Low Emission Zone Cologne

Do I need an environmental badge to drive in the low emission zone in Cologne? What type of environmental badge is required in the environmental zone Cologne? Please read below.

Required type of environmental badge in Cologne

Green

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Cologne

Vehicles allowed only with a valid environmental badge

Private car

class M1

Needs an eco badge

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Company vehicle

< 3,5t (N1)

Needs an eco badge

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Commercial vehicle

> 3,5t (lorry, bus, coach)

Needs an eco badge

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Motorcycle, moped

class L

Allowed without an eco badge

Where to place the environmental sticker

The environmental badge should be placed in the bottom-right corner of the windscreen.

Map of environmental
zone in Cologne

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About Green Zones in Cologne

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 100 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.

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to enter Cologne and get free shipping!

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The date of introduction of environmental zones
in Cologne

Date	Conditions
From 1. 7. 2014	entry allowed only with green environmental badge
From 1. 1. 2008	entry allowed with red, yellow or green environmental badge

Pavlina Pavlina is an author at EnvironmentalBadge.com and our expert on European low-emission zones, with many years’ experience assessing vehicles for environmental badges.

Last update 27.11.2025

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