6 Quick Fixes

1. Wrong number: The message must go to 5566, not 5155 or any other code.
2. Wrong format: It must be exactly plate source, space, plate number, space, hours. Extra words or a missing space will get the transaction rejected.
3. Invalid hours: Only 1, 2, 3 or 5 are accepted. Asking for 4 hours fails; book 5, or book 3 and extend.
4. Low prepaid balance: Prepaid users get a “Transaction Failed” message if the balance cannot cover the fee. Top up and resend.
5. Unregistered plate: GCC and non-private plates cannot book until they are registered on the portal.
6. Still stuck? Send the word help to 5566, or call the Sharjah Municipality call centre on 993.

Never leave the car until the confirmation SMS arrives. No confirmation means no permit, whatever your sent folder says.

Other Ways to Pay for Parking in Sharjah

• Mawqef app: Sharjah Municipality’s official app (UAE PASS login) to pay, extend and manage subscriptions from your phone.
• Digital Sharjah app: Pay parking fees alongside other government services.
• Parking meters: Coin and card meters still operate in most paid zones.
• Seasonal subscription: If you park in Sharjah daily, a subscription for one zone, two zones or all areas works out far cheaper than daily SMS bookings.

Fines for Not Paying in Sharjah

From the municipality’s violations schedule: parking without a valid ticket costs AED 150, and overstaying an expired ticket costs AED 100. Misusing a People of Determination bay without a permit is far more expensive at AED 1,000. One AED 2.38 SMS is always the cheaper option.

FAQs About Sharjah Parking SMS

What is the Sharjah parking SMS number?

The official number is 5566. Send your plate source, plate number and hours to 5566, for example SHJ 12345 1, and wait for the confirmation SMS, which acts as your virtual parking permit.

How much does Sharjah parking cost by SMS?

With the 38 fils SMS fee included, you pay AED 2.38 for 1 hour, AED 5.38 for 2 hours, AED 8.38 for 3 hours and AED 12.38 for 5 hours.

Can I pay Sharjah parking with a Dubai or Abu Dhabi plate?

Yes. Use your emirate’s plate code at the start of the message: DXB for Dubai, AUH for Abu Dhabi, AJM for Ajman, RAK for Ras Al Khaimah, FUJ for Fujairah and UAQ for Umm Al Quwain. Private plates need no registration.

Can I book Sharjah parking for a full day by SMS?

No. The longest single SMS booking is 5 hours. You can extend in 1-hour steps by replying Y to the reminder message, or use a seasonal subscription if you park all day, every day.

Is parking free on Fridays in Sharjah?

In standard yellow-sign zones, yes, Fridays and public holidays are free. Blue-sign seven-day zones charge every day of the year, including Fridays and holidays, from 8:00 AM to midnight.

What are the Sharjah parking timings in 2026?

Since 1 July 2026, paid parking runs from 8:00 AM to 12:00 midnight across Sharjah City, Kalba, Khorfakkan and Al Dhaid. Parking is free overnight between midnight and 8:00 AM.

What should I do if my Sharjah parking SMS fails?

Check the number (5566), the exact format and your prepaid balance first. GCC and non-private plates must be registered before booking. If it still fails, text “help” to 5566 or call 993.

The Bottom Line

Sharjah parking SMS is the fastest way to pay at any paid bay in the emirate: one message to 5566 in the format SHJ 12345 1, from AED 2.38 an hour, valid until midnight under the 2026 timings. Get the format right, wait for the confirmation, and extend with a simple Y reply when your plans change.