Acquisition of a sticker to enter the low emission zone

Since 1 January 2005, limit values for particulate matter have been in force throughout Europe. With the aim of complying with the prescribed limit values and reducing particulate matter pollution in heavily trafficked inner-city areas and thus protecting the health of the population, Bremen established an environmental zone on 1 January 2009.

The low emission zone is a spatially limited area in which only cars and trucks that meet a certain emission standard are allowed to drive (see appendix: "Bremen low emission zone"). There is a driving ban on motor vehicles with high pollutant emissions. To enter the low emission zone, citizens therefore need a pollutant-related identification document - a particulate matter or environmental sticker - for their vehicle. The sticker is valid nationwide in every environmental zone and is not limited in time.

Requirements

To be able to obtain an environmental sticker, the emission key number of the vehicle is decisive. This provides information about the pollutant group to which a car is assigned and can be found in the vehicle registration document or the registration certificate.

There are four pollutant groups in total. Since 1 July 2011, only vehicles with a green sticker from group 4 are allowed to enter the low emission zone in Bremen.

If a vehicle does not meet the required emission standard, citizens should have their vehicle checked by a specialist motor vehicle workshop to see whether their vehicle can be retrofitted with a particle filter or, in the case of petrol engines, a regulated catalytic converter.

What documents do I need?

• completed application form