Environmental sticker France: everything about Crit'Air, environmental zones and purchasing

The environmental sticker for France, also known as the Crit'Air sticker, is compulsory in many French environmental zones. The sticker is linked to your number plate and shows how much your vehicle emits. If you are travelling to France by car, campervan or motorbike, check before departure whether a sticker is needed for your route or for your journey to your holiday home in France.

Apply for an environmental sticker directly

Further down this page you will find where and how to apply for the environmental sticker.

Milieusticker Frankrijk 1 Crit'air vakantie Dordogne Provence Parijs Bordeaux Marseille Lyon Toulous

What is the Crit'Air anti-pollution vehicle sticker?

Are you travelling to a holiday park in the Dordogne, a villa in Provence or a holiday home in the Poitou-Charentes? Then you may need an environmental sticker. This is certainly the case if you pass through cities such as Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse, Marseille or Lille, or visit a large city during your holiday.

On this page you will find everything about the French environmental sticker, the environmental zones, the costs, the rules and how to apply for a Crit'Air sticker.

Many guests who stay in one of the FranceComfort holiday homes in France make day trips to cities with environmental regulations during their holiday. Arranging a sticker in advance avoids unpleasant surprises when you set out from one of the holiday parks in France to explore the area.

Also read our detailed information about environmental zones in France.

 

Is an environmental sticker compulsory during your holiday in France?

Yes, a Crit'Air sticker is compulsory in many French environmental zones. This applies not only to French residents but also to Dutch or Belgian holidaymakers travelling by car, campervan or motorbike. The requirement depends on the city you visit and the current local environmental rules.

Always check before departure whether your route or destination passes through an environmental zone. Restrictions for vehicles without a sticker apply regularly around major cities such as Paris, Lyon, Grenoble and Marseille.

If you are planning to drive along the Route du Soleil, there is a good chance you will encounter environmental zones along the way.

Environmental sticker France at a glance

Subject

Information

Compulsory?

Yes, in many French environmental zones

For whom?

Cars, campervans, motorbikes and electric vehicles

Cost

From approx. €5

Validity

Unlimited

Fine

Approx. €68

Where to buy?

Online only
Milieusticker Frankrijk 4 Crit'air vignet milieuzone vakantie Dordogne Provence Parijs.jpg

What is the Crit'Air, the French environmental sticker?

The French government is committed to tackling air pollution. Especially in large cities like Paris, Lyon, Toulouse and Bordeaux, traffic is a major source of air pollution. The government has classified vehicles based on their emissions. There are six categories, from fully electric (0/green) to the most polluting (5/grey). Each category has its own colour sticker. The sticker shows how environmentally friendly your car is according to French standards. The category and colour are determined automatically based on your number plate, taking into account factors such as CO₂ emissions and Euro standard.

What are environmental zones in France?

France uses so-called ZFE zones (Zones à Faibles Émissions) — low-emission zones where polluting vehicles can be restricted or banned. There are permanent environmental zones (ZCR: Zone à Circulation Restreinte) in large cities and temporary zones (ZPA: Zone de Protection de l'Air) activated when air quality deteriorates.

More and more French cities are introducing these zones. The rules differ per city and can be temporarily tightened during periods of smog. If you are going on holiday in the Languedoc or in the Provence-Côte d'Azur region, you will be driving through these zones.

 

The French environmental vignette — sometimes incorrectly called the ANWB vignette or ANWB environmental sticker — must be displayed on your windscreen when entering a city in France where a permanent or temporary environmental zone has been established. Requirements may vary per city; on entry you will see signs indicating which categories are allowed. There may also be differences between day and night. For example, older diesel cars (pre-2011) and petrol cars (pre-2006) are no longer permitted in Paris on weekdays. The French environmental sticker is valid indefinitely and only needs replacing if it becomes illegible or if the vehicle changes emission class.

Crit'Air categories: colours and meaning

The French environmental sticker (Crit'Air) comes in six different colours, each linked to a specific vehicle category based on type, emissions and age. The colour shows how eco-friendly your car is: green is the cleanest, grey the least clean. The sticker must be clearly visible. Cars built before 1997 and motorbikes before 2000 do not qualify for a sticker and may not enter environmental zones. In the event of smog or stricter local rules, lower-category vehicles (red, grey) may be banned. People with a European disabled parking card may always enter French environmental zones, even if their vehicle would normally be excluded due to age or emissions — provided the vehicle carries a sticker and the card is clearly visible on the dashboard.

 

Category

Colour

Passenger cars and two-wheelers

- 0 -

Green

Fully electric or hydrogen vehicles. Most eco-friendly, access to all environmental zones in France

- 1 -

Purple

LPG and hybrid Euro 5/6 petrol cars from 2011; Euro 4/5 two-wheelers. Very clean, access to most zones

- 2 -

Yellow

Euro 4 petrol cars 2006–2010; Euro 5/6 diesel cars from 2011; Euro 2/3 two-wheelers 2007–2016. Access to many but not all zones

- 3 -

Orange

Euro 2/3 petrol cars 1997–2005; Euro 4 diesel cars 2006–2010; Euro 2/3 two-wheelers 2004–2006. Limited access, especially during smog

- 4 -

Red

Euro 3 diesel cars 2001–2005; two-wheelers not meeting 2000–2004 standards. Access to few zones, often banned during pollution

- 5 -

Grey

Euro 2 diesel cars 1997–2000. Most polluting, almost universally banned

 

Temporary environmental zones can also be introduced outside major cities — for example during smog periods. A Crit'Air sticker may therefore be needed in more places than many holidaymakers expect.

Buy Crit'Air sticker

Stricter rules in 2025

The French environmental sticker is compulsory on all roads within the Paris ring road, the Périphérique, and in the area up to the A86. The requirement applies on weekdays between 08:00 and 20:00. At weekends and on public holidays the sticker is not required.

From 1 January 2025, environmental zones (ZFE) are compulsory in all French cities with more than 150,000 inhabitants, including Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille, Nice, Montpellier, Grenoble and Strasbourg.

Five major cities have even stricter admission requirements for the most polluting vehicles (Crit'Air category 3 and above = diesel cars pre-2011, petrol cars pre-2006): Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, Montpellier and Grenoble. The exact rules vary, but in Paris — throughout Greater Paris up to the A86 — there is a driving ban for vehicles in Crit'Air groups 3 to 5 on weekdays between 08:00 and 20:00.

Current regulations on environmental zones and Crit'Air are published by the French government.

Where should you attach the environmental sticker?

It is important to place the sticker in the correct position because the French authorities carry out strict checks. An incorrectly placed sticker can result in a fine, even if you have the right sticker.

The French environmental vignette must be attached on the inside of the windscreen on the right-hand (passenger) side. Make sure the windscreen is clean and dry so the sticker does not come loose, and that the unique number on the sticker is visible — this is checked during environmental inspections.

The sticker remains valid as long as it is legible. If it does come loose, you can apply for a new French environmental sticker. Keep a photo of the sticker and its number as proof.

 

Which vehicles need an environmental sticker?

The requirement for a French environmental sticker applies to virtually all motorised vehicles, regardless of whether the vehicle is registered in France, the Netherlands, Belgium or any other country. As soon as you enter a French environmental zone, your vehicle must have a valid Crit'Air sticker. If you are going on holiday to the Dordogne or travelling with your family to the Poitou-Charentes, you may encounter environmental zones that require a sticker.

The requirement covers passenger cars, campervans, motorbikes, scooters, mopeds, vans, lorries, buses, hybrid vehicles and electric cars. Foreign vehicles are also subject to these rules. Many holidaymakers assume the requirement only applies to French number plates, but Dutch and Belgian vehicles must also have a valid sticker when entering an environmental zone.

Additional restrictions apply to older vehicles. Cars built before 1997 and motorbikes before 2000 do not qualify for a Crit'Air sticker and may no longer enter many environmental zones. If you are travelling by campervan to the Mediterranean or the Côte Vermeille near the Pyrenees, a sticker is also required as soon as your route passes through an environmental zone or you visit a city where the Crit'Air scheme applies.

Environmental sticker France for a hire car or foreign vehicle?

If you fly to France and hire a car, the hire car must also have an official French environmental sticker. In most cases the rental company will provide one if the car is registered in France. To avoid unnecessary fines, always check this before your holiday in France. If you hired the car in another country, you must arrange the sticker yourself.

 

Milieusticker Frankrijk 3 Crit'air vakantie Dordogne Provence Parijs Bordeaux Marseille Lyon gendarm

Crit’Air anti-pollution vehicle sticker France: Make sure you stick it in a clearly visible spot!

Driving in an environmental zone without a French environmental vignette

The French government carries out regular checks, particularly at the entrance to environmental zones. If you do not have a French environmental sticker when entering an environmental zone in Paris or another city, you will receive a fine of approx. €68. If you ordered the sticker but have not yet received it before your holiday, no problem — you can still drive legally in environmental zones as long as you can show a valid proof of purchase. After ordering, you will receive a digital invoice or document with an image of your sticker within 24 hours. Print this out and place it behind your windscreen. The French police can see that you have purchased the vignette, even if the physical sticker is still in the post.

Milieusticker Frankrijk 5 Crit'air vignet milieuzone vakantie Dordogne Provence Parijs.png

Buying a Crit'Air sticker for France

The environmental sticker for your holiday in France can only be purchased online — not at a petrol station or shop in France or abroad. Buying the French environmental sticker from the ANWB, VAB or ADAC is not possible either. The vignette is only available online, in two ways:

  • On the French government website. This is the cheapest option but can be tricky as forms are in French. Cost is approx. €5 including postage; payment by credit card or PayPal only. The sticker is sent by post and usually arrives within 2–4 weeks.
  • Via various intermediary websites. Slightly more expensive but much easier, especially if you do not have a credit card. Cost is between €15–€20. Payment by credit card, PayPal, iDEAL, Bancontact or Klarna. The sticker is sent from France; shortly after purchase you receive an invoice with a digital coupon that can be placed behind your windscreen as temporary proof until the physical sticker arrives.

Order your vignette here

Milieusticker Frankrijk 6 Crit'air vakantie Dordogne Provence Parijs Bordeaux Marseille Lyon gendarm

Driving in an environmental zone without an environmental sticker France

Summary: environmental sticker France

Sticker compulsory?

Yes, in cities with more than 150,000 inhabitants, on ring roads such as the Périphérique in Paris and in temporary environmental zones

Validity?

Unlimited, provided it remains legible

Cost?

Between approx. €5 and €20

Fine?

€68 for absence or incorrect placement

It is wise to buy the French environmental sticker a few weeks before departure. This gives you peace of mind when going on holiday to France with your family. When applying you will need details from your vehicle registration document. Make sure you have this to hand.

Environmental sticker, toll roads and traffic rules

During a road trip to France there is often more to arrange than just the environmental sticker.

Also check in advance:

Well prepared for your holiday in France

A holiday in France starts well before you cross the border. If you are driving to a holiday home in the Dordogne or a holiday park, it is wise to check a few things in advance — such as a valid environmental sticker, a possible toll badge, your planned route and the traffic rules in France.

Besides preparing your vehicle, it is also useful to have practical information about your stay. Our page about holidays in France is full of tips for a relaxed break. About to head off? Use our handy packing list for a holiday in France so you forget nothing.

Still deciding between flying or driving? Read the pros and cons of flying or driving to France. Once you have arrived, it is handy to know where to shop. Our overview of supermarkets in France tells you which chains to expect.

Are you about to stay in a holiday home in the Languedoc or a luxury villa with private pool? With good preparation your holiday gets off to a relaxed start and you can immediately enjoy everything France has to offer.

About the editorial team

The FranceComfort editorial team writes daily about holidays in France, combining up-to-date information with practical experience. This article about the French environmental sticker was compiled for holidaymakers who want to be well prepared, and is updated regularly when regulations change.

Frequently asked questions about the French environmental sticker

Is an environmental sticker required if I am just passing through?

Yes, if your route passes through a French environmental zone, a Crit'Air sticker may be required — even if you are not staying in that city but simply driving through.

Does the environmental sticker also apply to campervans?

Yes. Campervans are subject to the same rules as passenger cars. As soon as you enter an environmental zone, your campervan must have a valid Crit'Air sticker.

Do I need an environmental sticker for a hire car?

If you hire a car in France, it will usually already have a sticker. Always check this when you collect the car. If you hire a vehicle outside France, you may need to apply for a Crit'Air sticker yourself.

Does the environmental sticker also apply to electric cars?

Yes. Electric vehicles must also have a valid Crit'Air sticker. Electric cars automatically receive the most favourable category.

Do I need an environmental sticker as a motorcyclist?

Yes. Motorbikes and scooters also fall under the Crit'Air scheme. As soon as you enter an environmental zone, your vehicle must have a valid sticker.

What happens if I enter an environmental zone without a sticker?

If you enter an environmental zone without a valid sticker, you risk a fine of approximately €68. French authorities carry out regular checks.

Can I drive if my sticker has not arrived yet?

Yes. After applying you will receive a confirmation or digital invoice, which you can use as temporary proof until the sticker arrives.

Can environmental zones be activated temporarily?

Yes. During periods of air pollution, French authorities can activate temporary environmental zones with additional restrictions for higher-emission vehicles.

Carefree holiday in France

Apply for your Crit'Air sticker well in advance. This prevents problems in French environmental zones and lets you enjoy your holiday without worry.
|During your holiday, why not leave the car behind and explore the surroundings on foot or by bicycle.
Also browse our holiday homes and parks in France for a comfortable stay in the country's most beautiful regions.

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