A low-emission zone (Umweltzone) is an area where high-emission vehicles are banned. Your vehicle must have an Umwelt-Plakette to drive there.

Diesel vehicles are banned from low-emission zones in some cities.3 Motorcycles are always allowed in low-emission zones.

In Berlin, the area inside the Ringbahn is a low-emission zone.1 Other German cities also have low-emission zones.2

Berlin Umweltzone sign on Schönhauser Allee
This sign shows where the Berlin Umweltzone starts
Sources and footnotes

  1. berlin.de (June 2026) ⤴

  2. Wikimedia Commons (2013) ⤴

  3. ADAC (2025), bussgeldkatalog.org (2026) ⤴