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Environmental sticker Spain (Distintivo Ambiental)

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Colour: is determined by vehicle data

Validity: temporally unlimited


Stock:available

Delivery time:Overview


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Introduction (goal, intention, purpose)

In the course of the implementation of European directives, the Spanish government has, since the end of 2013, created the framework conditions that allow cities and municipalities or regions of the country to set up environmental zones so that the pollution limits for citizens prescribed by the EU are not exceeded.


The LEZs are defined by the respective cities and municipalities or regions within their borders and allow driving only with prior registration of the vehicle.
It should be noted that vehicles registered in Spain do not have to register because they are already registered in the national databaseand require a Distintivo-Ambiental sticker.

Initially, only the Spanish environmental sticker was intended for the control of environmental zones. However, as these can only be obtained by vehicles registered in Spain, Barcelona has taken a special path and has also introduced registration since 2020 for vehicles registered abroad.

The environmental stickers printed by the National Printing House (Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre) and issued by DGT are officially called Distintivo-Ambiental and are issued in 4 different categories: 0, ECO, C and B. Category A, for which there is no sticker, includes all vehicles and EURO classes that have not been classified in any of the other 4 categories.  According to DGT, which manages all vehicles registered in Spain and their emission classes, category A includes about 19,9 million vehicles, which therefore do not receive a sticker. This represents 58.3% of the total vehicle fleet in October 2016.
Of the 14,23 million vehicles that receive an environmental sticker, around 21.350 vehicles are in category 0, 110.750 in category ECO, 9.987.000 in category B and 4.110.000 in category C.

The basis for the introduction of environmental zones in the country has been laid since 2013 with the National Air Quality an Air Protection Plan.

 

These are based on a resolution of 13.04.2016, which classifies and describes the stickers. Prior to this, DGT had already prepared the corresponding specifications on 07.04.2015 with instruction15/V-110 .
The complete allocation of vehicle types such as light bicycles, cars, trucks and buses to the categories of the Spanish environmental stickers was then regulated in the regulation PCI/810/2018 of 27 July 2018.

There are four stickers with four different colours: blue, green-blue, green, yellow. The environmental stickers have a diameter of 97 millimetres and each sticker has a field for identification, Euro standard, serial number and data code. The numbers or letters on the stickers (0, ECO, C, and B) correspond to the pollutant classes. 0 is for the cleanest vehicles and C for the less clean ones. The fuel type is also indicated in the label field. The QR code contains the technical details of the vehicle, so that the police can carry out their checks more quickly and easily.

 


For vehicles registered outside Spain, the registration for Barcelona is completely digital. The registration number is entered into a database with any data on the particulate filter, so that the cameras can detect a positive match. Since the cameras are used to match the number plate, there is no need to stick anything to the windscreen or similar. As soon as the confirmation of registration has been received, it is possible to enter the environmental zones. The confirmation does not have to be carried in the vehicle.

The following cities have one or more low emission zones and the Distintivo-Ambiental is partly mandatory: Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Valladolid, Valencia

The following vehicles are affected by the Spanish low emission zones and require a sticker when entering, depending on the level of pollution and the city or region:

 

Motorbike (L), Car, motorhome (M1), minibus (M2), coach (M3), van (N1), truck (N2), heavy truck (N3)


Not affected are agricultural and forestry machinery.

To gain access to the low emission zone, the minimum standard for diesel of Euro 4 and petrol Euro 3 or 2 must be met.

In Barcelona, the check of an authorised entry in an environmental zone is not only carried out by the police but, above all, by intelligent cameras (Automatic Number Plate Recognition = ANPR).
These fixed and mobile cameras capture each vehicle registration number and match it with a central database. If the vehicle owner has not registered its car for the the Barcelona environmental zone before entering, he will receive a fine notice between 200 euros and 1800 euros from the respective authorities. In the case of more offences, the fine increases by a further 30%. In the other Spanish cities with low emission zones, police checks are carried out and the fine is around €90.

 

Important to know for foreigners:

From a fine of 70 euros or more, according to EU Directive 2011/82 of 25.10.2011 "to facilitate the cross-border exchange of information on traffic offences which jeopardise road safety", if the fine is not paid, enforcement proceedings will take place in the home country and will continue until the prison sentence is passed.

General exceptions
Vehicles belonging to the armed forces, the police and the emergency and rescue services,disabled vehicles with EU parking cards.


Vehicles registered outside Spain do not need Distintivo-Ambiental, but may need to be registered or meet the entry criteria.

 

Individual exceptions

Affected vehicles which do not meet the required Euro standards or which fall under the general exceptions can purchase a so-called day ticket up to 10 times a year. This allows the entry for up to 24 hours, even if the vehicle is too old.

FAQ

Unless the engine or exhaust emission standard of the vehicle or the registration number changes, the sticker is valid for the entire lifetime of the vehicle. This means you do not have to buy a new one every year.

The Distintivo-Ambiental must be stuck to the bottom of the inside right-hand side of the windscreen.

Yes, the sticker is only valid if it is stuck to the windscreen.

No! Only the environmental sticker with the currently valid license plate may be attached. It must be clearly and immediately recognizable from the outside. If several stickers with different license plates are stuck to the windscreen, an inspection can result in a fine.

The old stickers can be removed best with a sticker scraper (similar to a glass scraper) or you can carefully heat the sticker with a heat gun so that the glue comes off. Caution! The difference in temperature, especially on cold days, could damage the windscreen.

Our stickers have a 2-year UV protection guarantee - and that without any ifs and buts! Just send us a picture of the faded sticker and we will send you a new one immediately and free of charge.

The environmental sticker is such that it will be destroyed when you remove it, so you will have to buy a new one. In many cases, insurance companies will cover not only the cost of the new windscreen but also the cost of the new sticker. A new sticker must therefore be purchased.

As soon as the license plate changes, e.g. if you move house, a new sticker must be ordered.

The sticker is valid for all Spanish environmental zones.