The Athens vehicle ring (Daktylios)—a designated perimeter marking a restrictive area encompassing downtown Athens—is expected to take effect in mid-October.
Vehicles will be allowed to enter the specified zone in the Greek capital, which covers a small area in the city center, depending primarily on the parity of the date and of the vehicle’s registration plate, the vehicle type, as well as the time of the week/month.
This urban access regulation aims to reduce traffic congestion in Greece’s largest city and will be enforced on the weekdays, from Monday to Thursday between 7 am and 8 pm, and Friday between 7 am and 3 pm.
The measures do not apply on Saturdays, Sundays, official holidays, and on days when workers in all forms of public transport are on strike.
On even dates, vehicles with license plates ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 are allowed to circulate, while on odd dates, vehicles with plates ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 are permitted.
The area where the restrictions apply includes the zone surrounded by the following roads:
“Alexandras Avenue – Zacharof – Mesogeion Avenue – F. Pheidippidou – Michalakopoulou – Spyrou Merkouri – Vryaxes – Hymettou – Ilia Iliou – Andr. Frantzi – Syngrou Avenue – Chamosterna – Peiraios – Iera Odos – Konstantinoupoleos Avenue – Achilleos – Karaiskaki Square – Karolou – Marnis – 28th October (Patission) – Alexandras Avenue.” The restrictions do not apply to the bordering avenues and streets of the Small Ring.
Exemptions from the restrictions in the Athens vehicle ring include:
- Purely electric vehicles by design, hybrid electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles, and LPG vehicles.
- EURO 6 cars (aside from the above technologies) that emit less than 120g/km of CO2 and were registered for the first time in an EU member state before December 31, 2020.
- EURO 6 cars (aside from the above technologies) that emit less than 145g/km of CO2 were first registered in an EU member state from January 1, 2021, onwards.
- Vehicles with the relevant ring road permit.
When will the ring road restrictions return in 2024?
The ring road restrictions are expected to return in mid-October and will remain in effect until mid-July 2025.
Validity of last year’s permits
Regarding last year’s ring road permit holders, the Ministry of Citizen Protection has announced that they will be allowed to use their previous year’s permit for the first 10 working days after the measure is reinstated. During this period, there will be leniency in enforcement, and drivers who present last year’s permit will be allowed to enter the restricted areas.
