What is the ULEZ charge £12.50 a day in London

The Ultra Low Emission Zone applies across all London boroughs and the City of London. The M25 is not included. It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except Christmas Day.

A car that does not meet the standard pays £12.50 a day. For cars, the standard is Euro 4 for petrol and Euro 6 for diesel. Check your car on the TfL vehicle checker before you travel.

The charge runs from midnight to midnight, so driving across two days means two charges. A car parked and not driven that day pays nothing.

The Congestion Charge covers a smaller central area than the ULEZ. TfL gives no written boundary: use its zone map or postcode checker. The charge applies to all vehicles that are not exempt, whatever their emission standard.

It is £18 a day, or £21 if paid by midnight of the third charging day after travel. Electric cars on Auto Pay get 25% off since 2 January 2026.

Pay through TfL's Pay to drive in London account, or set up free Auto Pay. TfL lets you pay for up to 3 previous days, today, the next day or a date range.

If the right charge is not paid by midnight of the third day after travel, a penalty charge notice (PCN) can be issued. For the ULEZ and the Congestion Charge it is £180, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days. For the Congestion Charge, a Charge Certificate of £270 follows if it is not fully paid within 28 days of service.

Non-UK vehicles must meet the ULEZ standard or pay the daily charge, and must be registered with TfL, even if they meet the standard. Its vehicle checker holds data on many non-UK vehicles.

We could not confirm the exact registration steps or deadline on TfL's pages. Check TfL before you travel. TfL's Congestion Charge pages give no separate foreign-car rule, so treat both charges as applying to your car.

The ULEZ and the Congestion Charge are two different charges. A car that meets the ULEZ standard can still owe the Congestion Charge in the centre.