Munich low-emission zone with diesel restriction
Independent, non-governmental site: not an authority’s service, no sticker sales.
The preset is a Euro 4 diesel with a green sticker. The check shows why it still may not enter the Munich zone.
May I drive into Munich?
No, diesel ban
Munich zone: a green sticker is enough.
| Zone | Munich |
| State | Bavaria |
| Green only since | 1 October 2012 |
| Status | active |
- Diesel ban across the whole zone for diesels up to Euro 4, since 1 February 2023 (deliveries and residents exempt)
Sources: Federal Environment Agency list · stadt.muenchen.de · stmuv.bayern.de
Munich’s low-emission zone consists of the Mittlerer Ring and everything inside it. The green sticker has been required since October 2012. Since 1 February 2023 there has also been an entry restriction for diesel vehicles of Euro 4/IV and below, including on the Mittlerer Ring itself; the additional sign reads, in effect, “Diesel (except deliveries and residents) only from Euro 5/V”. Diesels from Euro 5, petrol cars and other drives may enter with a green sticker. A previously planned extension to Euro 5 was not put into force. The ninth update of the clean-air plan has applied since 20 October 2025; according to the city, the nitrogen dioxide limit has been met across the whole city since 2024. Munich’s exemptions are unusually broad. Statutory exemptions cover Euro 6/VI diesels and vehicles with a corresponding hardware retrofit, certain people with disabilities and emergency services. Blanket exemptions include residents and deliveries, taxis and private-hire cars, funeral vehicles, holders of the Munich tradespeople’s parking permit, social and care services, and shift workers for whom public transport is not reasonable.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Stages of the Munich zone
| Stage | from |
|---|---|
| Stage 1: red, yellow, green allowed | 1 October 2008 |
| Stage 2: yellow and green allowed | 1 October 2010 |
| Stage 3: green only | 1 October 2012 |
Who may enter despite Euro 4
| Type of exemption | Examples |
|---|---|
| statutory | Euro 6/VI diesel, hardware retrofit, disability, emergency services |
| blanket, by sign or general order | residents, deliveries, taxis, private hire, funeral vehicles, tradespeople’s permit, care services, shift work |
| access allowed | wholesale market hall, car train at Ostbahnhof, Olympic stadium car park, Thalkirchen campsite, coach station for scheduled buses |
| on application | hardship, special vehicles, medical visits, production |
Bavaria and around
Besides Munich, Bavaria only has the Augsburg and Regensburg zones; Neu-Ulm lifted its zone in 2024 (Bavarian Environment Ministry). A comparison with Stuttgart is on the diesel bans page.