The German emissions sticker for foreign-registered vehicles
Independent, non-governmental site: not an authority’s service, no sticker sales.
No field 14.1, no German key number: for a foreign-registered vehicle the check works from the first registration date.
Your vehicle gets
Yellow sticker
Emission group 3
| Into the 35 active zones | no |
| Legal basis | Section 6(3): presumption from the first registration |
| Fee at the issuing office | €5 – €10 |
For a vehicle registered in Germany the key number in field 14.1 decides, not the date.
35th BImSchV, Annex 2: assignment to emission groups · BMUV table
The sticker requirement in German low-emission zones applies to every motor vehicle, wherever it is registered. A car from France, Poland, the Netherlands or Switzerland needs the green sticker in an active zone just like a German one. Because foreign papers carry no German key number, section 6 of the 35th BImSchV governs the assignment: if the owner cannot prove the Euro norm, the group is presumed from the first registration date. For diesel cars that means: first registered before 1997 no sticker, 1997 to 2000 group 2, 2001 to 2005 group 3, from 1 January 2006 group 4 and so green. Petrol cars first registered from 1993 are group 4. With proof of the norm, such as a certificate of conformity, a vehicle can be placed higher than its date would suggest. The issuing offices are the same as for German vehicles: section 4 of the ordinance expressly includes vehicles in international traffic.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The presumption by first registration
| Diesel car first registered | Group | Heavy diesel first registered | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| before 1 January 1997 | 1 | before 1 October 1996 | 1 |
| 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2000 | 2 | 1 October 1996 to 30 September 2001 | 2 |
| 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2005 | 3 | 1 October 2001 to 30 September 2006 | 3 |
| from 1 January 2006 | 4 | from 1 October 2006 | 4 |
The thresholds for heavy vehicles cover trucks and buses under Directive 88/77/EEC; the proofs under the truck toll ordinance are accepted for them too. Cars fall under Directive 70/220/EEC.
Classic cars from abroad
Besides German classic cars with H or 07 plates, Annex 3 number 10 also exempts vehicles registered in other EU or EEA states or in Turkey if they meet equivalent requirements. The text does not say which documents are enough; ask the city you are heading to. More on the classic cars page.
Electric cars from abroad
Since 1 October 2026, vehicles with a marking under section 11 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance are exempt. For foreign-registered electric vehicles, subsection 4 provides an e-badge under annex 3, stuck on the rear and available from the same offices as the emissions sticker; subsection 5 treats e-plates issued abroad like German ones. A foreign electric car with neither marking still needs the green sticker. More on the electric cars page.
Before you set off
Use the route check to see which zones lie on your way: if you only pass through on the motorway, you usually skirt the zones. Driving into a zone without the right sticker risks the 100-euro fine, foreign plates included.