From 1 October 2026, a driving ban on Euro 5 diesel vehicles will come into force in the Lombardy region. The ban affects the four Lombard cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants: Milano, Brescia, Bergamo and Monza. The measure was originally intended to apply to Piedmont, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna as well, but has been replaced in those regions by offsetting programmes. In Lombardy, the regional government is so far holding firm to the deadline; however, the Italian government raised the possibility of a postponement shortly before the ban was due to take effect.
What applies in Lombardy from 1 October
The driving ban covers Euro 5 diesel vehicles registered between 2011 and 2015. According to calculations by the motoring association Aci, cited by the newspaper Il Giorno , the ban affects around 443,000 vehicles in Lombardy. The restriction applies Monday to Friday between 7.30 am and 7.30 pm, year-round and without the usual seasonal breaks in summer. In the inner-city zones Area B and Area C in Milano , the ban has already been in place since 1 October 2024; from 1 October 2026, it will be extended to the entire city area as well as to Brescia, Bergamo and Monza.
Anyone driving in the affected zones despite the ban faces a fine of between 168 and 679 euros . Repeat offenders also risk a driving licence suspension of 15 to 30 days. The legal basis is national environmental law in conjunction with Lombardy's regional clean air plan, the foundations of which are documented by the Regione Lombardia on its air quality portal.
Move-In: the kilometre alternative
Owners of an affected vehicle can be exempted from the structural driving ban by registering for the regional programme Move-In . A black box is installed in the vehicle to record the kilometres driven within the restricted zone. Instead of a time-based ban, an annual kilometre limit then applies. For Euro 5 diesel vehicles in category M1 (passenger cars), 10,000 kilometres per year are permitted in Lombardy. In Milano's Area B, the upper limit is considerably lower, at 1,800 kilometres per year.
The black box also credits bonus kilometres . For out-of-town routes and motorway journeys at between 70 and 110 km/h, 0.2 additional kilometres are credited per kilometre driven; for economical driving in urban traffic, 0.1 kilometres are credited. The cost of the device and activation is borne by the vehicle owner. Once the annual allowance is exhausted, the regular driving ban applies again until the end of the contract year. Details on the registration process and costs can be found on the Move-In programme portal.
Why only Lombardy
The structural driving ban was originally planned for four regions of the so-called Bacino Padano, the northern Italian lowlands surrounding the Po, which is one of the areas most severely affected by particulate matter pollution in Europe. In addition to Lombardy, the requirement applied to Piedmont, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna. All three regions have, however, chosen the alternative permitted by law: a package of compensatory measures designed to achieve the required reduction in emissions without a structural driving ban. Piedmont, with Torino and Novara, was the first region to opt for this approach, in July 2026.
As a result, the ban will take effect on the deadline only in Lombardy, which is the only one of the four regions not to have submitted a replacement package . The regional government in Milano has deliberated on adjustments on several occasions, but has not yet decided to change the timetable.
The political situation shortly before the deadline
Just a few days before the driving ban was due to come into force, Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini announced his intention to include a postponement of the measure in the next forthcoming government decree. The Meloni government is thereby examining a national intervention that would override the regional regulation. No formal decision has been taken as yet, meaning the timetable legally still shows 1 October as the start date.
For travellers planning to drive into Lombardy in the coming weeks with a Euro 5 diesel vehicle, this means: the status of the driving ban may change at short notice. In case of doubt, the binding legal position can be found on the portal of the Italian Ministry of Transport and in announcements from the Regione Lombardia. On 30 September, the day before the ban begins, the state diesel price freezealso expires, meaning Italian diesel policy will change in two respects within the space of 24 hours.
