London ULEZ 2026: 2010 Euro 4 Diesel Owes GBP 12.50

London’s ULEZ asks diesel cars for Euro 6, so a 2010 Euro 4 diesel is non-compliant everywhere inside it. The zone is a charge, not a ban: the car owes GBP 12.50 for each day it drives, payable until midnight on the third day after, or the bill becomes a GBP 180 penalty.

Can a diesel Euro 4 car enter London?

No, not without paying. A diesel Euro 4 vehicle from 2010 does not meet London’s ULEZ standard, which requires a minimum of Euro 6 for diesel vehicles. Unlike a European low-emission zone, though, ULEZ does not refuse entry — it charges for it.

The rate is GBP 12.50 for any day the car is driven inside the zone, once per day however many times the boundary is crossed. A car parked inside the zone and left there owes nothing.

The deadline that costs people money

Payment can be made in advance, on the day, or up to midnight on the third day after the journey. That window is longer than most guidance suggests, but it is a hard stop and no invoice is sent as a reminder. Once it passes, Transport for London issues a GBP 180 penalty charge notice, reduced to GBP 90 if it is settled within 14 days.

Foreign-registered cars are in scope exactly as British ones are. Transport for London’s checker already holds many overseas registrations, and where it does not, the registration document showing the Euro standard can be submitted. A charge that goes unpaid can be pursued through private collection agencies that trace overseas keepers.

Where the zone begins and ends

ULEZ has covered all London boroughs and the City of London since 29 August 2023. The M25 itself is not in the zone, which means the orbital motorway can be used to pass the capital without incurring the charge. There is no barrier and no gate: signs at every entry point, then cameras.

It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day. Vehicles heavier than 3.5 tonnes fall outside ULEZ altogether and under the separate Low Emission Zone, which has its own charges.

Could this car still be exempt?

The recognised exemptions are electric vehicles, vehicles in the disabled tax class, military vehicles, and historic vehicles registered before 1977. A standard 2010 diesel is in none of them, so the daily charge is the route that applies — confirm any claimed exemption with Transport for London before relying on it.

Quick compliance checklist for London

• ✅ Check the Euro class on the Certificate of Conformity, not the model year
• ✅ Diesel needs Euro 6; a Euro 4 car pays GBP 12.50 for every day it drives in the zone
• ✅ Pay by midnight on the third day after the journey — nothing is sent to remind you
• ✅ The zone is all boroughs plus the City, at every hour except Christmas Day; the M25 is outside it
• ✅ A missed payment becomes a GBP 180 penalty charge notice, GBP 90 within 14 days