Crit'Air Sticker for Nîmes - Roman City ZFE Guide 2026

Nîmes is one of the most Roman cities outside Italy, with an amphitheatre still in use today, and it is a gateway to the Camargue and the wider Provence region. The city introduced a low-emission zone in January 2025, but it is a light one: only unclassified, pre-1997 vehicles are banned. For a modern UK car the zone is no barrier, though a Crit’Air sticker remains useful for the journey into Provence.

Nîmes ZFE boundaries

The Nîmes ZFE broadly covers the commune of Nîmes, including the historic centre around the Arena, the Maison Carrée, and the Jardins de la Fontaine. Crucially for through traffic, the motorways and major roads, including the N106 and N113 and several departmental roads, are excluded from the zone, so you can pass the city towards the coast or the Camargue without entering the restriction.

Which vehicles are banned?

Nîmes applies the minimum restriction:

• Unclassified (non-classé) vehicles - banned at all times since January 2025
• Crit’Air 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 - all permitted, no restriction

Unclassified means roughly petrol cars registered before 1997 and the oldest diesels and motorbikes, around three percent of the local fleet. Any car recent enough to hold a Crit’Air sticker can drive freely.

Roman Nîmes

The city centre is the draw: the Arena (a Roman amphitheatre that still hosts events), the Maison Carrée, the Tour Magne, and the elegant Jardins de la Fontaine. The nearby Pont du Gard, a UNESCO-listed Roman aqueduct around 25 km away, is one of the most visited sites in France. All of this is accessible to a modern car, with the historic centre largely pedestrianised and well served by car parks on its edge.

Getting to Nîmes from the UK

Nîmes is deep in the south, around 950 km from Calais, so most UK drivers break the journey. It sits just off the A9 La Languedocienne, which runs along the Mediterranean arc, and the A54 towards Arles and the Camargue. Drivers heading down the Rhône valley on the A7 will pass nearby. The motorways are outside the ZFE.

Nîmes is lenient, but its neighbour is not

This is the single most useful thing to know about driving in this part of France. Nîmes bans pre-1997 vehicles and nothing else. Montpellier, about 50 km down the A9, formally bans Crit’Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified. Two cities on the same motorway, a comfortable day trip apart, with completely different rules.

The gap is wide enough to catch people out. A petrol car from 2003 or a diesel from 2008 is Crit’Air 3: entirely welcome in Nîmes, formally barred from Montpellier. Montpellier has suspended fines for Crit’Air 3 until 2027, so in practice such a driver is unlikely to be penalised today, but they are in breach of the zone and the grace period has an end date. Montpellier also widened its perimeter on 1 July 2026.

If your Languedoc itinerary takes in both cities, which most do, plan around the stricter of the two rather than the one you happen to be staying in.

Where else the rules bite on the way south

Getting to Nîmes from the UK means a long drive, and the route matters more than the destination. Coming down the Rhône valley on the A7 puts you through Lyon, which bans Crit’Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified around the clock and cannot be bypassed on the motorway network. Heading east along the coast instead brings you towards Marseille, which bans Crit’Air 4 and 5.

Nîmes is one of the easiest cities in France to drive into. Almost nowhere on the way there is.

Fines and enforcement

The national fine of €68 for a car applies in principle, but enforcement is light and the ban only affects pre-1997 vehicles. There is also a low-mileage (petit rouleur) derogation for residents. For a modern UK car, the practical risk inside Nîmes is minimal.

How to apply from the UK

Through France Stickers, you can get your official Crit’Air sticker delivered to your UK address for just £7. Enter your registration, confirm your details, and we handle the French-language application. The sticker is valid for the lifetime of your vehicle and covers every French ZFE, including the stricter zones on the way south. Only pre-1997 unclassified vehicles are banned here, so most UK cars are unaffected, but it is worth being certain: check your registration free to see your band.