Eindhoven 2026: Cars Free, but Diesel Loses It in 2027
Milieuzone · Netherlands · Active since 2022-01-01
Source: official source · Verified: 2026-10-03
No car is restricted in Eindhoven in 2026: the milieuzone covers diesel coaches of Euro 5 and older. From 1 January 2027 it also bars diesel cars of Euro 4 and older. The fine is EUR 130.
Locally the zone is called Milieuzone Eindhoven (Netherlands) — that is the wording on the boundary signs, on the official portal and on any penalty notice, so it is the phrase to search for once you are there.
Next
- Check your own car against Eindhoven — enter your fuel and Euro class, get a yes or no in one step.
- Eindhoven has a zone too — the nearest one to Eindhoven, and the rules are not identical.
Practical answers for Eindhoven
- When is the Eindhoven zone active?
- 24/7 That means there is no free window — the restriction applies on Sundays and public holidays too.
- How much does it cost to drive into Eindhoven?
- N/A · No sticker needed Get it wrong and the penalty is EUR 130 for a passenger car, van or bus; EUR 320 for a lorry, plus administrative costs..
- Do I need to register or buy anything first?
- No sticker needed
- Who is exempt in Eindhoven?
- Electric vehicles and Petrol vehicles (no restriction). Exemptions are usually not automatic — most require registering your number plate in advance.
Eindhoven Milieuzone Map
Interactive map of the zone location — zoom in to see the streets around the marker, and confirm the exact boundary signs on arrival.
Requirements
Who pays in a hire car, whether insurance covers it, and how to appeal.
Can My Vehicle Enter Eindhoven?
Select your fuel type and Euro emission class to check instantly.
Exemptions
Driving Guide: Netherlands
Speed limits, traffic rules, and equipment requirements for Netherlands.
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Eindhoven’s milieuzone reaches only diesel coaches in 2026, so a passenger car of any fuel, age or Euro class enters free. That ends on 1 January 2027, when diesel cars of emission class 4 and older are barred too.
Can your car enter Eindhoven?
Enter your vehicle's fuel + Euro class → instant verdict for Eindhoven (Milieuzone). Fine if wrong: EUR 130 for a passenger car, van or bus; EUR 320 for a lorry, plus administrative costs..
Eindhoven Emission Zone
Eindhoven runs two overlapping schemes, and only one of them will ever concern a private car.
The milieuzone has applied to diesel coaches of emission class 5 and older since 1 January 2022. The city’s own zone page states that from 1 January 2027 it also applies to diesel passenger cars of emission class 4 and older — in practice a diesel car will need Euro 5 or newer to enter the centre from that date.
The zero-emission zone has applied since 1 January 2025 and covers vans and lorries, not cars. All existing vans of emission class 0 to 4, and polluting lorries that were already more than eight years old on 1 January 2025, are shut out of it; the rest are working through a transitional scheme.
Who can enter in 2026
- Passenger cars: not restricted — petrol, diesel, LPG, hybrid and electric all enter freely until 1 January 2027
- Diesel cars from 2027: emission class 5 or newer
- Coaches: diesel emission class 6 only, since January 2022
- Vans and lorries: covered by the zero-emission zone, not by the car rules
Nationally, only four Dutch cities run a milieuzone for diesel cars at all — Amsterdam, Arnhem, The Hague and Utrecht. Eindhoven becomes the fifth in 2027.
Sticker and registration
There is none. The Netherlands has never used windscreen stickers; entitlement is read from the vehicle register by camera. Vehicles running on anything other than diesel are always admitted to a Dutch milieuzone.
What it costs to get it wrong
The city applies EUR 130 for a car, van or bus and EUR 320 for a lorry, plus administrative costs, issued automatically from the camera reading. Foreign plates are no exception.
A sign change to watch for
A new national milieuzone road sign came into use on 1 January 2026, and municipalities with a zone are putting it up during the first half of the year. If the sign at the boundary looks unfamiliar, that is why.
What the city is aiming at
The zone steps are part of a stated plan for an exhaust-free Ring by 2030 and an exhaust-free city by 2038, set down in the 2025 zero-emission-zone traffic decision. The 2027 diesel-car step is the first one that touches ordinary visitors.
Don’t make these mistakes
Assuming the 2027 date is far off. If you drive a diesel car registered before roughly 2011, this zone closes to you in a little over a year.
Confusing the zero-emission zone with the car rules. That zone is real and already running, but it targets vans and lorries.
Hunting for a sticker to buy. There isn’t one anywhere in the Netherlands.
Leave the car outside
Dutch transit accepts the OV-chipkaart or a contactless bank card, and a day card is usually the best deal for a visitor. Bike rental in Eindhoven is faster than driving in the centre, and it takes zones, signs and parking out of the question entirely.
For the full picture on driving in the Netherlands, see our Netherlands driving guide. Tyre requirements are covered in Netherlands tyre laws.
Driving in Eindhoven — Quick Reference
Speed limits in Eindhoven follow the national rules, but local conditions add nuance.
| Road Type | Speed Limit |
|---|---|
| Urban areas | 50 km/h |
| Rural roads | 80 km/h |
| Motorways | 100 km/h |
Speeding fines in the Netherlands start at EUR 39-66 for 1-10 km/h over, depending on road type, and rise steeply. Going 30+ km/h over can bring EUR 329-368 and a possible court summons.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| City centre parking | EUR 3-6/hour |
| Park & Ride | From EUR 1-3/day |
- Rush hours: 7:00-9:00 and 16:30-18:30
- Watch out for: cyclists always have priority, tram tracks, narrow streets
Traffic in the Netherlands drives on the right side of the road.
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| General emergency | 112 |
| Police | 112 |
| Ambulance | 112 |
| Fire | 112 |
When driving in the Netherlands, your vehicle must carry: warning triangle, reflective vest, first aid kit, fire extinguisher and spare bulbs (all recommended).
Part of the TyreMap Emission-Zone Dataset — 596 verified European emission zones, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The Netherlands does not use windscreen stickers at all. Access is decided from the registration record and read by camera, so there is nothing to buy or display.
No. The milieuzone currently applies to diesel coaches of emission class 5 and older. Passenger cars of every fuel and age can enter freely this year.
Eindhoven extends the milieuzone to diesel passenger cars of emission class 4 and older. A diesel car needs Euro 5 or newer from that date; petrol, LPG, hybrid and electric cars stay unaffected.
The city sets EUR 130 for a car, van or bus and EUR 320 for a lorry, plus administrative costs. Enforcement is automatic, from camera readings of the plate.
No. Eindhoven's zero-emission zone has applied since 1 January 2025 to vans and lorries only. Private passenger cars are not covered by it.
Yes, for a car in 2026. From 2027 the boundary matters for an older diesel car, and a brief crossing counts the same as a stay.