Transport for London (TfL) has issued a record £52,200 in congestion charge fines to a Cuban embassy vehicle over a 12-month period. Between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, TfL issued 290 penalty charge notices (PCNs) to the diplomatic number plate for non-payment of the Congestion Charge when driving into Central London.
Record fines for diplomatic vehicle
The Cuban Embassy, located at 167 High Holborn near Tottenham Court Road station, has not commented on the fines. TfL, responding to a MyLondon Freedom of Information request, said it does not know the model of the car and that the number plate could have been moved across multiple vehicles.
Any vehicle entering the Congestion Charge zone between 7am and 6pm on weekdays, and between midday and 6pm on weekends and bank holidays, must pay £18. Failure to pay results in a £180 fine, reduced to £90 if paid within two weeks, but increasing to £270 if unpaid after 28 days.
TfL calls for government action
TfL wants the Government to clamp down on foreign embassies refusing to pay congestion fines. The transport body insists embassies are not exempt from the charge, which it describes as a fee for a service rather than a tax.
An FOI officer stated: "We and the UK Government are clear that the Congestion Charge is a charge for a service and not a tax. This means that diplomats are not exempt from paying it. The majority of embassies in London do pay the charge, but there remains a stubborn minority who refuse to do so, despite our representations through diplomatic channels. We will continue to pursue all unpaid Congestion Charge fees and related penalty charge notices (PCNs)."
Broader diplomatic debts and ULEZ fines
Earlier this year, another FOI response revealed the US Embassy has accumulated nearly £16 million in unpaid congestion charges since 2003. China followed with £11.5 million, and Japan with £10.9 million.
Separately, a Kia driver accrued the highest total number of London congestion fines between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, with 201 congestion charge and 354 Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) fines. The 555 penalty charges total £154,820 in debt.
Owners of pre-2005 petrol vehicles or pre-2015 diesel vehicles must pay a daily ULEZ charge of £12.50 to drive in Greater London. Failure to pay results in a £180 fine, reduced to £90 if paid within two weeks, but increasing to £270 if unpaid after 28 days. A new Kia Ceed 3 automatic costs around £24,000, meaning the driver has accrued fines worth more than six times the car's value in a year.
MyLondon has approached the Embassy of Cuba for a statement.
