India fourth-biggest debtor among London embassies; owes £10.79 million in congestion dues

India’s diplomatic mission in London has £10.79 million in outstanding road charges, putting it fourth on a list of foreign missions with the highest unpaid London Congestion Charge dues. Only the diplomatic missions of the United States, China and Japan owe more, according to Transport for London (TfL) figures covering the period from 2003 to June 30, 2026.

London’s Congestion Charge is a daily fee motorists pay for driving in a designated part of central London during charging hours. The standard charge is currently £18 a day when paid in advance or on the day of travel, and the scheme is designed to manage traffic congestion in central London.

The charge has become a point of dispute with some diplomatic missions. TfL and the UK government maintain that it is a charge for a service rather than a tax and say diplomats are therefore not exempt from paying it. TfL says it will continue pursuing unpaid charges and related penalties.


The Office of the High Commissioner for India has £10,794,005 in outstanding charges. The US Embassy leads the list with £16,309,935, followed by the Embassy of China with £13,088,720 and the Embassy of Japan with £11,255,868. Nigeria is fifth with £9,755,675.

The figures are part of TfL’s latest list of outstanding Congestion Charge amounts linked to diplomatic missions in London. The data cover more than two decades, beginning in 2003 and running through the end of June 2026.

Top 10 embassies with the most outstanding London road charges

Rank	Country/Diplomatic Mission	Outstanding amount
1	United States	£16,309,935
2	China	£13,088,720
3	Japan	£11,255,868
4	India	£10,794,005
5	Nigeria	£9,755,675
6	Poland	£6,451,360
7	Russia	£6,206,355
8	Kazakhstan	£6,014,905
9	Ghana	£5,916,765
10	Germany	£4,915,120

The top 10 diplomatic missions together have about £90.71 million in outstanding charges, based on the amounts listed by TfL. That works out to just over half of the £173.82 million owed across all diplomatic missions that owe dues.

India alone accounts for about 6.2% of the total. The four countries at the top of the list — the US, China, Japan and India — together have around £51.45 million outstanding, or close to 30% of the overall amount.

Why are diplomats being asked to pay?

At the centre of the issue is London’s Congestion Charge and whether diplomats are exempt from paying it.

TfL and the UK government consider the Congestion Charge a payment for a service rather than a tax. On that basis, their position is that diplomats are required to pay the charge.

“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,” TfL said.

TfL said many embassies in London pay the charge, while some continue not to do so despite the matter being raised through diplomatic channels. The document does not identify which embassies have refused to pay or explain the position taken by individual diplomatic missions.

“We will continue to pursue all unpaid Congestion Charge fees and related penalty charge notices,” TfL said.

This distinction is important in India’s case. The document shows £10.79 million against the Office of the High Commissioner for India, but it does not explain why the amount remains outstanding or provide India’s response to TfL’s demand. It also does not say that India specifically refused to pay the charges.

India owes more than twice as much as Pakistan

The figures also show a large gap between India and other South Asian diplomatic missions.

Pakistan’s High Commission has £4,116,630 in outstanding charges, less than half India’s £10.79 million. The difference between the two missions is about £6.68 million.

Sri Lanka’s High Commission has £1,032,720 outstanding, while the Maldives is listed at £352,880. Bangladesh is much further down the list with £30,990.

India therefore has the highest outstanding amount among the South Asian diplomatic missions.

Embassies collectively owe nearly £174 million

The amounts different embassies owe vary widely. While the US, China, Japan and India each have more than £10 million outstanding, several missions near the bottom of the list owe only a few hundred pounds.

For instance, Togo High Commission has £120 outstanding. The High Commission of the Bahamas and the Embassy of the Netherlands are each listed with £180, while Bahrain has £240 and Timor-Leste £360.

TfL’s figures cover both unpaid Congestion Charge fees and related penalty charge notices.

With those fees and penalties adding up over more than two decades, TfL has made clear that it does not intend to write off the dues, saying it will continue pursuing unpaid Congestion Charge fees and related penalties through diplomatic channels.