Emission Zones in Europe 2026 — 358 in Force, and Germany's €100 Fine

Emission zones in Europe — the quick answer

Hundreds of European cities now run emission zones — from London’s ULEZ to Germany’s Umweltzonen and Italy’s ZTLs — and they read your car’s emissions class by camera, fining non-compliant vehicles automatically, foreign plates included. Many demand a windscreen sticker or online registration bought in advance. Which cities, which stickers, and the fines are mapped below.

💡 Check your car: Emission Zone Checker — enter fuel and Euro class to see which zones it may enter and which sticker each needs.

For complete information on driving in each country, visit our country-specific driving guides.

Types of Emission Zones

European emission zones come in several varieties:

Emission Standards Explained

European emission zones are based on the Euro emission standards for vehicles:

Note: These dates are approximate and refer to when the standard became mandatory for new type approvals. Actual vehicle compliance depends on the specific model and registration date.

Clean Air Zones in Europe: City List by Country

Germany — Umweltzonen

Germany has one of the largest networks of emission zones in Europe: the Umweltbundesamt register lists 35 Umweltzonen in force and 23 already lifted.

The Sticker System:

Major Cities with LEZs: Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Leipzig and the Ruhr cities, among others. Hamburg and Dresden have never had one.

Key Facts:

• Fine for entering without sticker: EUR 100
• Green sticker required in all active LEZs
• Most petrol cars from 2001+ qualify for green sticker
• Diesel cars need Euro 4 (2006+) minimum for green sticker
• Purchase online or at TUV/DEKRA centres
• From 1 October 2026 cars with a German E-plate, or the blue E badge for foreign-registered EVs, need no sticker (35. BImSchV annex 3 no. 11)

For complete German driving regulations, visit our country guide.

France — Crit’Air Zones

France uses the Crit’Air certificate system in an expanding number of cities:

The Crit’Air Classification:

Cities with Permanent Zones (ZFE-m): Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Toulouse, Rouen, Montpellier, and growing. (Nice’s ZFE-m still exists but, since Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur’s arrêté of 11 April 2025, no longer restricts cars, motorcycles or light commercial vehicles — only heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches rated Crit’Air 4-5 remain banned there.)

Key Facts:

• Order online at certificat-air.gouv.fr (EUR 5.11 including postage)
• Fine without sticker: EUR 68 (cars), EUR 135 (trucks/buses)
• Paris bans Crit’Air 4, 5, and unclassified vehicles permanently
• During pollution alerts, restrictions tighten further

Learn more about French driving rules on our country page.

United Kingdom — ULEZ and Clean Air Zones

London ULEZ:

• Covers all of Greater London (expanded in 2023)
• Cars must meet Euro 4 (petrol) or Euro 6 (diesel)
• Non-compliant vehicles pay GBP 12.50 per day
• Penalty for non-payment: GBP 180 (GBP 90 if paid within 14 days)

Clean Air Zones (CAZs):

Check UK driving regulations for the latest information.

Belgium — LEZ System

Three Belgian cities operate LEZs with different systems:

Belgium requires foreign vehicles to register online at lez.brussels.be (Brussels) or lez.antwerpen.be (Antwerp) before entering. Registration is free for compliant vehicles.

Netherlands

Italy

Italy has 173 zones in force, almost all of them Zona Traffico Limitato (ZTL) access zones, plus a few emission-class LEZs:

Italian ZTLs are enforced by automatic camera systems. Foreign vehicles are not exempt, and fines are sent to your home address through EU cross-border enforcement agreements.

Scandinavia

How to Prepare for Emission Zones

Before Your Trip

1. Check which zones you will pass through using urbanaccessregulations.eu — the official EU-funded database
2. Verify your vehicle’s Euro standard on your registration document (V5C in the UK, Fahrzeugschein in Germany)
3. Order required stickers well in advance — Crit’Air can take 2-3 weeks to arrive by post
4. Register online where required (Belgium, some UK CAZs)
5. Consider your route — some cities can be bypassed via ring roads that avoid the emission zone

Required Documents and Stickers

Use Our Tools

The Future of Emission Zones

The clear trend across Europe is toward stricter and more widespread emission restrictions:

• More cities are implementing LEZs — the number has tripled in the past decade
• Standards are tightening — Euro 5 diesel is increasingly restricted, and Euro 4 petrol restrictions are beginning
• Zero Emission Zones will become common by 2030, banning all combustion vehicles from city centres
• Digital enforcement via camera networks is replacing physical checks
• Cross-border fine collection is improving through EU agreements

Driving a Hire Car Through Low Emission Zones in Europe

A hire car collected inside a sticker country usually comes ready for that country: German rental fleets carry the green Umweltplakette and French cars a Crit’Air certificate, and recent models clear almost every zone. Problems start at the border. A German-registered car still needs a Crit’Air sticker for Paris or Lyon, and any foreign-registered car, compliant or not, must be registered online before entering Brussels or Antwerp, or it risks a EUR 150 fine in Brussels. Ask the desk which stickers and registrations the car already has, and do the missing ones yourself before the trip: Crit’Air costs EUR 5.11 by post and can take weeks to arrive. Any camera fine goes to the rental company first and comes back to you with an administration fee; our rental car guide for Europe lists the other charges worth asking about.

Conclusion