Low emissions traffic rules in Granada Spain

This text is an explanation of the new traffic rules which has come into force in October 2025. The rules at the start are actually very lax and if you are a visitor to Granada you are unlikely to be affected. Any car from a car hire company will be be recently made and therefore exempt. Even if you do come in and old car you will be exempt as long as you are staying in a hotel. 

Important Note for Visitors/Tourists: If you are staying at an official accommodation (hotel, hostal) within a restricted area (like the historical center which has separate, pre-existing access controls), you should **contact your accommodation provider** immediately. They must communicate your vehicle's license plate to the Mobility Department to secure authorized access and prevent a fine.

Zonas de Bajas Emisiones (ZBE) - 

Area Covered & Perimeter

The ZBE in Granada covers almost the entire municipality — about 23.55 km² of the city’s urban area.

The boundaries are roughly defined by the city’s ring roads (Circunvalación / Ronda Sur) and include most of the built-up area. Specific borders include:
- East: From Camino del Sacromonte to La Abadía / Restaurante El Caldero (Carretera de Murcia).
- West: Border along Parque de las Alquerías and service road of the autovía to avoid entries from the Puleva zone.
- South & Southeast: Includes Avenida de la Innovación (from its junction with Avenida Jesús Candel) and extends to Camino de Caicena up to Carretera de la Sierra. Some key exceptions are maintained for parking access and monument access (e.g., the Alhambra).

Affected Vehicles & Access Rules

Key access rules for the ZBE:

In short: the rule is stricter for vehicles not domiciled in Granada and without the sticker.

Monitoring, Sanctions & Implementation Timeline

A network of access-control cameras will monitor vehicle entries around the perimeter. Around 15 new cameras were to be operational by 1 October.

Sanctions are rolling out in phases:
- October: One fine per vehicle per month for infractions.
- November: Up to one fine per week for repeated infractions.
- December onward: No limit on number of fines — every infraction may be sanctioned.

The final regulatory approval was published in September to trigger full enforcement from 1 October.

Exceptions & Special Cases

There are defined exceptions (“white list”) for certain vehicles without sticker or registered outside Granada, e.g.:
- Older drivers (≥ 67 yrs)
- Vehicles for loading/unloading (C&D)
- Garage owners in the ZBE area
- Reduced-mobility card holders or dependency family members

Operation and Enforcement
Hours of Operation: The ZBE operates **permanently** (**24 hours a day**, 7 days a week).
Enforcement: Access is controlled by an extensive system of **cameras** camera installed at the zone's access points.
Penalties: Violations of the ZBE regulations can result in **fines**, typically starting around **€200**.

Park-and-Ride (Aparcamientos Disuasorios) in Granada and the ZBE

Park-and-ride car parks in Granada are facilities on the city’s edges where drivers can leave their cars and continue by public transport or on foot, avoiding entry into the ZBE (Low Emission Zone). The aim is to cut traffic and pollution in the city centre.

How do they work?

• You may enter the ZBE without a fine if your vehicle goes directly to an authorised car park.
• Your car must remain parked for at least 1 hour.
• Some car parks automatically report your stay to the City Council.
• If you don’t meet the condition, ZBE cameras will record the entry as an infringement.

Main park-and-ride car parks

• Parking Méndez Núñez – C/ María Moliner, 1
• Centro Comercial Neptuno (Hipercor) Parking – C/ Arabial, 45
• Parking Nuevo Los Cármenes – South area, next to the stadium
• Parking APK2 Arabial –
• and also Edificio Mapfre, C/ ArabialExamples:  Hipercor, Hotel Luna,  Nuevo Los Cármenes, plus three in the PTS area (Hospital / PK2 PTS / Menéndez Pelayo). No reservation required.

Tips for drivers

• Keep your parking ticket/receipt in case you need to prove your stay.
• Use public transport or walk from the car park to the centre.
• Remember: the ZBE is active 24/7.

In short, park-and-ride car parks are the best option for visiting Granada without worrying about fines or ZBE restrictions .

 Future Outlook

The measure is driven by the city’s need to comply with the national and European obligations to reduce air-pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions.
Its objectives include cutting particulate matter (PM) and NO₂ in the capital.

A review is planned for 2028, with new measures resulting thereafter.