Sofia operates a winter Low-Emission Zone (NEZ) to reduce air pollution during the months when smog levels are typically highest. The restrictions are seasonal and apply from 1 December 2025 to 28 February 2026.
Key rules (Winter 2025/2026)
Sofia currently has two regulated areas:
- Small Ring (city centre): entry is restricted for vehicles in Eco Group I and Eco Group II.
- Big Ring (wider central area): entry is restricted for vehicles in Eco Group I only.
Important: the rule is based on your vehicle’s eco group, not simply “green sticker only”. The Eco group is determined through the annual technical inspection (GTP) and recorded in official databases. If your eco category is missing from the databases, the vehicle is not treated as a violator.
Boundaries (plain-English guidance)
The municipality publishes exact boundary streets for both rings and clarifies that the boundary boulevards themselves are not part of the zone, so transit along those roads remains permitted.
Enforcement and fines
Compliance is monitored automatically through cameras and software that verify against official records. The municipality states it uses 180 cameras at the external points of the two rings.
Fines are issued under the Clean Air Act framework, with acts sent by post. For individuals, the fine starts from EUR 25 for a first offence; for legal entities, it starts from EUR 500.
Who is exempt
Exemptions apply in specific cases, including:
- Residents with a permanent address inside the zone who have a local parking permit (blue/green zone) or who complete the relevant registration steps, where required.
- People with disabilities holding a preferential parking card (with the required registration).
Practical alternatives for visitors and drivers
If your vehicle falls into a restricted eco group, the simplest options are:
- Use Sofia’s metro and surface public transport for city-centre travel.
- Park outside the ring and continue by metro/tram/bus.
- Route around the rings using permitted boundary boulevards and outer roads (follow signage and navigation prompts).
For the official maps, ring boundaries, and the latest operational notes, refer to Sofia Municipality’s Low-Emission Zones page.
