ECO label in 2026: which cars really get it
The ECO label is not granted by the hybrid or gas engine alone: the car must also meet the C-label requirements. That is why some LPG cars stay on a B.
Your environmental label
ECO label
Based on the engine technology
| A Coruña | You cannot drive in |
|---|---|
| Albacete | You can drive in |
| Alicante | Yes, with conditions |
| Almería | You can drive in |
| Barcelona | You can drive in |
| Bilbao | You can drive in |
| Burgos | You can drive in |
| Cádiz | You can drive in |
| Cartagena | You can drive in |
| Castellón de la Plana | You can drive in |
| Córdoba | You can drive in |
| Donostia / San Sebastián | You can drive in |
| Elche | You can drive in |
| Getafe | You can drive in |
| Girona | You can drive in |
| Granada | You can drive in |
| Jerez de la Frontera | Yes, with conditions |
| L'Hospitalet de Llobregat | You can drive in |
| León | You cannot drive in |
| Lleida | You can drive in |
| Madrid | You can drive in |
| Málaga | You can drive in |
| Oviedo | You can drive in |
| Palma | You can drive in |
| Pamplona / Iruña | You can drive in |
| Sabadell | You can drive in |
| Salamanca | Yes, with conditions |
| Sant Cugat del Vallès | You can drive in |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife | You can drive in |
| Santander | You can drive in |
| Sevilla | You can drive in |
| Tarragona | You can drive in |
| Terrassa | You can drive in |
| València | You can drive in |
| Valladolid | You can drive in |
| Vigo | You can drive in |
| Vitoria-Gasteiz | You can drive in |
| Zaragoza | You can drive in |
How the answer was reached, step by step
- Self-charging petrol hybrid (HEV) technology: ECO label.
- Visitor with an out-of-town plate: free access to 33 of the 38 city zones on this site as of 17 October 2026.
Estimate based on the byelaws and DGT criteria checked on 15 October 2026. The byelaw in force and, for the label, the DGT number-plate lookup have the final word. How we calculate
The DGT’s ECO label goes to cars and light commercial vehicles registered as plug-in hybrids with under 40 km of range, self-charging hybrids (HEV) and vehicles running on compressed or liquefied natural gas (CNG, LNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). In every case they must also meet the C-label criteria: Euro 4, 5 or 6 for a petrol engine and Euro 6 for a diesel. For vehicles with more than 8 seats and goods vehicles Euro VI is required whatever the fuel, and motorbikes only need to be hybrid. With the ECO label you can drive freely into 33 of the 38 cities with zones on this site and cross Madrid’s Centro district without having to park; the exceptions, A Coruña, Alicante, Jerez de la Frontera, León and Salamanca, are permit-only historic centres where no label is enough without authorisation. Several councils give road-tax relief: Madrid 75% for six years for ECO cars registered from 2026, Barcelona 50% for five years for petrol ones emitting up to 120 g/km of CO2.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Two conditions, not one
The most common mistake with the ECO label is to think the engine type is enough. The DGT puts it plainly: they “must meet the criteria of the C label”. A modern self-charging hybrid always does; an old car adapted to gas does not. That is why some LPG cars carry a B, and why converting a very old car to gas is not a route to the ECO.
Where it makes a difference
In almost every zone a C is enough today. The ECO adds two things: free passage through Madrid’s Centro district, where an out-of-town C may only go to a car park, and long-term security, because the Palma, Valladolid and Vitoria-Gasteiz timetables keep it free in 2030. On tax, relief varies a lot from city to city.