German emissions sticker: everything you need to know

7 July, 2023 | Update: 03/05/2024

If you go on holiday in Germany, it is important to place the German emissions sticker on your car, tow car or motorhome. Many German cities, such as Düsseldorf, Keulen and Essen, have low-emission zones in which an emissions sticker is required. Which emissions sticker do you need in Germany, where can it be bought and where must it be placed? We are happy to inform you. And we will tell you all about the German emissions sticker for electric cars. This blue emissions sticker has been available since the end of 2023.

• Low-emission zones in Germany
• German emissions sticker
• New: the E-Plakette, the German emissions sticker for electric cars
• Which emissions sticker do I need for my car or tow car?
• Which emissions sticker do I need for my motorhome (up to 3,500 kg)?
• Which emissions sticker do I need for my motorhome (over 3,500 kg)?
• Which emissions sticker do I need for my electric or hybrid car or tow car?
• Campsites with charging stations in Germany
• Terms & conditions and exceptions for emissions sticker in Germany
• How much does an emissions sticker for Germany cost?
• Where can you purchase an emissions sticker for Germany?
• Your German emissions sticker is also valid in Spain?
• Where are you supposed to place the German emissions sticker?
• Ban on diesel in Germany
• German emissions sticker with a rental motorhome

Low-emission zones in Germany

Many large cities in Germany have ‘Umweltzones’ or ‘environmental zones’ for which an emissions sticker is mandatory. In Germany, the sticker is called an ‘Umweltplakette’.  When the low-emission zones were introduced in Germany, there were three types of emissions stickers issued: green, yellow and red.

The colour that is allocated to your car or motorhome depends on its emission levels (emission class). Nowadays, only the green emissions sticker is still sold in Germany. In the course of 2024, the last low-emission zone in Germany that permits the yellow sticker will disappear as well.

If you enter a low-emission zone in Germany, you will see a traffic sign with the text ‘Umweltzone’ (Environmental Zone). The colour of the sticker permitted is shown below.

German emissions sticker

In 2024, only the green emissions sticker is valid in Germany’s low-emission zones. Vehicles with a red or yellow emissions sticker are practically no longer allowed anywhere. (An exception to this rule is the city of Neu-Ulm. But the low-emission zone here will be cancelled in the course of 2024.)

New: the E-Plakette, the German emissions sticker for electric cars

Since November 2023, there is an emissions sticker in Germany for electric cars: the E-Plakette. This blue emissions sticker is meant for completely electric cars or hybrid cars with a minimum electric operating range of 40 kilometres (read the precise criteria here). What you should know about the blue emissions sticker for Germany.

• The blue emissions sticker for electric cars give certain advantages in some German cities, such as free short-term parking or use of the bus lanes. At this time, it is not an easy task to find online which advantages apply where. In Düsseldorf, for example, free parking for electric cars has been revoked.
• The German emissions sticker for electric cars is not mandatory. Nor is it a replacement for the green sticker, which is mandatory.
• This blue emissions sticker must be placed on the rear window.
• The emissions sticker for electric cars applies only to non-Germans. The E on the registration number of German cars indicated that an electric car is involved.

Read more here about the emissions sticker for German electric cars (German page).
You can order the blue emissions sticker or the E-Plakette for Germany here.

Which emissions sticker do I need for my car or tow car?

In order to determine which emissions sticker your car or tow car needs, you can check the website of the German organisation TÜV. Are you driving a car or tow car or motorhome with a petrol, LPG or hybrid engine? The majority of these cars manufactured after 1992 will be assigned a green sticker.

For cars. tow cars or motorhomes driving on diesel, most of the vehicles manufactured after 2005 will be assigned a green emissions sticker. If your car is assigned a yellow or red sticker category, then you are no longer allowed to enter any low-emission zone in Germany. The yellow and red stickers are no longer available now.

Which emissions sticker do I need for my motorhome (up to 3,500 kg)?

For motorhomes that weigh up to 3,500 kg, in general, models manufactured in 2005 or later are assigned a green sticker .

Which emissions sticker do I need for my motorhome (over 3,500 kg)?

For vehicles over 3,500 kg, the same rules apply as for the lighter vehicles.

Check out all campsites with special pitches for motorhome owners in Germany.

Which emissions sticker do I need for my electric car or hybrid car?

For vehicles with a hybrid engine or vehicles that drive on LPG, that same applies as for regular cars. Generally, they are assigned a green sticker if manufactured after 1992.

Is your car or tow car fully electric? Then it will always be assigned a green emissions sticker.

As a supplement, you can also order the blue emissions sticker for electric cars. This sticker is a supplemental emissions sticker (the green one continues to be mandatory) and is called an E-Plakette. Read more.

Charging your electric car or motorhome in Germany

You will find plenty of charging points along the major routes in Germany. You will also be able to charge your electric vehicle at several campsites in Germany. Here is a list of all campsites with charging stations inGermany.

Terms & conditions and exceptions for emissions sticker in Germany

• The emissions sticker is linked to your vehicle. Your registration number is put on the emissions sticker when you purchase it. This means you need a separate emissions sticker for each vehicle.
• Electric cars also require a green emissions sticker. There is no exception for emission-free cars. (This is being discussed in, for example, Bavaria.) As a supplement, the German blue emissions sticker or the E-Plakette is available to foreigners, which means that you can benefit from certain advantages in some places.
• As this time, electric cars still require an emissions sticker. The law has not yet made an exception for emission-free cars. This issue is being addressed and Bavaria is voting on whether or not electric vehicles without an emissions sticker should be fined. Because this has not yet been settled, we advise you simply to order the emissions sticker for Germany even if you are going on holiday with an electric vehicle.
• Motorists with a European Disabled Parking Badge (placed in clear view behind the windscreen) do not need to purchase a Germany emissions sticker.
• This website of the German government (in German) lists the German cities that require an emissions sticker. A few examples are Cologne, Bonn, Munich, Leipzig and Berlin. City outskirts are often also included in the low-emissions zone, so pay attention to where you park your car. The Ruhr area (Ruhrgebiet) has a large continuous low-emission zone that includes several places such as Duisburg, Essen and Oberhausen.
• You do not need an emissions sticker on motorways or provincial roads.

How much does an emissions sticker for Germany cost?

You can order a green emissions sticker for Germany between € 11.50 and € 20.00. An emissions sticker for Germany can be ordered on various websites. It can be worthwhile to search for the least expensive emissions sticker. A reliable German source for information about the German emissions sticker is the TÜV. Here, you can also order the emissions sticker for Germany online. The sticker is valid indefinitely but must be clearly legible. Do be sure to replace the sticker on time it it fades or is damaged.

Where can you purchase an emissions sticker for Germany?

The most practical thing to do is order your German emissions sticker online prior to your holiday. Various websites sell it. If you are already travelling, it is still possible to purchase an emissions sticker for Germany at various locations – for example, an ANWB shop and at certain petrol stations and garages in Germany. You must be able to produce your registration certificate. Petrol stations and garages in Germany may only sell emissions sticker if they comply with specific requirements. In any case, this applies for garages and petrol stations that are certified as TÜV stations. Here is the overview of TÜV stations (website in German).

Your German emissions sticker is also valid in  Spain

Did you know that the german emissions sticker is also valid in Spanish towns with a low emissions zone? Read all about the rules for emissions stickers in Spain.

Where are you supposed to place the German emissions sticker?

The sticker must be placed on the inside of the windscreen on the passenger side. The best place is at the bottom of the windscreen so that the sticker is clearly visible from the outside. If you do not visibly display the sticker, you risk a fine of € 100.

Ban on diesel in Germany

Since 2019, some places in Germany have a ban on diesel cars. This is often very restricted and applies, for example, only for certain locations in the city. For example, a ban on diesel has recently been introduced in a part of Munich.

These measures still need to be discussed in Germany. Some locations have already lifted the ban on diesel or will do so in the near future. This (German) website on the ban on diesel in Germany provides up-to-date information on all cities that have a ban on diesel, had a ban on diesel or where the ban on diesel is being discussed.

The German emissions sticker with a rental motorhome

An German emissions sticker is not included with a rental motorhome. You must order it yourself. The rental contract includes the registration number. You can use this to order an environmental sticker directly or check your emission class online. Rental motorhomes are usually recent models in the permitted emission class. Read more about renting a motorhome.

Great campsites in Germany

View all campsites in Germany. And book a campsite in Germany for your holiday or for en route.

More about Germany

More useful information for your holiday in Germany:

• When are winter tyres required in Germany?
• Traffic fines in Germany: what are the rates for caravans and motorhomes?
• The Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road), a route filled with history

More about emissions stickers

• Read more about los emission zones and emissions stickers for Belgium, Spain, Austria and other European countries.