The Euro standard rules, not the year
The classification is in annex II of the Reglamento General de Vehículos, the Spanish general vehicles regulation, introduced by Orden PCI/810/2018. And it defines the categories by the Euro standard under which the car is classified in the Vehicle Register, not by its registration date:
| Sticker | Which cars |
|---|---|
| CERO | Electric, range-extender and hydrogen cars (combustion or fuel cell) and plug-in hybrids with 40 km or more of electric range (NEDC cycle) |
| ECO | Plug-in hybrids with less than 40 km, non-plug-in hybrids, natural gas and LPG, which also meet the criteria for the C |
| C | Petrol Euro 4, 5 or 6 · diesel only Euro 6 |
| B | Petrol Euro 3 · diesel Euro 4 or 5 |
Two practical consequences follow for a German car:
- A 2017 Euro 6 diesel gets the C sticker, whatever the tables by date suggest.
- A Euro 5 diesel, however modern it looks, is a B. And in Palma, that matters.
On German plates there is no Spanish sticker
The DGT is clear: a vehicle on foreign plates does not get the Spanish sticker. Until the car is registered here, there is no sticker. There is an important qualification, though: the DGT itself allows you to drive in Spain with the sticker from the country of origin — Germany among them — and publishes a table of equivalences. What does not work is assuming that opens any restricted zone to you: in the Palma low emission zone, a car on foreign plates has to be registered in advance (we come to that below).
You then get the physical sticker at Correos branches, workshops in the CETRAA network, filing agents or authorised tobacconists. At Correos they ask for the registration document and the keeper's national ID. Displaying it stuck on the car is voluntary at national level, although a municipal by-law can require it. On the price there is a contradiction between official sources that we would rather tell you about: the DGT says €5 and Correos, €6.
The Palma low emission zone
Palma has had a low emission zone in the centre since December 2024, and the timetable is already set:
| Period | Who can enter |
|---|---|
| Until 31-12-2026 | Motorcycles and the B, C, ECO and CERO stickers |
| From 1-1-2027 to 31-12-2029 | Motorcycles and the C, ECO and CERO stickers (the B stops getting in) |
| From 1-1-2030 | Motorcycles and the ECO and CERO stickers |
The penalty for entering without complying is €200 (a serious offence), and enforcement works by reading number plates against the DGT database. There are exceptions: residents on the municipal roll in the zone, owners or tenants of property, people with reduced mobility, historic vehicles, public transport and taxis, among others.
The myth of the banned diesel in the Balearics
It is often repeated that "since 2025 you cannot register a diesel in the Balearics". That no longer exists. The provision was in an additional provision of the 2019 Balearic climate change law, it referred to driving, and it was replaced by Ley 7/2024, of 11 December (article 26.14), with effect from 14 December 2024: the provision now refers to the national rules and to the emission reduction plans. You can read it in the consolidated text on the BOE, the Spanish official gazette, linked below.
Frequently asked questions
Which sticker will my 2017 German diesel get?
If it is classified as Euro 6, it gets the C. A Euro 5 diesel is a B, however modern it looks.
Can I apply for the sticker on German plates?
No. The DGT does not assign a sticker to vehicles on foreign plates: you have to register in Spain first.
Is it compulsory to display it on the car?
At national level it is voluntary, although a municipal by-law can require it. In the Palma low emission zone enforcement works by reading the number plate against the DGT.
Can I drive into central Palma with a B sticker?
Until 31 December 2026, yes. From 1 January 2027, no, unless you fall under one of the exceptions. The fine is €200.
Is it true that diesels cannot be registered in the Balearics?
No. That provision was about driving, and Ley 7/2024 replaced it, with effect from 14 December 2024, with a reference to the national rules and to the emission reduction plans.
Sources
- Orden PCI/810/2018 — environmental classification of vehicles
- DGT electronic office — environmental sticker
- Palma City Council — low emission zone information
- Reglamento General de Vehículos (consolidated text)
- Balearic Ley 10/2019 — consolidated text (third additional provision)
- Palma City Council — low emission zone for foreign vehicles
- Correos — environmental sticker (requirements and price)
Every source was checked on 25 September 2026. Tax rules change: if you are reading this much later, confirm it or ask us.
