Required type of environmental badge in Cologne: green
You can learn more information about types of environmental badges in the section Types of Environmental Badges.
The date of introduction of environmental zones in Cologne
- From 1. 1. 2008 – entry allowed with red, yellow or green environmental badge
- From 1. 7. 2014 – entry allowed only with green environmental badge
Environmental Zone Cologne Map
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Green Zone in Cologne, Germany
Cologne was, along with Berlin and other cities (in particular Hannover and Munich), one of the first cities in Germany to introduce environmental zones. They became valid on the 1.1. 2008, from which date only vehicles with a red, yellow or green sticker were allowed to enter. Gradually, however, the entry of less environmentally friendly cars became banned, and so since 1. 7. 2014, only vehicles with a green badge have been allowed to enter the city. If you do not have an environmental sticker, you will have to bypass the city and you will needlessly lose a lot of time.
Driving in Cologne
Are you going to Cologne by car?
From 1. 7. 2014, all drivers need a green badge to enter Cologne. Entrance is therefore allowed only to vehicles with a minimum level of air pollution that falls under the Euro 4 and Euro 1 emissions classes for diesel and petrol, respectively. Failure to comply with these rules is punished in Germany with a fine of 80 euros. The boundary of the low-emissions zone is defined by the A4 motorway and includes the central part of the city and the adjacent neighbourhoods. You thus cannot avoid buying the environmental badge in order to drive through Cologne.
Order your environmental badge to enter Cologne and get free shipping!
The plaque has unlimited validity and should be placed in the bottom-right corner of the windscreen.