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Which cities will no longer welcome diesel cars in 2025?

March 22, 2025

Ban on diesel cars

Of course, the entire city is not immediately off limits to diesel cars. And in the environmental zones, only diesel models with emission class 5 or 6 will be allowed to drive in 2025, depending on whether the municipality has set up a green or a blue zone. In Amsterdam, the restriction applies to the area within the A10 ring road. In Arnhem and Utrecht, it concerns the city center around the station area, and The Hague has an environmental zone elsewhere in the city in addition to a city center environmental zone. Amsterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven, Utrecht and Rijswijk also have environmental zones where no buses are allowed.

Why diesel cars are no longer allowed in these cities

Diesel cars emit higher concentrations of soot, nitrogen and other harmful substances than other vehicles. Therefore, municipalities want to use measures such as environmental zones and zero-emission zones to limit emissions and improve air quality, in line with European Green Deal and the Dutch climate goal. Keeping diesels out of cities fits within that ambition.

Laws and regulations: who decides?

Cities have the freedom under national legislation to establish environmental zones and emission-free zones. Those environmental zones primarily target older diesels, which emit more than more modern cars. The basis for this is the Environmental Management Act, which gives municipalities powers to enforce local air quality standards.

Environmental zones and emission-free zones

An environmental zone is an area where stricter requirements apply to emissions from passenger and commercial vehicles. Certain diesel vehicles are not allowed to enter these zones because they are not in the appropriate emission class (Euro 3, Euro 4, Euro 5, etc). The higher the number, the less harmful substances the vehicle emits. Gasoline cars are allowed there, however. In emission-free zones – also called zero-emission zones – the requirements are even stricter. Only vehicles that emit nothing are allowed there. That means electric and hydrogen-electric cars. For diesels and all variants of the gasoline engine, this means a total ban.

Green and blue zones

So currently there are four cities with environmental zones for diesel passenger cars and vans: Amsterdam, Arnhem, The Hague and Utrecht. Only diesel models with a minimum emission class are allowed in those areas. On road signs near environmental zones, the allowed emission class is indicated by a number in a colored circle, for example a blue circle with a 5 for emission class Euro 5 or higher. Lower signs with pictures of vehicles indicate the type of vehicle to which the environmental zone applies.

Environmental zone check

As a diesel driver, it is important to know the emission class of your car so that you also know whether you have access to certain environmental zones. You can check the emission class via the Environmental Zone Check on the website of Environmental Zones in the Netherlands. There you will also find information on possible exemptions or dispensations for when your car does not meet the requirements of an environmental zone.

Fines for violation

Anyone who nevertheless drives a diesel car into an environmental zone or a zero-emission zone, while that car is not allowed to do so, risks a fine of about 150 euros per violation. Enforcement of the ban takes place via cameras at the edge of such zones or with camera cars. These scan the license plates of passing cars and automatically record violations. The fine soon follows.

READ ALSO: All the changes to environmental zones in the Netherlands in 2025

Where are environmental zones for diesels in the Netherlands?

Environmental zone for diesel-powered cars and vans

Environmental zone for trucks and buses

Environmental zone for buses

Zero-emission zone

Zero-emission zone for trucks and vans

Amsterdam and The Hague even currently have environmental zones for certain mopeds and mopeds. You can find more information on the Amsterdam and The Hague municipal websites.

More and more environmental and zero-emission zones

Concern for the environment and good air quality in cities continues to grow. As a result, the number of environmental zones is also increasing. A handy website for checking whether you can still enter a particular city with your car is www.milieuzones.nl. There you can find all zones where diesels are banned on an overview map with explanations. There you can also see exactly which cities are banning which diesel vehicles in which districts.

Environmental zones in Belgium, France and Germany

Environmental zones can also be found in Belgium, France and Germany. In Belgian cities such as Antwerp and Brussels, you encounter low-emission zones (LEZ), where older diesel cars are banned. In France, for example, Paris has a permanent environmental zone (ZCR) and temporary zones (ZPA), which are “activated” depending on air quality. And in Germany, cities such as Berlin and Munich operate so-called “Umweltzonen,” where vehicles need an environmental sticker to gain access.