Diesel Ban in Berlin Explained

On 9 October 2018, the Administrative Court in Germany ruled that older diesel cars could not enter certain areas of Berlin. Following the ruling, Berlin also reduced the speed limit for all vehicles to 30 km/h on many roads. Since then, the diesel ban has been lifted, while the 30 km/h limit still applies on certain roads.

Diesel Ban in Berlin Abolished in 2022

The Berlin Senate decided to terminate the diesel ban, with the final restriction lifted in summer 2022. This was because air quality had significantly improved, and nitrogen dioxide levels had remained consistently low, making the restrictions no longer necessary.

There is currently no nationwide diesel ban in Germany. Diesel bans are introduced locally to improve air quality in a specific region. Currently, only a few places in Germany are affected by the diesel ban: Stuttgart, Munich, and Darmstadt.

Diesel cars with an emission standard lower than Euro 6 were banned from eight major roads in the city centre. These roads included: Alt-Moabit, Brückenstraße, Friedrichstraße, Hermannstraße, Leipziger Straße, Reinhardstraße, Silbersteinstraße, and Stromstraße.

The diesel ban did not apply to the entire city of Berlin. The speed limit for all vehicles, not just diesel cars, was reduced to 30 km/h on more than 30 sections. These sections included Danziger Straße, Müllerstraße, Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße, Spandauer Damm, and Tempelhofer Damm. The speed limit has remained in place.

When did the ban start?

As of August 2019, restrictions on diesel cars entering the above-mentioned locations came into force. In addition, in the same month, the maximum speed was reduced to 30 km/h for all vehicles, regardless of the type of engine.

Which cars were affected by the ban?

The restrictions applied to all diesel vehicles registered in Germany and abroad that did not comply with Euro 6 standards, including passenger cars and trucks. Local residents, freight deliveries, maintenance vehicles, police cars, ambulances, fire engines, etc., were exempt at that time.

Berlin’s environmental zone remains in place

Although the previous diesel restrictions are no longer in effect, the environmental zone in Berlin remains in place. Vehicles entering the city centre are required to have a green environmental badge. Foreign visitors may easily mistake the abolition of the diesel ban with the low emission zone. Therefore, if you are travelling to Berlin, don’t forget to purchase an environmental badge.

Check current rules

You can check the current rules for each Umweltzone in Germany on our website.

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