Spain’s traffic authority, the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), classifies Spanish-registered vehicles by their emissions potential. Low-emission zones (Zonas de Bajas Emisiones, ZBE) use this classification to decide which vehicles may enter, and when.
The four labels
- 0 (blue): battery-electric, range-extended electric, plug-in hybrids with at least 40 km electric range, and fuel-cell vehicles.
- ECO: plug-in hybrids with less than 40 km electric range, non-plug-in hybrids, and gas vehicles (CNG, LNG or LPG) that also meet the C criteria.
- C (green): petrol cars and light vans registered from January 2006 (Euro 4, 5 or 6), and diesel from September 2015 (Euro 6).
- B (yellow): petrol cars and light vans registered from January 2001 (Euro 3), and diesel from 2006 (Euro 4 or 5).
- No label: vehicles that meet none of the criteria above.
Registration year is not always enough
The DGT links Euro standards to registration dates, but in transition years (for example diesel cars registered in 2015) both standards occur. That is why our checker asks for the Euro standard or your official label.
Motorcycles and heavy vehicles follow different criteria. Always rely on your vehicle’s official classification.
How to look up your label
Enter your number plate on the DGT website. That result is what counts — not an estimate.
Foreign-registered vehicles
DGT labels are only issued to Spanish-registered vehicles. Each city decides how it treats foreign vehicles, and some require you to register before entering. See our guide for foreign-registered vehicles.
Why low-emission zones exist
Spain’s Climate Change Law 7/2021 requires municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants (and some others) to establish low-emission zones. Each municipality adopts its own ordinance, which is why the rules differ from city to city.