Environmental zones in Europe

In 15 towns and cities in France, you need a Crit'air sticker (air quality certificate). This is compulsory if you want to drive during pollution peaks, or in certain defined areas. For more information, visit Home page | Official website for the Crit'Air sticker (certificat-air.gouv.fr), where you can also order this sticker indicating your car's pollution level.

In addition, a number of French towns have introduced limited traffic zones to reduce or even ban car traffic in city centres. Currently, there are four such areas in France:

• Paris: the limited traffic area covers a large perimeter in the capital’s centre, including the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th districts. In this area, traffic is prohibited for all motorised vehicles, with certain exceptions. Look out for the road signs indicating the beginning of the restricted area.
• Nantes: the restricted area consists in streets reserved for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport and anyone who works or lives within the perimeter. The area is made up of two sectors. Access to these sectors may be authorised to vehicles displaying a yellow or purple sticker.
• Rennes: the limited traffic area covers the historic centre of Rennes. In this area, traffic is solely authorised for local residents, deliveries and emergency services. Speed is limited to 20 km/h and priority is given to pedestrians and cyclists.
• Grenoble: traffic on the Rey and Agutte-Sembat boulevards in Grenoble is reserved for pedestrians, bicycles, public transport and authorised vehicles. For such vehicles, speed is limited to 30 km/h. They must display a special sticker to the windscreen.

Belgium has 3 environmental zones(Low Emission Zones (LEZ)) :

• Brussels : Only certain vehicles are authorised in these zones. Check whether you can drive there.

• Antwerp : Check if you can drive in these zones. 

• Ghent : Check if you can drive in these zones. 

If your vehicle does not meet the criteria, permission may be granted (up to 8 times a year), via a daily pass.

Since October 2023, the municipalities of Copenhagen, Frederiskberg, Aalbord, Odense and Aarhus have set up low emission zones with stricter rules for diesel-powered vehicles. Such cars must have a particulate filter for legal use in the low emission zones.

Older vehicles must register on Miljøzoner EN (miljoezoner.dk) no later than the day they enter the low emission zone. Otherwise, you will receive a fine.

When you enter a low emission zone, cameras carry out the control using automatic licence plate recognition.

To drive in certain German towns and cities, it is compulsory to have an environmental sticker ("Umweltplakette") on your windscreen.

There aren’t low emission zones but some Italian cities have set up limited traffic zones ("Zona Traffico Limitato") to ban cars from historic city centres.

A number of towns have chosen to introduce environmental zones in their centres, banning access to heavy goods and diesel vehicles.

These zones are monitored by video surveillance cameras. Therefore, it isn’t necessary to register.

For further information :

• Amsterdam : Low emission zone for diesel vehicles only - City of Amsterdam
• Arnhem : Milieuzone - Gemeente Arnhem et map of the zone : Milieuzone verkeer (arcgis.com)
• The Hague : The Hague - Low-emission zones in The Hague (denhaag.nl)
• Utrecht : Mobility | gemeente Utrecht

There are eco-zones in 3 of Norway's major cities: Oslo, Bergen and Kristiansand. To enter, you will have to pay a toll, the amount of which depends on the level of pollution caused by your vehicle.

The cities of Stockholm, Malmö, Helsingborg, Göteborg, Lund, Mölndal, Umeå and Uppsala have set up environmental zones, banning heavy goods vehicles (>3.5 t) from these areas.

In Stockholm, a zero-emission zone will be introduced from 31 December 2024. Only Euro 6 standard vehicles will be accepted.

Two eco-zones in London

There are two eco-zones in Greater London:

• the  Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)
• and the Low Emission Zone (LEZ)

Vehicles must be registered in advance, and checks are carried out using video surveillance cameras.

To check whether you have to pay tax for these three zones, see :

• Check your vehicle (tfl.gov.uk)

• Pay to drive in London - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk)

Fines for non-payment are £180 for the ULEZ and between £250 and £2,000 for the LEZ.

Note ! A debt collection company has been appointed by the City of London to send out the requests for payment, Euro Parking Collection plc (epcplc.com).

How do I dispute the fine?

If it was not your vehicle or if you can prove that you paid the toll, appeal against the decision by writing directly to Transport for London (TfL) or on Euro Parking Collection (EPC).

What happens if I don't pay the fine?

If you do not challenge the fine, or if the challenge is unsuccessful, the fine must be paid in accordance with UK law.

If you fail to pay, you will be liable to reminders and surcharges.

Direct enforcement of the fine by EU authorities is no longer possible since the UK left the EU, but this does not affect the validity of the decision in the UK.

The capital, Sofia, is introducing a low-emission zone in winter. The zone is active from December 1 to February 28. To drive inside the city's small and large ring roads, you need to register and get a sticker.

Only the capital, Prague, has a low emission zone.

There are no environmental zones in Finland, with the exception of the city of Helsinki. The latter has created an eco-zone restricting access and traffic to buses and bin lorries in certain parts of the city.

There are no environmental zones in Greece, with the exception of Athens and Thessaloniki. However, the regulations do not apply to foreign vehicles, unless they are long-term rentals (more than 40 days).

Only the capital city, Budapest, has implemented an access-regulated area. There are 11 protected zones and 15 restricted zones in the city.

The protected zones are historic sites where cars are forbidden to drive.

On the other hand, restricted zones correspond to certain areas of the city where heavy duty vehicles need a permit to enter. The cost depends on their total weight and vehicle emissions.

There are no environmental zones.

Visit the Irish Government's official website on their air quality policy.

There are no environmental zones in Iceland. However, some streets in town centres are closed to traffic during the summer months or at certain times of the day.

Since 1 February 2024, you must pay a fee of 3€ to enter the city of Jūrmala with a car.

In the capital Riga, a large pedestrian area restricts access to vehicles. The city has also implemented restriction to vehicles heavier than 5 tons.

The city of Kauna has introduced a reduced pollution zone. From 1 August 2024, cars entering this zone will have to pay a 2€ fee. You can pay this tax at parking meters or via parking applications.

There are no environmental zones in Malta, with the exception of the city of Valletta, which has introduced a vehicle access control system in the city centre called City Vehicle Access (CVA).

This system uses cameras installed at entry and exit points in the city. You pay a fee based on the time you spend in the city centre, before or after you pass through.

Residents are not subject to this charge.

Since 1 July 2024, the city of Warsaw has had a low-emission zone for residents and tourists. Electric vehicles are automatically allowed within this zone.

For all others, you can check whether your vehicle meets the criteria for the Warsaw low-emission zone.

There is only one low emission zone in Portugal. The city of Lisbon is divided into two zones (zone 1 and zone 2), each with its own standard. Zone 1 requires a Euro 3 standard, while zone 2 requires a Euro 2 standard.

There are no environmental zones in Romania. However, some cities, such as Bucharest and Baia Mare, have banned vehicle traffic in the city's historic districts.