• Emilia Gomez

    Importing a car to Germany - be aware of the Umweltplakette

    posted by  Emilia Gomez in Germany forum 

    Just read this very interesting article about the new "Umweltplakette" - if you intend to import a car to Germany make sure it meets environmental standards (which is probably not the case for most American cars ;o):

    German cities, under a law passed in 2006, are acquiring environmental zones (Umweltzonen); areas into which you can't drive your car unless it bears a windshield sticker certifying that it has an acceptable emission level.

    There are three different stickers: a green one certifying that the vehicle is environmentally acceptable; a yellow one for less acceptable vehicles and a red one for those that are still less acceptable. Yellow and red stickers will eventually be phased out, after which all vehicles permitted in the environmental zones will need a green sticker.

    Gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles without catalytic converters will be unable to get any kind of a sticker and will not be permitted in the environmental zones. All gasoline-powered cars with catalytic converters will get a green sticker. So will the best of the diesel-powered vehicles. Diesels, however, present a greater pollution hazard, and many will only get yellow or red stickers. Foreign plated cars, and those of the US forces in Europe, are also required to have the stickers.

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