Traveling to Spain by car? Take the environmental sticker and your license plate into account.

Traveling to Spain by car? Take the environmental sticker and your license plate into account.

In Spain, there are various rules regarding driving in cities with vehicles and driving with a specific license plate. Avoiding a fine is very simple.

What is an environmental sticker?

In several Spanish cities, an environmental sticker is required to enter "low-emission zones." In these zones, access to polluting vehicles is restricted to improve air quality.

What different types of environmental stickers are there?

There are 4 different types of environmental stickers.

• Zero Label (blue) : electric cars, extended-range electric cars, plug-in hybrids with a range of 40 km, and fuel cell vehicles.
• Eco-Label (green and blue) : plug-in hybrid vehicles 40< in electric mode; non-chargeable hybrids; and natural gas vehicles.
• Label C (green) : petrol and light vans registered from 2006, and diesel cars and vans registered from September 2015.
• Label B (yellow) : petrol cars and vans from January 2001 to 2005, and diesel cars and vans from 2006 to August 2015.

Please note: vehicles with labels C and B are not allowed to park anywhere on the street, but this is permitted in a public parking garage.

In which areas is the environmental sticker valid?

Not all cities in Spain require an environmental sticker. This applies to Benidorm, Cartagena, Torrevieja, Malaga, Torremolinos, Estepona, Alicante, Almeria, and La Línea de la Concepción, among others.

Where can I buy the environmental sticker?

The Spanish Environmental Sticker can be purchased in various locations. In Spain, you can buy it at post offices and online . Simply send a photo of your license plate and ID, and for approximately €5, the sticker is yours. You can also buy it at authorized workshops .

Note: This only applies to Spanish vehicles. If you have a foreign vehicle, you can use the Danish, German, French, or Austrian environmental sticker. If you don't have an environmental sticker and enter a low-emission zone, you risk a fine.

The difference between a Dutch and Spanish license plate?

The main difference lies in the registration and tax. A Dutch license plate is registered by the Dutch government, while a Spanish license plate is registered in Spain and complies with Spanish technical standards.

When should I change my license plate to a Spanish license plate?

If you don't reside permanently in Spain and drive the car for less than three months, you don't need to import it. As a visitor, you can drive on Spanish roads with a non-Spanish license plate for 182 days per calendar year.

How can I convert my license plate to a Spanish license plate?

If you want to keep your own vehicle when moving to Spain, please be aware that several procedures and documents are required. If your vehicle is already in Spain, you can register it with the Spanish traffic authority, Dirección General de Tráfico (General Directorate of Traffic), for temporary registration until the entire procedure is complete.

In Spain the following documents are required for the full procedure:

• The original purchase invoice/purchase contract
• European Certificate of Conformity of the vehicle
• Copy of the buyer's ID card and contact details
• Taxes to be paid for importing the vehicle
• Customs duties: the taxes levied on the market price of the vehicle
• VAT
• Tax on specific means of transport
• Technical data sheet of the vehicle
• European Certificate of Conformity (CoC)

To register the vehicle, you must make an appointment at the headquarters of the Directorate-General for Transport in the province where you live.

Please note: Bring a certified Spanish translation of all documents. If you intend to drive the vehicle on public roads, it must have a report from the Technical Inspection (ITV, Inspección Técnica de Vehículos).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Are there different types of environmental stickers? Yes, there are four different types: Zero Label, Eco-Label, Label C, and Label B.
• Do I need an environmental sticker in certain cities? Yes, you need one in the following cities, including: Benidorm, Cartagena, Torrevieja, Malaga, Torremolinos, Estepona, Alicante, Almeria, and La Línea de la Concepción.
• Can I also buy the environmental sticker in Spain? Yes, but you can only buy a Spanish environmental sticker if you have a Spanish license plate. If you have a foreign license plate, you cannot buy one in Spain.
• Do I need to change my license plate to a Spanish one if I'm going on holiday for an extended period? No, this isn't necessary. As long as you don't stay in Spain for more than 182 days per calendar year or three consecutive months, this isn't necessary.

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