Ten European countries charge for motorway use with a vignette — a prepaid, time-based road permit you must already hold before you join the motorway. Use the map to compare vignette prices country by country, then open a country guide for every price tier, the fine for driving without one, and the official place to buy it. All prices below are the official rates set by each national road operator.
European vignette prices compared
The cheapest short-term vignette and the longest option available in each country, with the penalty for driving without one. Open a guide for the full list of durations and how to buy.
| Country | Cheapest option | Longest option | Fine | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 9.40 EUR10 days | 103.80 EUR1 year | €120 on-the-spot substitute toll. If unpaid, an administrative fine of up to €3,000 is issued. Officers can also impound your vehicle. | Read guide |
| Switzerland | 40 CHF1 year (only option) | 40 CHF1 year (only option) | CHF 200 fine plus mandatory purchase of the vignette (CHF 40) on the spot — total minimum CHF 240. Border officials can prevent entry until paid. | Read guide |
| Slovenia | 16 EUR1 week (7 days) | 117.50 EUR1 year (364 days) | €300 to €800 on-the-spot fine issued by DARS inspection officers. Officers can also prevent you from continuing until you purchase a valid e-vignette. | Read guide |
| Slovakia | 8.10 EUR1 day | 90 EUR1 year | €150 on-the-spot penalty (paid immediately). Maximum administrative fine: €600. ANPR cameras issue violations automatically; unpaid fines are pursued through EU cross-border enforcement. | Read guide |
| Czechia | 210 CZK1 day | 2,440 CZK1 year | Administrative fine up to CZK 20,000 (~€820). Claiming a false exemption (e.g. faking EV status): up to CZK 100,000 (~€4,100). Fines are recoverable across the EU. | Read guide |
| Hungary | 5,150 HUF1 day (national) | 6,890 HUF1 year (county only) | Basic surcharge (paid within 60 days): HUF 26,640 (~€66). Increased surcharge (after 60 days): HUF 91,780 (~€230). Fines are issued automatically by post to the registered vehicle owner. | Read guide |
| Romania | 3.50 EUR1 day | 50 EUR12 months | 250 RON minimum (~€50) to 4,500 RON maximum (~€905) for missing rovinieta. Police can detain your vehicle until the fine is paid and a rovinieta is purchased. Fines are recoverable via EU cross-border enforcement. | Read guide |
| Bulgaria | 8 BGN1 day | 97 BGN1 year | 300 BGN to 3,000 BGN (~€150 to €1,500). A reduced "compensatory fee" of ~70 BGN (~€36) can be paid immediately by first-time offenders instead of the full fine. Officers can prevent you from continuing until paid. | Read guide |
| Moldova | 4 EUR7 days | 85 EUR180 days | Approximately €219–€285 (converted from MDL fine amounts) for failure to produce proof of vignette during inspection. | Read guide |
| North Macedonia | 60 MKDPer booth (A2, per section) | 60 MKDPer booth (A2, per section) | Fines apply under national traffic law for bypassing toll gates. All booths are manned with physical barriers — it is not practically possible to pass without paying. | Read guide |
How European vignettes work
Buy before you drive
A vignette must be valid the moment you enter the first motorway. There are no toll booths to stop at in most vignette countries, so buying "on the way" is not an option — get it online before departure or at a petrol station before the border.
Digital e-vignettes vs. windscreen stickers
Most countries have switched to a digital e-vignette linked to your licence plate — nothing to display, nothing to scratch off. Switzerland is the main exception and still uses a physical sticker that must be properly affixed to the windscreen.
Cameras check every plate
Enforcement is automatic. Motorway gantries read your plate and check it against the vignette database in real time, and penalty notices are posted to the registered owner — including to foreign addresses through EU cross-border enforcement.
Some tunnels and passes cost extra
A vignette does not always cover everything. Alpine routes such as the Brenner, Tauern and Arlberg in Austria, the Gotthard road tunnel in Switzerland and the Karavanke tunnel in Slovenia charge a separate section toll on top of the vignette.
Which European countries do not need a vignette?
Not every country sells a vignette. Two other systems are common, and in both cases there is nothing to buy in advance:
- Pay per kilometre: France, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, Greece and Turkey charge at toll barriers or through an electronic tag, so you pay for the distance you actually drive.
- No car vignette at all: Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway have no vignette for passenger cars. Individual bridges, tunnels and city congestion charges still apply and are usually billed automatically by plate.
Heavy goods vehicles are charged differently almost everywhere — most vignette countries move lorries over 3.5 t onto a distance-based electronic toll instead.
European vignette FAQ
Which European countries require a motorway vignette?
These 10 countries operate a vignette or prepaid road-permit system: Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, North Macedonia. Every one of them is on the map above, and each has its own price tiers, covered road network and penalties.
How much does a European vignette cost?
Short-term vignettes are cheap: a single day starts at around €3.50 in Romania and €8 in Slovakia or Czechia, and a 10-day Austrian vignette is €9.40. Annual vignettes are far more expensive — roughly €100 in Austria and Czechia and about €148 for a Hungarian national year. Compare the exact figures in the table above.
Where can I buy a vignette?
The official national portal is always the cheapest and safest option, and it is the one linked from each country guide. You can also buy at petrol stations, post offices and kiosks near the border. Avoid third-party resellers that add a service fee to the official price.
Do I need a vignette for a rental car?
A rental car normally already carries a valid vignette for the country it was hired in — check the windscreen or the rental agreement. You are still responsible for buying a vignette for every additional vignette country you drive into, and the fine falls on the driver.
What happens if I drive without a vignette?
Penalties are issued automatically and they are far higher than the vignette itself: Austria charges a €120 substitute toll, Slovakia €150 on the spot, and Slovenia between €300 and €800. Switzerland adds a CHF 200 fine plus the CHF 40 sticker at the border. Unpaid fines are pursued across EU borders.
Is a vignette the same thing as a toll?
No. A vignette buys you unlimited use of the network for a period of time — a day, ten days, a month or a year. A toll charges you for the distance you actually drive. Several countries combine both, so you can need a vignette and still pay a separate tunnel toll on the same trip.
Do motorcycles need a vignette?
It depends on the country. Austria and Slovenia sell a cheaper motorcycle tariff, while Slovakia, Czechia and Romania exempt motorcycles entirely. Check the vehicles section of the relevant country guide before you travel.
Are vignettes really checked automatically?
Yes. Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary and Romania all run nationwide plate-recognition cameras that verify vignettes without stopping traffic. Switzerland is the outlier: officers check the physical sticker at the border and on the network.
Can I buy a vignette at the border?
Usually yes — petrol stations and kiosks immediately before the crossing sell them, and Switzerland sells its sticker at the border itself. Buying online in advance is still better: you skip the queue and you are covered from the first metre of motorway.
Other Vignette Countries
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