Eco vignette France
Are you travelling to a French city? Order the mandatory French environmental sticker in less than one minute.
€19.95
Most European countries are doing their best to tackle air pollution. France is no exception. That is why many of the country’s major cities and departments have designated low-emission zones for motorised vehicles. For these areas, you are required to have a dedicated environmental sticker or else you will not be allowed to drive there. If you do, you risk a hefty fine.
The aim of the environmental sticker is to reduce air pollution caused by motor vehicles. In most cases, this refers to older cars that emit a lot of fine dust and other harmful substances. Which is, of course, not very healthy. Some cars are in such poor condition that they do not meet European exhaust emission standards. Such vehicles will not receive any stickers at all and are therefore not allowed to drive in many French cities and regions.
The environmental sticker in France is officially called the “Certificat qualité de l’air”, but it is better known as Crit’Air vignette France or (colloquially) eco-vignette. There are six different stickers in just as many colours. Your type of car/motorbike, its age, and the degree to which it pollutes will determine the colour of the sticker. The sticker on your windscreen will then either allow or prevent you from entering certain areas. This article contains everything you need to know about this environmental sticker for France.
As mentioned, there are six categories for the environmental sticker, each with its own distinctive colour. They are listed below.
The colours are interpreted as follows:
The colour of the sticker indicates how much a certain vehicle pollutes. Green is environmentally friendly, while grey is not. The category of your vehicle is determined by three elements: year of manufacture, type, and CO2 emissions (European standard). The category then determines the colour of your sticker.
At times, only a particular colour will allow you to enter a certain environmental zone. If your car was built before January 1997 (engine before the 1st of June 2000), you will not receive a sticker at all, unless you belong to the small group of exceptions. You are not allowed to enter any environmental zones without an environmental sticker! You should check well before departure which sticker is appropriate for your car and which one you need for your destination in France.
In France, all cities, districts and departments are allowed to establish an environmental zone. This may be permanent (ZCR) or temporary (ZPA). Such an environmental zone may be limited to the city centre, but it may also cover an entire department. And you can only enter if you have a valid environmental sticker!
In France, you must pay close attention to which cities and departments have established an environmental zone that requires an environmental sticker. This can sometimes vary, depending on the air quality in a particular area. If pollution increases, the zone can be expanded and require a different environmental sticker. Moreover, the limitations of a sticker may vary from one area to another! Admittedly, it is not always very clear, but then again, it is France... By the way, there is a French website where you can check exactly which environmental zones are in effect.
The environmental sticker is mandatory in cities like Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Grenoble, Annecy, Chambéry, Lille, Clermont-Ferrand, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulouse. As well as in entire departments, such as Drôme, Isère, Puy-de-Dôme and Haute-Garonne.
An environmental zone is an area where the local government wishes to restrict traffic through specific measures. France has two types of environmental zones: permanent (ZCR) and temporary (ZPA).
A ZCR (Zone Circulation Restreinte) requires an environmental sticker at all times, although the local authorities are free to determine which sticker colours apply. You will often find ZCRs in the big city centres, such as Paris or Lyon. The measures are also in place at specific times. The beginning and the end of a ZCR can be identified by the following signs:
.jpg)
Image credit: Avem.fr
There is often additional information underneath these signs, such as the times for which the regulation applies or the colours of the permitted environmental stickers. Pay close attention here because the ZCR requirements are not identical everywhere!
A ZPA (Zone de Protection de l’Air) only activates in case of severe air pollution; if there is none, you might not need a sticker! Usually, a ZPA covers an entire department or a large urban area. There are also areas where both ZCR and ZPA are in effect. Paris, for example, has a permanent environmental zone, but if the air pollution reaches unacceptable levels, a temporary one is added! Measures are then temporarily stricter and the area may be expanded. The maximum speed can also be adjusted. This can all change overnight, but it will be announced in local newspapers and on electronic signs along the road.
Whether you are heading to a ZCR or a ZPA, always be sure to check the areas you want to travel to in advance! Or simply don’t take any chances and buy an environmental sticker, just to be sure. Then you will always be on the safe side!
Want to know more about the environmental zones and environmental stickers? Then please visit ecologique-solidaire.gouv.fr/certificats-qualite-lair-critair. A map of the temporary environmental zones can be found at lcsqa.org/fr/vigilance-atmospherique/procedures/carte.
You cannot purchase an environmental sticker just anywhere. There are really only two ways we can recommend: either directly through Crit’Air in France or through a reliable intermediary. There are also places where you would expect to find one but cannot buy the sticker. We will discuss the possibilities in more detail below.
You may be familiar with the following situation: you are all set for your trip but suddenly realise that you have forgotten a specific vignette. Not to worry! You can simply buy it along the way, at the border or wherever. Unfortunately, this does not apply to the French environmental sticker. You should really arrange this in advance because it is not possible to buy it along the way!
There are a lot of things you can arrange at the ABTA if you are travelling abroad. A lot, but not everything! One of the things you cannot get there is an environmental sticker for France. So, make sure you arrange it in another way, well before you leave!
In several countries, including France, you can apply directly to the issuing authority of the environmental sticker. Usually, this is the government themselves. This may be the cheapest way, but it is certainly not the easiest. You will have to visit the website of the French authorities (certificat-air.gouv.fr). Here, you will have to submit your registration papers and fill in an extensive form. This can be quite complicated. Fortunately, you can also have this arranged by specialists.
Many travellers buy their environmental sticker for France at evignette.co.uk—and not without reason! Although we charge a bit more than the French website, we do not require you to submit any registration papers, and you can order in English. It’s very easy! Even the entire ordering process is very simple. You only have to provide a few details, check out, and everything will be taken care of accordingly.
Plain and simple. As soon as we receive your application, we will start processing it for you. If we receive your request before 5 p.m., we will even process it that very same day. We will then send the sticker by post; this can take up to 14 days, especially during high season, but it will often be quicker. To be safe, we will also send you a vignette by e-mail within 48 hours, which you can use temporarily. Just print it out, put it behind the windscreen, and take the invoice with you. That is all you need to do. Once you’ve received the actual sticker, you simply apply it to your windscreen. The price for the French Crit’Air environmental sticker will be €19.95 all-in. This includes application, processing, and shipping to the UK. You can pay quickly and securely online with iDEAL, PayPal or credit card. So why do it the hard way if it’s easy?
Do all vehicles in a French environmental zone really require an environmental sticker? No, there are a few exceptions. These are for exceptional circumstances, so to speak. Police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and agricultural vehicles, for instance, are not required to carry an environmental sticker. There is also an exemption for vintage cars, but this only applies to vehicles registered in France.
The most important exemption is actually the one for people with disabilities. If you hold a European disabled parking permit, the restrictions in the environmental zones do not apply to you. There are, however, a few conditions. You should display the disabled parking permit clearly behind your windscreen. And your vehicle must still be covered by the appropriate environmental sticker. If your vehicle is unable to obtain an environmental sticker—for example, because it is too old—then you may also enter the environmental zones without an environmental sticker (but always with a disabled parking permit!). This does not apply if someone else is driving your car while you are absent.
Take care when travelling in a hired car. If you rent one in France, it will usually already come with an environmental sticker. If the hire car is registered in another country, this is usually not the case, although you might need the sticker on your trip to France!
In France, fines are generally not taken lightly. Have you found yourself in an environmental zone without a valid environmental sticker? Is the sticker obscured or not in the right place (lower-right corner behind the windscreen)? Then you should expect a hefty fine, which you must pay within 45 days. The fine amounts to €68 for cars and motorbikes, and as much as €135 for buses and lorries. You may also risk a driving ban. If you do not pay on time, an additional €180 (cars) or €375 (buses) will be charged. These are considerable figures. If you compare this with the minor cost of a valid environmental badge, the math is simple!