Low-Emission Zones and Emission Stickers in Europe (Country by Country)

Low-emission zones are areas where more polluting vehicles aren’t allowed to enter, and driving in without meeting the rules can lead to a fine.

The most important factors determining if a vehicle can enter a LEZ are usually:

• The vehicle’s Euro emissions standard
• Petrol or diesel engine
• Vehicle category
• Date of first registration

Each country has different criteria for low-emission zones. Remember that rules can also vary from one city to another in the same country.

The Euro standard can determine whether the car can enter LEZs, and that can directly affect how easy it is to resell in that market.

You can see a vehicle’s Euro emissions standard in:

• Vehicle registration document (check section V)
• Certificate of Conformity (CoC)
• Manufacturer documentation

France uses the Crit’Air system. Vehicles get a colored Crit’Air sticker mainly based on:

• Fuel type
• Euro standard
• First registration date

You must display the sticker when driving in French Zones à Faibles Émissions (ZFE) where it is required.

For passenger cars, the main categories are:

Where to get the sticker: Order the Crit’Air sticker from the official French government website: certificat-air.gouv.fr.

Foreign cars: Foreign-registered vehicles can also get a Crit’Air sticker. You’ll need the vehicle registration document when applying.

Germany uses environmental stickers called Umweltplakette.

Germany currently has 35 environmental zones (Umweltzonen), and vehicles need a green environmental sticker to enter them.

For passenger cars, the green sticker generally covers:

• Petrol vehicles meeting Euro 1 or higher
• Diesel vehicles meeting Euro 4 or higher
• Some Euro 3 diesel vehicles fitted with an approved particulate filter
• Electric vehicles

Foreign cars: Foreign-registered vehicles also need Umweltplakette to access German low-emission zones.

Where to get the sticker:

• Vehicle registration offices in Germany
• TÜV, DEKRA and other authorized vehicle inspection centers
• Authorized garages and workshops
• Online from authorized providers before travelling to Germany

Spain uses DGT environmental stickers (distintivos ambientales) to show how polluting a vehicle is.

These stickers are used in low-emission zones, known as Zonas de Bajas Emisiones (ZBE), but the exact access rules depend on the city.

There are four stickers for passenger cars:

• B: Petrol Euro 3 and diesel Euro 4–5 passenger cars
• C: Petrol Euro 4–6 and diesel Euro 6 passenger cars
• ECO: Most hybrids, qualifying PHEVs and gas vehicles
• 0 Emissions: BEV, fuel-cell vehicles and qualifying PHEVs

Foreign cars: Vehicles registered outside Spain can’t obtain a DGT sticker.

However, Spain recognizes equivalent environmental stickers or classifications from:

• Germany
• Austria
• Denmark
• France

For cars registered in other countries, check the rules for the specific city before entering.

Belgium enforces LEZs not with stickers, but with cameras that check vehicle license plates.

There is no single LEZ rule that applies across the whole country.

Belgium has three main low-emission zones:

• Brussels
• Antwerp
• Ghent

Each zone sets its own access requirements.

Antwerp and Ghent follow the same main rules, while Brussels has its own, stricter requirements.

For passenger cars:

• Antwerp and Ghent: Diesel Euro 5 or higher and petrol Euro 2 or higher can enter without a day pass
• Brussels: Since 1 January 2026, Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 petrol cars are no longer allowed, meaning diesel cars generally need Euro 6 or higher and petrol cars Euro 3 or higher

Older or higher-emission vehicles: If your vehicle is too old to meet the LEZ rules, you may still be able to enter with a paid day pass or temporary permit, depending on the city.

Foreign cars: Foreign-registered vehicles have to follow the same emission rules and you usually need to register them before entering a LEZ.

Dutch-registered vehicles are an exception: If a Dutch-registered car meets the LEZ rules, it doesn’t need to be registered separately to enter a Belgian LEZ.

The Netherlands uses two systems to regulate vehicle access: milieuzones and zero-emission zones (ZEZs).

Milieuzones: Restrict certain diesel vehicles based on their Euro emissions standard.

Zero-emission zones: Mainly targeted at commercial delivery vans and trucks, with the aim of gradually eliminating vehicles that produce exhaust emissions from city centers.

For milieuzones, you don’t need an environmental sticker. To enter a low-emission zone, your vehicle simply needs to meet the required Euro emissions standard.

Diesel passenger cars are restricted in LEZ areas in four Dutch cities:

• Amsterdam: Euro 5 or higher
• Arnhem: Euro 5 or higher
• The Hague: Euro 4 or higher
• Utrecht: Euro 5 or higher

Dutch milieuzones are grouped into standard categories based on the minimum emissions level allowed:

Amsterdam, Arnhem and Utrecht use the blue standard for diesel passenger cars, while The Hague uses the green standard. Purple zones apply to heavy vehicles, not passenger cars.

Foreign cars: The same milieuzone rules apply to foreign-registered vehicles. You don’t need a sticker or separate registration before entering.

Commercial vans and trucks in zero-emission zones: New vans and trucks first registered from 1 January 2025 generally need to be zero-emission to enter.

Older vehicles get a transition period:

• Euro 5 vans: allowed until 1 January 2027
• Euro 6 vans: allowed until 1 January 2028
• Qualifying Euro 6 trucks: allowed until 1 January 2030

Poland has low-emission zones (known as Clean Transport Zones or Strefa Czystego Transportu—SCT) in major cities like Warsaw and Krakow, and their requirements differ from city to city.

Warsaw exemption stickers: You don’t need a sticker if your car meets the SCT requirements. Stickers are mainly used for vehicles covered by certain exemptions, including eligible residents and seniors.

Krakow doesn’t require stickers: You don’t need a physical sticker to enter the SCT.

Warsaw and Krakow also have different rules for foreign-registered cars.

Low-emission zones add one more thing to consider when selling a used car: where the next owner can actually drive it.

As larger cities limit access for older, higher-emission vehicles, some cars might be harder to sell there.

For instance, a Euro 4 car may be in great condition, but it can still be harder to resell in a city where local LEZ rules restrict it.

Still, a car that is difficult to resell in one market may still be a good option in another market with fewer restrictions.

In practice, almost any used car can still find a buyer. The most important thing is to choose the right market and check local emissions rules before buying.