UK travellers heading to France need emission sticker

It comes as the RAC has shared that parts of France have begun requiring vehicles to display a Crit’Air sticker rose in the past year. 

The areas that are enforcing the scheme include the popular holiday destinations for many Brits including Bordeaux and Clermont-Ferrand.

If motorists are caught not following the rules, they can face a fine of 68 euros (£58), which rises to 180 euros (£154) if not paid within 45 days.

However, from next year when camera-based enforcement begins, motorists who do not have a sticker will have to pay up to 750 euros (£640).

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UK holidaymakers in France will need emissions stickers to avoid fine

Any Brits heading to France can not buy the Crit’Air stickers locally, instead, you must order them in advance from a French government website costing you 4.61 euros (£4).

But, holidaymakers are also being warned to check where they are buying from as RAC has shared that drivers should avoid third-party websites which charge up to six times as much.

The stickers for Crit’Air. (Image: Getty Image)

France offers six different types of stickers, based on a vehicle’s air pollutant emissions.

Vehicles with the cleanest electric or hydrogen vehicles have a green '0' sticker, however, diesel vehicles need a '5' sticker. 

While the stickers are used for emission levels, some areas of France restrict vehicle movements based on their sticker.

As the capital, Paris shows a strict regime seeing some roads at specific times only open to cars bearing “0”, “1” or “2” stickers.

France is not the only country to hand out fines for emissions, with other European countries such as Spain and Switzerland also having increasingly strict emissions regulations.

Whilst they also use stickers, one country’s emissions sticker is not valid in another, so many UK tourists embarking on road trips covering several destinations will need to have multiple stickers.

You can buy the stickers from a French government website. (Image: Getty)

RAC warns UK travellers to avoid emission fines 

Discussing the stickers, RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: "It’s vital anyone travelling to Europe does their homework to see whether an emissions-based windscreen sticker is needed – and give themselves enough time to order one before their trip.

Adding:“In France, six years after Crit’Air emissions stickers were first introduced in a bid to improve air quality, there are now 12 locations where British drivers’ movements can be restricted based on how much their cars emit.

“As time goes on, the regulations also get stricter and within a few years all but zero-emission vehicles will be banned from some city centres.”