In many European countries, tolls are compulsory for drivers if they want to drive legally on roads and motorways.
In some countries, the vignette is sold in the form of a sticker that is stuck on the windscreen of the car. Other countries, such as Romania, have introduced electronic vignettes for many years, and in countries such as Poland and Italy drivers pay tolls at collection points at motorway entrances.
Austria
Most tourists visiting Austria by car choose the 10-day vignette, which costs €9.90. For those planning to stay longer in Austria, it is best to pay €29.00 for a two-month vignette and €96.40 for a one-year vignette. In Austria, vignettes are only required for motorists to drive on motorways, but separate charges are levied for certain Alpine roads and tunnels. To purchase a vignette, please see : ASFINAG
Bulgaria
The price of the electronic vignette in Bulgaria, valid for the year 2023, for the category of motor vehicles with a total permissible mass up to 3.5 tonnes (inclusive), is as follows:
- 1 week - 13 leva / BGN;
- 1 month - 27 leva;
- 3 months - 48 leva;
- 1 year - 87 leva;
- 1 weekend - 9 leva(the weekend e-ticket is valid from Friday 12:00 noon to Sunday 23:59).
See website: Buy eVignette - Vinetki.bg
Switzerland
In Switzerland if you drive on motorways or national roads in class 1 and 2 you have to buy a vignette. Compared to other countries such as Hungary or Bulgaria, the vignette for Switzerland cannot be purchased online. There is not yet a platform, app or website that can help you with the easier purchase of the vignette for Switzerland. However, the Swiss authorities plan to introduce this system during 2023.
The only options you have when it comes to buying a vineyard in Switzerland are the 5 physical points you have at your disposal, namely:
- Customs points
- Petrol stations
- Post offices
- Offices of road traffic authorities
- Tourist attractions
After purchasing the vignette in Switzerland, the first step is to stick it on the windscreen in a visible place so that the Swiss authorities can check its validity.
The price of the vineyard in Switzerland does not include the Grand St. Bernhard Tunnel and Munt la Schera. Here a special fee has to be paid.
For cars up to 3.5 tonnes there is a compulsory vignette for motorway use which is unique in the sense that you cannot opt for more than one validity period.
The price of the vignette is 40 Swiss francs CHF (approximately 40 euros) and has a standard validity period of 14 months.
If you buy your vignette at Swiss customs points, you can also pay in euros, pounds sterling or dollars, but only in cash.
Republic of Moldova
The vignette is the tax for the use of roads in the Republic of Moldova by motor vehicles not registered in the Republic of Moldova, classified under tariff heading 8703, and by trailers attached to them, classified under tariff heading 8716, buses from 9 to 24 seats, buses with more than 25 seats, trucks with/without trailer, road tractors with/without semi-trailers up to and including 3.5 t, lorries with/without trailers, road tractors with/without semi-trailers from 3.5 t to 10 t inclusive, lorries with/without trailers, road tractors with/without semi-trailers from 10 t to 40 t inclusive, payment of which is confirmed by a certificate valid for a certain period of time.
Link: e-Vinieta Service | Electronic Government Agency (egov.md)
Slovakia
You can find vignettes in Slovakia in petrol stations, at vending machines at border crossing points and in regional towns at selected sales points here. It's not hard to identify the physical place from which to purchase your vignette in Slovakia. Rather, your attention should be fixed on it once it comes into your possession.
Do you wonder why? Well, the physically purchased vignette should be on the windscreen.
It's a sticker that it's important to stick on as prominently as possible. For example, a good place for the vignette in Slovakia might be on the top right-hand side of the windscreen.
The vignette for Slovakia can also be taken online for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and the price is the same as the physical one. The truth is that it's even easier to buy the Slovakia vignette online. To buy a vignette online or e-vignette Slovakia, you need to go to https://eznamka.sk/en/. The site is available in 5 languages, including English, which will make it easier for you to pay for your vignette Slovakia online.
The steps for obtaining a vignette for Slovakia are as follows:
- To pay your Slovakia vignette online, go to e-vignette payment;
- Select whether it is one vehicle or more;
- Choose the period for which you want the vignette in Slovakia;
- Fill in the date from which the Slovakia vignette is valid (you have the option of automatic renewal for the 1-year vignette) and the registration number;
- Enter the e-mail address where you will receive the vignette for Slovakia and pay by card or bank transfer (if you tick the mobile option, you will receive it there too);
- You receive confirmation by email - a printable PDF of the Slovakia sticker - and possibly by SMS on your mobile.
As you may already expect, the price of the specific vignette/vignette for Slovakia varies according to its period of validity.
Slovakia vignette for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes
- Slovakia 10-day vignette: 10 euro
- Slovakia 30 days vignette: 14 euro
- Slovakia 365 days vignette: 50 euro
- Slovakia 1 year vignette: 50 euro, valid from the date of purchase until 31 January of the following year
Slovenia
If your route includes motorways and expressways, you need a vignette for Slovenia. These are administered by the Dars company, which generally does the checks for the Slovenia vignette, but sometimes the authorities get involved.
However, there are three exceptions where a vignette is not required in Slovenia:
Koper Expressway (H6);
Maribor Expressway (H2);
Gorenjska motorway (A2).
From February 2023, you can no longer buy the Slovenia windscreen sticker for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes from a physical location. However, you can go to a petrol station near the border or a Dars service station and get an e-vignette.
Whereas until then it was mandatory to take a sticker that was on the windscreen of the car, in a highly visible place, it has been replaced by the digital medium - the e-ticket.
The Vineyard for Slovenia can only be purchased online from early 2023, but it's your choice whether you do it yourself or go to a place where you'll get assistance.
To buy a sticker, first visit https://evinjeta.dars.si/selfcare/en.
Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, you also need a valid vignette to drive on the motorways. A vignette valid for 10 days costs 310 CZK, while one valid for one month costs 440 CZK. A vignette for 1 year costs 1500 CZK.
The simplest and easiest way to purchase the Czech vignette is to use their official platform edalnice.cz.
Hungary
The vignette for Hungary can still be purchased physically in Romania, from petrol stations near the border.
As for crossing into Hungary, there you have several options for buying vignettes, from petrol stations, to travel agents, various other distributors(https://nmzrt.hu/partnerek) and the 19 offices of the state authority.
Luckily, the whole process is online, you don't need any paperwork and you won't have to leave a sticker on your windscreen.
You just need to know the registration number, country of registration, vehicle category and validity period for which you want the Hungarian vignette.
WARNING! The receipt is kept for 2 years after the expiry date of the vignette.
Hungary 10 days vineyard: 3820 forints
Hungary Vineyard 1 month: 5210 forints
Vigneta Hungary 1 year old: 46850 forints
Vigneta Hungary 1 year old - county*: 5450 forints
Vigneta in other European countries
Vineyards are also compulsory in countries such as Bulgaria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey and Moldova. Norway has an interesting system of automatic toll collection. Drivers can set up an account on the internet where they can register their credit card and have it debited automatically when using the road and motorway network.
In some European countries, vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes are exempt from vignette tax. In other countries, however, their drivers have to pay certain charges for using tunnels and bridges.
To remember when your vehicle's vignette and other vignettes in Europe expire, install the FREE MyCar Assistant app from the AppStore or Play Store. We always notify you before your documents or revisions expire to save you money and time. In addition to notifications you can save important documents digitally directly in the app, take notes like the type of oil used, renew your car insurance directly from the app at the best prices and more.
