January 1st marks the beginning not only of a new year, but also the entry into force of laws, measures and regulations that affect all citizens in different areas. Below, we proceed to list some of the measures that will be implemented throughout 2025 in Madrid and that could affect you.
Some of them have to do with day-to-day issues and knowing them is essential both to avoid infringing them and to benefit from the advantages they may offer.
1. Increased ZBE restrictions
The increase in restrictions in Madrid’s Low Emission Zone (ZBE) -a regulation that stems from the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law- is one of the first measures to come into force this 2025: it did so on January 1.
This means that vehicles with environmental classification A (i.e., without an environmental badge issued by the DGT) are prohibited from circulating throughout the entire municipal area of Madrid, including the M-30. There are some exceptions that can be consulted in the Mobility and Transport section of the Madrid City Council website.
However, thanks to a postponement of sanctions for these vehicles, during the 12 months of the year drivers who break the rule will only receive a notification of an informative nature: the fines will not begin until January 1, 2026.
2. Parking for cars without environmental stickers
As a direct consequence of the above, the delegate of Urbanism, Environment and Mobility of the Madrid City Council, Borja Carabante, announced a few weeks ago that vehicles without a badge will also be able to park in the neighborhood where they are registered, making use of the SER, throughout 2025.
Carabante justified the measure by arguing that if these cars, registered in Madrid, can enter the city, “it would be logical” that they should also be able to use the parking spaces.
3. New Cercanías season ticket: 20€ to move around Spain
As of July 1, 2025, Cercanías is launching a new system in its transport network: a single monthly pass priced at €20 that serves all areas and centers of the country. The measure is part of the transport subsidies that have been given since 2022, and in addition to the previous one, it contemplates other advantages for its users:
- Conventional middle distance:
- 40% discount for all passengers.
- Free of charge for children.
- Young people (15-26 years old):
- 50% discount on state trains and buses.
- Avant Passes:
- They maintain a 50% discount until the end of the year.
- State buses:
- Discounts between 40% and 70%, depending on age and type of season ticket.
4. Discounts on the Madrid transport pass
Another of the mobility measures already in force in Madrid in 2025 is the 60% discount on the transport season ticket and, for the first time, it also includes the public bicycle system, which can be reduced by up to 50%. The discounts will be valid until June 30. You can check how the rates are in this article.
5. Capping the increase in the price of rents
The issue of rising rents is a subject that occupies and worries the population enormously. The prices do not stop rising and this year 2025, in order to establish a ceiling to this escalation, the Spanish Government has approved a new reference index to update the tenants’ contracts.
This is the Housing Lease Reference Index (IRAV), which is calculated by adding the annual variation of the CPI, underlying inflation and the average variation of the last two. The result of this calculation, which is provided by the INE, will set the ceiling for rental price increases as of 2025.
The price per square meter in the case of those looking to buy an apartment, by the way, reached record highs in 2024.