How to Apply for a Crit'Air Sticker from the UK

To apply for a Crit’Air sticker from the UK, enter your vehicle registration on the France Stickers website, confirm your details, upload a photo of your V5C, and pay £7. Your official sticker arrives within 10 to 14 working days, and you get a valid digital facsimile by email within about 4 hours. The whole process takes about two minutes.

What you will need

Before you start, make sure you have:

• Your vehicle registration number - the number plate of the car, van, motorhome, or motorcycle you will be driving in France
• Your V5C logbook - you upload a photo of both the outside and the inside; this is required for every application
• A UK delivery address - where you want the physical sticker sent
• A card or digital wallet - for the £7 payment (card, Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, or Amazon Pay)

That is it. No passport, no driving licence, no insurance documents.

Step-by-step application process

Step 1: Enter your registration number

Type your UK vehicle registration into the lookup tool on the France Stickers website. We query the DVLA database to retrieve your vehicle’s make, model, year of registration, fuel type, and Euro emission standard.

This lookup is free and instant. You can check your category without committing to an application.

Step 2: Confirm your vehicle details

The system displays what we found: your vehicle’s make and model, fuel type, and the Crit’Air category it qualifies for. These details come directly from the DVLA, so they match your V5C. Check that the vehicle shown is yours:

• Fuel type - confirm it shows the correct fuel (petrol, diesel, electric, hybrid)
• Year - confirm the year of first registration looks right
• Category - this is calculated automatically; make sure you understand what it means for your trip

The details are read from the DVLA and cannot be edited by hand. If the vehicle shown is not yours, choose “Not my vehicle” and re-check the registration you entered.

Step 3: Enter your details

Enter your first name, last name, and email address. We send your order confirmation and your digital sticker proof to this email, so make sure it is correct.

Step 4: Enter your delivery address

Provide the UK postal address where you want the sticker delivered. This can be your home address, a work address, or any UK address. We also accept BFPO addresses for military personnel stationed overseas.

The address is only used for delivery. It is not printed on the sticker and is not shared with French authorities.

Step 5: Upload your V5C

Every application needs a photo of your V5C logbook so the French government can verify your vehicle. You upload two images: the outside and the inside of the V5C.

V5C photo tips

• Upload both the outside and the inside of the V5C - both are required
• Make sure each image is sharp and well-lit - avoid shadows across the text
• Ensure the vehicle details and fields such as V.9 (Euro standard), B (date of registration), and P.3 (fuel type) are clearly legible
• A smartphone camera is fine; you do not need a scanner
• Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, or PDF
• Maximum file size: 20 MB each

Your uploaded document is encrypted in transit and permanently deleted from our systems within 24 hours.

Step 6: Payment

Complete the payment by card, or a digital wallet such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, or PayPal. The £7 covers everything:

What you pay	Amount	What it covers
Official Crit’Air fee (incl. postage)	~£4.30	The genuine sticker issued by the French Ministry, posted to the UK
France Stickers service fee	£2.70	We complete the French-language application for you, with UK support
Total	£7	Includes your digital facsimile - no hidden fees

There are no hidden fees, no subscription, and no renewal charges.

Step 7: Receive your sticker

After applying, two things happen:

1. Within about 4 hours: You receive a digital facsimile by email, issued by the French government. This is a PDF document containing your vehicle details, Crit’Air category, and a QR code. It is legally valid as interim proof and can be printed or shown on your phone if stopped by police.

2. Within 10 to 14 working days: The physical Crit’Air sticker arrives at your UK address by post. This is the official adhesive sticker that you apply to your windscreen.

The digital facsimile explained

The digital facsimile is not a photocopy or unofficial document. It is the official interim certificate generated by the French system when an application is processed. It contains:

• Your vehicle registration number
• Your Crit’Air category and colour
• A unique QR code that French enforcement officers can scan
• The date of issue

French police are trained to accept this document for vehicles awaiting delivery of the physical sticker. It is particularly useful if you have a trip coming up before the postal sticker arrives.

Keep the digital facsimile even after your sticker arrives. It serves as a backup if your windscreen sticker becomes damaged or illegible while you are in France.

Delivery timeline in detail

Stage	Timeframe
Application submitted to the French government	Within 2 business hours
Digital facsimile emailed by the French government	Within about 4 hours
Your uploaded document permanently deleted	Within 24 hours
Physical sticker arrives by post	10 to 14 working days
Total typical time	10 to 14 working days

Delivery times can be longer during peak summer months (June to August) when application volumes are highest. If you are travelling in summer, apply at least two to three weeks before your departure date.

Applying directly through the French government

You can apply directly on the official French government website. This is a legitimate option, but there are several drawbacks for UK drivers:

• The website and form are in French
• You must translate your V5C details into the French format yourself
• Delivery to UK addresses takes 4 to 6 weeks
• Payment is in euros
• Customer support is in French only

The official government fee is €3.77 plus €3 to €5 for international postage. Our £7 fee covers the convenience of an English-language process, faster delivery, handling the French-language application for you, and UK-based customer support.

Applying for multiple vehicles

If you have more than one vehicle - for example, a car and a motorhome, or two family cars - you need a separate Crit’Air sticker for each. Each sticker is tied to a specific registration number. One order covers one vehicle, so apply for each vehicle as a separate application: complete the full process and payment for the first registration, then start again for the next.

Company cars and fleet vehicles

The process is the same for company cars. You will still need a photo of both sides of the V5C, which is usually held by your employer or fleet provider. The sticker is tied to the vehicle, not the driver, so any employee driving that car in France will be covered. See our company car guide for how to get the V5C details.

What if my vehicle is too old for a sticker?

If your vehicle pre-dates Euro 2 standards (generally registered before July 1997), it will be classified as “unclassified” and no sticker will be issued. This means the vehicle cannot legally enter any ZFE-m zone. Our lookup tool will tell you this before you pay.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying too late. Do not wait until the week before your trip. Allow at least three weeks, especially in summer.
• Wrong registration number. Double-check the reg you enter. A typo means the sticker will be issued for the wrong vehicle.
• Not having your V5C ready. You must upload a photo of both sides of your V5C to complete the application, so have your logbook to hand before you start.
• Forgetting the sticker at home. Once it arrives, put it on your windscreen straight away, even if your trip is weeks away. It does not expire.
• Assuming a hire car has one. If you are hiring in the UK and driving to France, check with the rental company. French rental cars should already have one, but UK rentals may not.