Vilnius Low Emission Zone 2026: Live, But Not Enforced
Mazos tarsos zona (Vilnius Old Town) · Lithuania · Active since 2025
Source: official source · Verified: 2026-09-19
Vilnius's Old Town low emission zone has been in force since 1 January 2025, but entry is not restricted while national law is amended. No Euro class, charge or fine applies yet.
Locally the zone is called Mazos tarsos zona Vilnius (Lithuania) — 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 Vilnius — enter your fuel and Euro class, get a yes or no in one step.
Practical answers for Vilnius
- Do I need to register or buy anything first?
- None. No sticker, permit or charge; entry is unrestricted until national rules are adopted.
- Who is exempt in Vilnius?
- Electric vehicles and Emergency vehicles. Exemptions are usually not automatic — most require registering your number plate in advance.
Vilnius Mazos tarsos zona (Vilnius Old Town) 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 Vilnius?
Select your fuel type and Euro emission class to check instantly.
Exemptions
Driving Guide: Lithuania
Speed limits, traffic rules, and equipment requirements for Lithuania.
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Vilnius’s low emission zone exists and has since 1 January 2025 — this is not a proposal — but it does not yet stop anyone. It covers five named Old Town streets, and while the necessary changes to national law are pending, entry is not restricted: the city asks visitors to choose cleaner ways to travel instead. There is no Euro threshold, no charge and no fine, because the operating rules have not been adopted.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Zone type | Low emission zone (mazos tarsos zona) |
| In force since | 1 January 2025 |
| Legal basis | Lithuanian Law on Alternative Fuels |
| Coverage | Five Old Town streets (listed below) |
| Entry restriction today | None — the zone works as a recommendation |
| Petrol minimum | None published |
| Diesel minimum | None published |
| Charge or fine | None set |
| Operating hours | None set |
| Planned enforcement | Smart cameras reading plates on entry and exit |
Can your car enter Vilnius?
Enter your vehicle's fuel + Euro class → instant verdict for Vilnius (LEZ).
Vilnius Emission Zone
The zone is real and dated. JUDU, the transport enterprise of Vilnius City Municipality, states that “Vilniaus mazos tarsos zona isigaliojo nuo 2025 m. sausio 1 dienos” under the Law on Alternative Fuels, which required the large cities and resort municipalities to designate low emission zones by that date.
Where it runs
The boundary is a short list of Old Town streets rather than a district:
- Islandijos street
- Vilniaus street, from Islandijos to Traku
- Klaipedos street
- Liejyklos street, from Vilniaus to Totoriu
- Benediktiniu street, from Vilniaus to Sv. Ignoto
What applies to your car today
Nothing. JUDU’s own answer to the question of what restrictions apply from 1 January 2025 is that “tol kol nera atlikti reikalingi nacionaliniu teises aktu pakeitimai - ivaziavimas i mazos tarsos zona nera ribojamas” — until the necessary changes to national law are made, entry to the zone is not restricted, and visitors are simply encouraged to choose cleaner ways of travelling.
What is still to be decided
The city says the zone will work by limiting access for polluting vehicles, that the exact limits will only become clear once national law is amended and Vilnius City Council approves the operating rules, and that enforcement is intended to run on smart cameras recording the plates of vehicles entering and leaving. No Euro class, no charge and no penalty has been published, so any figure you find quoted for Vilnius did not come from the city.
Sticker & Registration
None exists. There is no sticker, permit or registration for the Vilnius low emission zone.
Fine for Non-Compliance
There is none. While entry is unrestricted there is nothing to breach, and no penalty level has been set. We track the city’s own page and will publish the rule and the penalty here when they are adopted.
Driving in Vilnius — Quick Reference
Understanding speed limits is essential before you take the wheel in Vilnius.
| Road Type | Speed Limit |
|---|---|
| Urban areas | 50 km/h |
| Rural roads | 90 km/h |
| Motorways | 130 km/h |
Speeding fines in Lithuania start at EUR 30-50 for minor violations (1-10 km/h over) and increase steeply. Going 30+ km/h over the limit can result in EUR 200-600 + 3 penalty points + licence suspension.
Parking costs in Vilnius vary widely by zone. A park-and-ride strategy often saves both money and stress.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| City centre rate | € 1-4/hour |
| Park & Ride | P+R at main transport hubs where available |
Tip: Check local signage for parking rules and payment methods
Navigating Vilnius by car means adapting to local traffic culture.
- Rush hours: 7:30-9:30 and 17:00-19:00
- Watch out for: Local traffic patterns, unfamiliar signage
- One-way streets: Check local signage in city centre
Traffic in Lithuania drives on the right side of the road.
Save these numbers before you start driving in Vilnius.
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| General emergency | 112 |
| Police | 112 |
| Ambulance | 112 |
| Fire | 112 |
When driving in Lithuania, your vehicle must carry: Warning Triangle, Reflective Vest, First Aid Kit, Fire Extinguisher, Spare Bulbs (recommended).
Recent changes to this page
- Major correction: the zone is not proposed, it took effect on 1 January 2025 under the Lithuanian Alternative Fuels Law and has a defined Old Town boundary. Removed the invented Euro 3 petrol / Euro 4 diesel minimums and the 2026 start date; entry is still unrestricted pending national legislation, so no Euro rule, charge, hours or fine exist yet.
- Title, description and introduction rewritten from this page's own data (no shared template wording).
- Re-verified fine (TBD) and requirements against Lithuania authority portal.
- Confirmed None — planned remains mandatory; 2026 ruleset unchanged.
- Updated enforcement procedure notes after seasonal review cycle.
Part of the TyreMap Emission-Zone Dataset — 596 verified European emission zones, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and it has been in force since 1 January 2025. It covers a handful of Old Town streets, but no entry restriction is applied yet: the operating rules wait on changes to national law and a decision of Vilnius City Council.
Islandijos street, Vilniaus street between Islandijos and Traku, Klaipedos street, Liejyklos street between Vilniaus and Totoriu, and Benediktiniu street between Vilniaus and Sv. Ignoto.
Not for the low emission zone. No Euro class is checked, no charge is levied and no penalty exists while entry remains unrestricted. Ordinary parking and traffic rules still apply.
No. The city has not published any Euro threshold. The zone is meant to work by limiting access for polluting vehicles, but which vehicles and on what terms is still to be decided.