Will I be fined €200 if I drive into the centre of Malaga? And are there any exceptions?

From Sunday November 30, 2025, Malaga’s (LEZ) Low Emission Zone (ZBE – Zona de Bajas Emisiones) will enter its second phase, and fines of up to €200 will finally be enforced for unauthorised vehicles entering the restricted area. What if I need to go to a medical appointment or something similar? What if I choose to park my car in a public parking lot? What if you take the wrong turn? Take a look at these new rules.

This 437-hectare area covers the city centre and coast strip. However, the rules The city is very tolerant compared to most Spanish cities. This is especially true for the locals.

Who WON’T be fined as of 30 November 2020?

• The vehicle must be registered in Malaga, whether or not it is labeled with the DGT (Cero Eco, C,B, or no label).
• All vehicles with Cero or Eco labels and stickers on the windscreen, even if they are registered outside Malaga.
• Public buses, taxis, VTCs (registered historic vehicles), lorries as well as emergency services, municipal and private services.

Who will be fined after 30 November 2025?

Only vehicles that:

• There is NO DGT environmental Label
• Registration outside the city of Malaga.

Fines will be imposed on these vehicles €200 (€100 if paid within the early-payment period of 20 days of reception).

What will be the changes for year three?

Only non-residents will see the restrictions tightened.

• Vehicles with only a B label and no label that are registered outside Málaga will be banned (Cero, Eco and C labels will still be allowed from anywhere).
• Vehicles registered in Malaga continue to be exempted, regardless of their label.
• Vans and light commercials will be subject to even more restrictions: vehicles with a B-label or without a label, registered outside of the municipality, won’t be allowed until the fifth year.

What size is the restricted zone?

The ZBE is bounded (roughly clockwise from the west) by Paseo Marítimo Antonio Machado, Avenida de Andalucía, Avenida de Barcelona, Paseo de Martiricos, Alameda de Capuchinos and Paseo Marítimo Pablo Ruiz Picasso, enclosing virtually all of the historic centre, Ensanche and the western seafront. You can still drive from the west to the Maria Zambrano bus and train stations, but you must take care to exit the right way, otherwise you’ll be driving into the restricted zone. So, El Corte Inglés will be off-limits for many older vehicles.

Malaga is different from other Spanish cities in that using the central Malaga car park does not exempt you car from restrictions. Mobility Councillor Trinidad Hernández has explicitly ruled out exemptions For public parking lots. Parking access was mentioned in early drafts, but not in the final ordinance. Even if you drive in just to park, it still counts as an unauthorised entry.

But what if my medical appointment is in the zone with low emissions?

A temporary permit is required to access the Malaga Low Emission Zone for medical appointments with restricted vehicles (non ECO/no sticker, non-domiciled). Ayuntamiento in Malaga requires special permission for individual appointments. This is different from emergency vehicles or sanitary vehicles. Please use the “Solicitud de acceso de vehículos a zonas restringidasThe “procedure” is to submit your application via the Council’s Electronic Office. Documentation is required, including the vehicle’s details, the proof of medical appointment (date and time), as well as the justification for the need for that vehicle. This request must be processed in advance to avoid a fine.

How many fines should I expect?

Documents originally from Malaga Town Hall forecast an average of 78,900 fines per year (around 263 per day), generating approximately €11.7 million annually for municipal coffers. The officials expect that the actual number will decrease over time, as drivers become more informed and old vehicles are replaced. They expect that only 1% of the restricted vehicles in the first year will be fined.

Other predicted effects

• Around 4,000 daily car users (1.5 per cent of current traffic) are expected to switch to public transport, adding roughly €505,000 a year to the municipal bus company (EMT).
• Property inside the ZBE is forecast to rise in value by 10–20 per cent, following the pattern seen in other Spanish cities with low-emission zones.

For now, you don’t have to worry if your vehicle is registered in Malaga City and has an environmental sticker such as Cero, C, B or Eco. From November 30, only drivers of older unlabelled vehicles, registered elsewhere, will face a fine.