New Environmental Badges For Cars In Spain Come Into Force On January 1, 2023
Expat Tips
Published: 14 December 2022 13:26 CET
Car owners in Spain should be aware of a new environmental badge that will come into effect on January 1, 2023.
The badge will enable vehicles to be categorised based on their energy efficiency, with their impact on the environment taken into account.
The motive to classify vehicles is to recognise those that are more environmentally friendly. The sede.dgt.gob.es website states that they should “be an effective instrument at the service of municipal policies, both restrictive of traffic in episodes of high pollution, and of promoting new technologies through fiscal benefits or related to mobility and the environment.”
In total there are four environmental badges that have been created based on the environmental impact of the vehicle. They will categorise and grade the 50% most efficient vehicles. From highest to lowest efficiency they would be:
- Label 0 Emissions, Blue: Identifies the most efficient vehicles. They will be entitled to this label battery electric (BEV), extended range electric (REEV), plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) with a range of 40 km or fuel cell vehicles.
- Eco Label: The next in the efficiency step, it is mostly hybrid vehicles, gas or both. They will be entitled to this plug-in electric label with a range of less than 40 km, non-plug-in hybrids (HEV), vehicles powered by natural gas and gas (CNG and LNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). They must meet the criteria for label C.
- Label C, Green: Internal combustion vehicles that comply with the latest EURO emissions. Passenger cars and light gasoline vans registered from January 2006 and diesel from September 2015 will be entitled to this label. Vehicles with more than 8 seats and heavy vehicles, both gasoline and diesel, registered since 2014.
- Label B, Yellow: Internal combustion vehicles that, although they do not comply with the latest EURO emission specifications, do comply with previous ones. Passenger cars and light gasoline vans registered since January 1, 2001, and diesel from 2006 will be entitled to this label. Vehicles with more than 8 seats and heavy vehicles, both gasoline and diesel, registered since 2006.
Vehicles that are not entitled to any type of badge will come into the 50 percent ‘most polluting category’, meaning they do not meet the requirements to be labeled as a ‘clean vehicle’.
What do I need in order to check if my vehicle meets the requirements to obtain one of the environmental badges?
All you need is your vehicle registration number.
Go to the official DGT website following the link below, enter your registration number and click ‘consult’.
https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/vehiculos/distintivo-ambiental/
Where can I get an environmental badge?
Environmental badges can be purchased at Post Offices (Correos), the network of workshops of the Spanish Confederation of Workshops (CETRAA) and other networks of authorised workshops, Administrative Managers, the Institute of Automotive Studies (IDEAUTO) and in the case of fleets, you can obtain the badges through the Ganvam association.
How much does it cost?
The complete information consultation and download service is free. However, there is a fee of 5 euros for the label.
Please note that the price may be increased with shipping costs and may vary from seller to seller.
You can check the prices at the DGT’s sales network of Post Offices, the network of workshops of the Spanish Confederation of workshops (CETRAA) and other networks of authorised workshops, Administrative Managers, the Institute of Automotive Studies (IDEAUTO) and In the case of fleets, you can obtain the badges through the Ganvam association
Is it compulsory to place the badge on my vehicle?
No, you can choose whether or not to display the badge. However, there are some benefits for doing so as some municipalities have rules in place that can limit your vehicle's circulation, depending on the badge it has.
If you choose to place the badge in your vehicle, it must be affixed to the lower right corner of the front windshield, if applicable. In the case of motorcycles, it must be placed on any visible part of the vehicle.
If I choose not to display the badge, can I benefit from the advantages?
No. Given that the purpose of the badge is that the agents can easily discriminate against the most ecological vehicles at a glance (for example on days of high pollution), if you do not display it it is impossible for them to do so. Therefore even if your car does comply with the requirements, you will not be able to benefit from the advantages that the different badges entail.
If my vehicle has a foreign licence plate, can I obtain a Spanish environmental badge?
No, but if your vehicle comes from a country with environmental certification such as Austria, Denmark, France, and Germany, you can check the equivalent of your badge in Spain.
Can I drive with my badge from another country in restricted areas within Spain?
Yes, you can. You can check the similarities between the categorisations of the different countries. Then you will be able to know the equivalent Spanish emblem of your vehicle, knowing what traffic restrictions may affect you, and being able to drive on Spanish roads with the emblem of your country.
Is there a deadline for submission and processing?
No, the consultation of the environmental badge of a vehicle can be done at any time.
The response time to the query is on average, immediate (being less than 5 seconds). The environmental label consultation data is updated daily, with new registration data being available within a maximum 24 hours .
As the service is automated, with immediate response, there is no processing period for its completion or a rule regarding non-response.
Source
https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/vehiculos/distintivo-ambiental/
https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20221129/zonas-bajas-emisiones-2023-ciudades-contaminacion-coches/2405632.shtml
