Owners of vehicles that do not meet the required standards – petrol vehicles more than 16 years old or diesel vehicles more than six years old – have to pay a daily charge of £12.50 to drive in the zone. This includes all non-UK registered vehicles.

Legally, you can drive most standard passenger cars in London, but it is increasingly expensive and restricted due to environmental regulations. Central London is subject to the Congestion Charge, a daily fee for driving within the zone during peak hours. More significantly, nearly all of Greater London is now part of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). If your car does not meet specific emission standards (generally Euro 4 for petrol and Euro 6 for diesel), you must pay a daily charge to drive it. Furthermore, certain areas have "Low Traffic Neighborhoods" (LTNs) where through-traffic is banned, and many streets are restricted to "School Streets" during drop-off hours. If you are driving a very large vehicle, you must be wary of narrow lanes and weight limits on bridges. While you can drive most cars, the combination of heavy traffic, expensive parking, and various "pay-to-drive" zones makes public transport or smaller, eco-friendly vehicles much more practical for navigating the UK capital.