Low-emission zones in Poland

Warsaw and Krakow in 2026

Warsaw’s second stage requires ordinary petrol cars to meet Euro 3 or manufacture from 2000, and diesels up to 3.5 tonnes Euro 5 or manufacture from 2009.

Krakow requires Euro 4 or manufacture from 2005 for petrol, and Euro 6 or manufacture from 2014 for diesels up to 3.5 tonnes. Foreign plates must be registered. Check exemptions and any transitional paid entry for the particular vehicle.

Vehicle details

Establish the fuel, emissions standard and category. Where the city permits a manufacture-year alternative, do not automatically substitute first registration date.

A standard accepted by another Polish SCT may not suffice here. Use the particular city and the date of the visit.

Foreign plates and exemptions

A foreign vehicle may not be verifiable through the same domestic register as a Polish vehicle. Follow the city’s instructions for documentation or registration and allow processing time.

Resident and other exemptions have separate requirements. An entitlement for a Polish resident cannot automatically be applied to a visitor.

Preparing your trip

Compare the vehicle documents with the current stage of restrictions and keep any registration or exemption confirmation.

If the vehicle is not eligible, check whether the city permits a transitional paid entry or park outside. There is no universal sticker that automatically opens every Polish SCT.

Open the map and official boundary links →