What are the Congestion Charge hours?

07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 12:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. There is no charge between Christmas Day and the New Year's Day bank holiday inclusive.

How much is ULEZ and when does it apply?

£12.50 a day for cars, motorcycles, vans up to 3.5 tonnes and minibuses up to 5 tonnes. It runs midnight to midnight every day of the year except Christmas Day, across all boroughs inside the North and South Circular roads.

Do foreign cars pay the Congestion Charge and ULEZ?

Yes. Both charges apply to non-UK registered vehicles, and TfL issues Penalty Charge Notices to foreign plates. Register your vehicle with TfL before travelling so the online checker recognises it.

What is the fine if I forget to pay?

A Penalty Charge Notice of £180 for each charge, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days. Because ULEZ days run midnight to midnight, you can get one penalty for every day you drove in the zone.

London Congestion Charge & ULEZ 2026: Complete Driver Guide

Driving into central London in 2026 costs far more than most visitors expect: two separate daily road charges that stack on top of each other. Drive a non-compliant car into central London on a weekday and you owe £18 for the Congestion Charge plus £12.50 for the ULEZ — £30.50 before you have parked. Both are enforced by number-plate cameras, both apply to foreign-registered vehicles, and neither sends you a bill: it is your job to pay. This guide sets out exactly what applies in 2026, the hours, how to pay, and when driving simply is not worth it.

Two different charges, two different zones

The Congestion Charge covers a small central area roughly bounded by Euston Road to the north, Tower Bridge to the east, Vauxhall Bridge to the south and Park Lane to the west. It is about traffic, not emissions: everyone pays, whatever the car. The Ultra Low Emission Zone is far larger — it covers all London boroughs inside the North and South Circular roads — and is about emissions: you only pay if your vehicle fails the standard, broadly Euro 4 for petrol and Euro 6 for diesel. A petrol car from 2007 typically pays nothing for ULEZ; a diesel from 2013 typically does. In the central area the two zones overlap, which is where the £30.50 combined day comes from.

Hours and prices in 2026

The Congestion Charge is £18 per day if you pay on the day of travel or in advance, and £21 if you pay within three days after travel. It operates 07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 12:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, with no charge from Christmas Day to the New Year's Day bank holiday inclusive. Outside those hours the central zone is free. The ULEZ works differently: £12.50 a day for cars, motorcycles, vans up to 3.5 tonnes and minibuses up to 5 tonnes, running midnight to midnight every day of the year except Christmas Day. A charging day is a calendar day, so crossing midnight means two charges. Residents of the Congestion Charge zone keep a 90% discount, paying £1.80 a day.

How to pay and how not to get fined

Check your vehicle first on the TfL website: enter the number plate and it tells you whether ULEZ applies. Non-UK plates should be registered with TfL before travel, otherwise the checker may not recognise them. You can pay online, in the TfL Pay to drive in London app, or by phone; ULEZ can be paid up to 90 days in advance and until midnight on the third day after travel. Auto Pay bills you monthly for whatever you owe and removes the risk of forgetting, which is the single most common way visitors get caught. Nothing arrives in the post to remind you: if you do not pay, the first contact is the penalty.

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Penalties, hire cars and foreign plates

Miss the deadline and you get a Penalty Charge Notice — £180 for the Congestion Charge and for ULEZ, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days. Because ULEZ charging days run midnight to midnight, you can receive one PCN for each day you drove in the zone, so a long weekend can produce several. Both UK and non-UK registered vehicles get PCNs, and TfL uses European debt recovery agencies to pursue foreign drivers. Hire cars are the other trap: rental companies pay on your behalf and then recharge you the daily charge plus an administration fee, often £25 to £40 per event. Always ask at the counter whether the car is ULEZ compliant and whether Congestion Charge is included.

The honest answer: leave the car outside London

Even a fully compliant electric car pays the Congestion Charge in 2026 — the old 100% Cleaner Vehicle Discount has ended and electric cars registered for Auto Pay now get only a partial discount. Add central London parking at £5 to £8 an hour and the maths never works for a short visit. The alternative is genuinely excellent: contactless or Oyster pay as you go caps at £8.90 a day for Zones 1-2, buses are £1.75 with unlimited changes within the hour under the Hopper fare, and the Tube reaches everywhere a visitor needs. Park at a Tube station car park in Zone 4 to 6, or in an outer Park and Ride, and travel in. Keep the car for day trips to Windsor, Oxford or the Cotswolds.