The Ring is Back: Who Can Move Freely in the Center of Athens and How Entry Permits Are Issued

Detailed Limits and Operating Hours of the Small Ring: Rules for Permanent Residents

From Monday, October 14, 2024, to Friday, July 18, 2025, restrictive measures on vehicle traffic in the center of Athens will be reinstated.

The boundaries of the SMALL RING are defined by the following streets and avenues:

Alexandras Street - Zakharof - Mesogeion Street - Phidippidou - Michalakopoulou - Sp. Merkouri - Vryaxidos - Ymitou - Iliou Street - Ambr. Frantzi – L. Andr. Sygrou – Hamosterna – Piraeus – Iera Odos – L. Konstantinoupoleos – Achilleos – Pl. Karaiskaki – Karolou – Marni – 28 October (Patission) – L. Alexandras.

On the boundary avenues and streets of the SMALL RING, the restriction measures do not apply.

Within the SMALL RING, only alternate-day traffic is allowed for passenger cars and private trucks with a maximum permissible laden vehicle mass (MAMF) of up to 2.2 tons, based on the last digit of their registration number (odd or even).

Who Can Move Freely

Vehicles exempt from the restrictions, as well as those required to have special permits, are allowed entry. These permits are granted by the Traffic Directorate of Attica, in accordance with provisions of a Joint Ministerial Decision.

Special Permits for Entry

Owners of exempt vehicles can print a special permit for their movement in central Athens through the Unified Digital Portal of the Public Administration (gov.gr) either in paper form or electronically on a mobile device. Eligible vehicles include:

• Purely electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles
• Natural gas and LPG vehicles
• EURO 6 cars, except those with the above drive technologies, emitting less than 120g/km of carbon dioxide (NEDC), registered for the first time in an EU member state by December 31, 2020
• EURO 6 cars, except those with the above drive technologies, emitting less than 145g/km of carbon dioxide (WLTP), registered for the first time in an EU member state from January 1, 2021 onward

For permanent residents within the SMALL RING, special entry-exit zones are provided and a special card is issued by the competent services of the Municipality of Athens.

Operating Days and Hours of Restrictive Measures:

• Monday to Thursday, from 07:00 to 20:00
• Friday, from 07:00 to 15:00

On Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and days when workers are on strike in all public transport, the measures do not apply.

Issuing an Entry Permit

Applications for special traffic permits are accepted from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 14:00 and Saturday from 08:00 to 12:00 at the headquarters of the Directorate Traffic of Attica [Th. Diligianni 24-26, Daktylios Office on the ground floor (entrance from Samou Street), tel. 210-5284142, e-mail: daktylios@astynomia.gr]. Required documents include:

a) Vehicle Traffic License
b) Driver's License
c) Valid Technical Inspection Certificate (K.T.E.O.)
d) Valid insurance policy

Special traffic permits in the MIKRO DAKTYLIO, which were granted by the Attica Traffic Directorate for 2023-2024, remain valid until July 18, 2025.

Violators of these restrictive measures are subject to penalties in accordance with Article 52, paragraph 6 of the Road Traffic Code.