TfL Congestion Charge Zone: Embassies owe more than £143m in unpaid charges since 2003

Embassies from around the world owe Transport for London (TfL) more than £143 million in unpaid Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ) payments.

Covering central London, all drivers of petrol or diesel vehicles must pay a £15 charge to enter the CCZ during certain hours.

Introduced in 2003 under the first London mayor, Ken Livingstone, it was implemented as a way of cutting traffic and air pollution in the city, with the fee steadily increasing over the years.

Many embassies however argue the charge is a tax, which they are exempt from paying under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

TfL disagrees, with a spokesperson telling LondonWorld the authority is “clear that foreign diplomats and consular staff are not exempt from paying the Congestion Charge”.

In June 2022, unpaid charges reached a total of more than £142m. As of June 30 2023, this had increased to £143,205,953.

Many of the embassies with the most debt remain the same as last year, with the United States on top with £14,644,215 owed. This is followed by Japan (£10m), India (£8.5m) and Nigeria (£8.4m).

TfL is reliant on government support to recover the outstanding penalty charge notice debt, with a spokesperson saying the authority has raised it with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In an online document outlining the debt, TfL added it is “pushing for the matter to be taken up at the International Court of Justice”.

A TfL spokesperson said: “We are clear that foreign diplomats and consular staff are not exempt from paying the Congestion Charge.

“We continue to pursue all unpaid Congestion Charges and related penalty charge notices.”

Congestion Charge Zone debt owed by embassies

American Embassy - £14,644,215

Embassy of Japan - £10,057,338

Office of the High Commissioner for India - £8,549,405

High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria - £8,388,395

Embassy of the People`s Republic of China - £7,932,840

Embassy of the Russian Federation- £5,995,665

Embassy of the Republic of Poland- £5,266,960

High Commission of the Republic of Ghana - £4,993,725

Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan - £4,651,405

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany - £4,629,330

The Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan - £3,941,420

Kenya High Commission - £3,255,810

High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan - £3,117,450

Embassy of the Republic of Korea - £2,626,060

Embassy of France - £2,543,010

Embassy of the Republic of Cuba - £2,465,700

High Commission for the United Republic of Tanzania - £2,285,390

Embassy of Spain - £2,187,240

Embassy of Algeria - £2,179,440

High Commission for the Republic of South Africa - £1,975,280

Sierra Leone High Commission - £1,914,675

Embassy of Romania - £1,865,740

Embassy of Ukraine - £1,670,950

Embassy of Greece - £1,660,770

Turkish Embassy - £1,576,660

Cyprus High Commission - £1,419,870

Embassy of the Republic of Hungary - £1,374,240

High Commission for the Republic of Zambia - £1,146,050

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen - £1,055,100

Botswana High Commission - £954,300

Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria - £919,910

High Commission of the Republic of Mozambique - £864,180

High Commission for the Republic of Malawi - £837,485

Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia - £822,550

Uganda High Commission - £811,640

High Commission for the Republic of Zimbabwe - £797,765

Embassy of the Republic of Côte d`Ivoire - £784,740

High Commission for the Republic of Cameroon - £759,840

Embassy of the Republic of Belarus - £733,285

High Commission for the Republic of Namibia - £726,550

Malta High Commission - £714,725

Embassy of the Slovak Republic - £691,720

Mauritius High Commission - £670,895

Embassy of Belgium - £666,870

High Commission for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka - £652,470

Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco - £651,790

Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania - £650,505

Embassy of the Republic of Liberia - £627,150

Embassy of Austria - £626,020

Kingdom of Swaziland High Commission - £620,540

Embassy of the Islamic State of Afghanistan - £606,200

Embassy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea - £557,690

High Commission of the Kingdom of Lesotho - £532,030

Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam - £518,460

Embassy of the Republic of Guinea - £501,250

Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo - £485,940

Embassy of the Czech Republic - £480,730

Embassy Of The Republic Of Iraq - £473,760

Jamaican High Commission - £473,020

Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan - £417,990

Royal Danish Embassy - £403,835

Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia - £384,290

Embassy of the Republic of Latvia - £346,190

High Commission for Antigua And Barbuda - £345,795

Embassy of Portugal - £325,240

Embassy of Luxembourg - £320,195

Tunisian Embassy - £294,820

Belize High Commission - £280,590

Embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea - £276,320

Embassy Debt Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt - £243,820

Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - £243,590

Embassy of the Republic of Estonia - £218,420

Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia - £211,210

High Commission of the Republic of Maldives - £203,120

High Commission for Guyana - £186,490

Embassy of the State of Eritrea - £185,350

High Commission for Seychelles - £169,935

Embassy of the Dominican Republic - £164,650

Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines - £157,360

Kingdom of Eswatini High Commission - £155,810

Embassy of Tunisia - £151,950

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania - £143,270

Embassy of El Salvador - £129,805

High Commission for Saint Lucia - £127,460

Embassy of the Republic of Albania - £124,480

Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic - £120,680

The Embassy of the Republic of Moldova - £114,310

Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina - £99,760

The Gambia High Commission - £97,720

Embassy of the Republic of Senegal - £94,845

High Commission for Grenada - £80,030

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran - £79,700

Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman - £73,770

Embassy of Kosovo - £61,100

Embassy of the Republic of Gabon - £48,270

Embassy of the State of Qatar - £48,260

The Embassy of the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic - £48,180

Embassy of Tajikistan - £43,580

Embassy of Georgia - £34,680

Embassy of Guatemala - £32,280

High Commission for the People`s Republic of Bangladesh - £30,810

Libyan Embassy - £29,860

Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan - £19,040

Royal Thai Embassy - £18,430

Embassy of Honduras - £18,110

Embassy of Italy - £17,740

Benin Consulate - £17,730

Embassy of the United Arab Emirates - £17,680

Embassy of the Republic of Madagascar - £17,200

Embassy of Nicaragua - £16,790

Ambassade De La République Du Burundi - £14,660

Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan - £12,900

Embassy Debt Embassy of Brazil - £11,750

Embassy of the Republic of Angola - £10,090

Malaysian High Commission - £5,870

Embassy of the State of Kuwait - £5,810

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia - £5,690

High Commission of the Republic of Fiji - £4,620

Embassy of the Principality of Andorra - £4,040

Embassy of Mongolia - £4,000

Embassy of the Union of Myanmar - £3,900

Barbados High Commission - £3,770

Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic - £3,160

Embassy of the Azerbaijan Republic - £3,080

Embassy of Chile - £2,940

Embassy of Cambodia - £2,780

Canadian High Commission - £2,690

Papua New Guinea High Commission - £2,400

Embassy of Mexico - £2,160

Embassy of the Republic of Serbia - £2,030

Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda - £1,930

Embassy of the Republic of Armenia - £1,600

Embassy of Haiti - £1,560

Colombian Embassy - £1,530

Embassy of the Argentine Republic - £1,520

High Commission for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - £1,460

Embassy of Slovakia - £1,460

Embassy of Iceland - £1,320

Central African Republic - £970

High Commission for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago - £960

Embassy of Peru - £800

Australian High Commission - £760

Embassy of the State of Bahrain - £720

Embassy of the Republic of Croatia - £610

Tonga High Commission - £600

High Commission for Saint Christopher And Nevis - £520

Brunei Darussalam High Commission - £520

Embassy of Israel £370 Embassy of Paraguay - £320

The Royal Embassy of Cambodia - £250

Embassy of Costa Rica - £160

Royal Norwegian Embassy - £160

High Commission for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas - £160

Embassy of Turkmenistan - £130

Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia - £130

Embassy of the Republic of Panama - £130

Embassy Debt The High Commission for the Commonwealth of Dominica - £120

Embassy of Finland - £120

Embassy of the Republic of Togo - £40

Total Embassy Debt - £143,205,953