How to Get the German Emissions Sticker (Umweltplakette) – 2025 Guide for Motorhomes and Campervans
On our 2025 summer road trip, we returned to Germany—not only for the good vibes and beautiful scenery, but also for one very practical reason: we went to buy our family a new campervan (a blog post coming soon!).
In this blog post we'll share tips on how to get the German Emissions Sticker (Umweltplakette) easily & affordably.
If you’re driving in Germany, you’ll need an emissions sticker—called die Umweltplakette or Feinstaubplakette. Since 2008, German cities have had environmental zones (Umweltzonen) where only vehicles with a valid emissions sticker are allowed to drive.
You can buy the sticker online in advance, or get one at one of the local DEKRA offices.
Types of German Emissions Stickers
There are three colors:
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Green – least polluting vehicles
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Yellow – medium emissions (no longer valid from 2025)
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Red – highest emissions (no longer valid from 2025)
From 2025 onwards, only green stickers are valid for entering low-emission zones. Yellow and red stickers are no longer sold, and vehicles without a green sticker cannot enter these zones at all.
In short: No green sticker = no entry to environmental zones.
Where Green Stickers Are Required
A green sticker allows you to drive anywhere in Germany, including low-emission zones—usually found around city centers and urban areas.
If you plan to drive a car, van, campervan, motorhome, or car + caravan into German cities, you must have a green emissions sticker.
How to Buy a German Emissions Sticker
You can buy your sticker:
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Online in advance – via germanemissionssticker.com for €17.95
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In person in Germany – at a DEKRA office or similar inspection station for about 7€ (price in summer 2025)
You’ll need your vehicle registration document and emissions class to apply. The sticker is linked to your license plate—you cannot transfer it to another vehicle.
Who Qualifies for a Green Sticker?
According to the German Emissions Sticker site, green stickers are issued to:
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Electric vehicles (e.g., Tesla Model S)
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Petrol, LPG, or hybrid vehicles meeting EURO 1 standards (registered from 1 Jan 1993)
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Passenger cars (M1) and vans (N1) with EURO 4 diesel engines (registered from 1 Oct 2006)
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Trucks (N2, N3) and buses (M2, M3) with EURO 4 diesel engines (registered from 1 Oct 2006)
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EURO 3 diesel vehicles retrofitted with a diesel particulate filter
There are exceptions—check the full rules here.
Driving Without an Emissions Sticker
Some vehicles are exempt, such as motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters. However, if you’re traveling in a motorhome or any residential vehicle, you’ll almost always need one.
Driving in a low-emission zone without a green sticker can result in a €100 fine.
Tip: You do not need a sticker for driving on motorways—even if they pass through environmental zones.
The sticker is only valid glued to the windshield.
Where the Zones Are
Most environmental zones are in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. A complete map of all zones can be found here.
Our Experience Buying an Emissions Sticker in Germany
We bought our green sticker after arriving in Germany, since we didn’t yet know the export plates for our new campervan.
From the dealership, we drove to the nearest DEKRA office, showed our registration, and got the sticker in about 20 minutes for a very affordable price of 7€.
We stuck it on the windscreen, and off we went—quick, easy, and inexpensive!
✅ Checklist for Your German Emissions Sticker
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Buy online in advance or at a DEKRA office in Germany
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Keep your registration document handy
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Stick it on your windscreen before entering any city zone
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Remember: only green stickers are valid from 2025 onwards
Find this helpful? Share to other vanlife friends, too!
- Hanna