Whether you’re heading for a dream vacation at Golden Sands or just passing through the country, you should know that you’ll need a vignette for Bulgaria’s roads.
The Bulgaria vignette in 2026: what has changed
Anul 2026 a adus trei schimbări importante pentru șoferii care circulă prin Bulgaria. Prima: de la 1 ianuarie 2026, Bulgaria a adoptat oficial moneda euro. Prețurile vinietelor sunt afișate acum doar în euro (afișarea dublă euro–leva, la cursul fix de 1,95583 leva/euro, s-a încheiat pe 8 august 2026), iar plățile pe platforma BGTOLL se fac în euro. Trecerea la euro nu a scumpit în sine vinieta: în prima parte a lui 2026 tarifele au rămas cele din 2025.
There are several channels you can pay through, depending on how often you cross the border — compared in our article on the payment alternatives for the Bulgaria vignette.
If you have already bought a vignette and want to confirm that it is active in the system, the steps are in our guide to checking the validity of the Bulgaria vignette.
On the corridor to the Balkans, Bulgaria is usually followed by Serbia, where tolls are paid at barriers, not with a vignette — see our guide to road tolls in Serbia.
A doua noutate: din 3 februarie 2026 există și o vinietă de 1 zi (valabilă 24 de ore de la activare) pentru autoturisme. A costat inițial 4,09 euro, iar din 1 august 2026 costă 5,30 euro. Este ideală dacă doar tranzitezi Bulgaria spre Grecia sau Turkey.
A treia schimbare, mai puțin plăcută: de la 1 august 2026, prețurile vinietelor au crescut cu aproximativ 30%. Vinieta anuală a urcat de la 49,60 la 64,50 euro, cea de weekend de la 5,11 la 6,60 euro, iar taxa compensatorie pentru autoturisme a crescut de la 35,79 la 46,50 euro.
Fortunately for us, since 2019 Bulgaria has offered electronic vignettes that can be bought online and don’t need to be stuck on the windshield, as is the case in other countries such as Austria…
If you are a haulier and didn’t already know, on March 1, 2020 Bulgaria launched a new electronic distance-based toll system – the Toll System, which covers more than 3,114 km of the Bulgarian road network and more than 803 km of motorway.
The system is similar to the one in Hungary, where you can pay road tolls in Bulgaria more efficiently with an electronic payment device.
How do I check whether I need a vignette for Bulgaria?
Whether you drive on Bulgarian motorways or on public roads, for your peace of mind and your wallet’s, it is best to buy a vignette, either online or in person at points of sale (gas stations, self-service terminals, points of sale displaying the BGTOLL logo).
Pentru vinieta Bulgaria poți alege din cele 6 opțiuni, și anume: vinietă Bulgaria pe 1 zi (24 de ore, opțiune nouă introdusă din 3 februarie 2026), vinietă Bulgaria pe 1 weekend (valabilă de vineri ora 12:00 până duminică 23:59), vinietă Bulgaria pe 1 săptămână, vinietă Bulgaria pe 1 lună, vinietă Bulgaria pe 3 luni și vinietă Bulgaria pe 1 an.
Note: no vignette is required for motorcycles!
For vehicles over 3.5 tons (trucks and buses), the system is a little different. You can buy tickets for predefined routes in advance, or routes can be paid for automatically through a road toll payment device.
Vehicle categories for the Bulgaria vignette
The price of the Bulgaria vignette depends on your vehicle category, so pay close attention to this.
- Vehicles up to 3.5 t
- Trailers up to 3.5 t
- Trucks, caravans with a technically permissible maximum laden mass < 12 t
- Trucks, caravans with a technically permissible maximum laden mass ≥ 12 t
- Buses with a technically permissible maximum laden mass < 12 t
- Buses with a technically permissible maximum laden mass ≥ 12 t
Where can I buy a physical vignette for Bulgaria?
Although buying the vignette online (e-vignette) is the most recommended option, you can also buy it in person at various points of sale, such as:
- Gas stations;
- Self-service terminals/kiosks;
- Points of sale displaying the BGTOLL logo;
Make sure you have cash in euros when choosing this option, as some gas stations or BGTOLL points of sale may not have card payment terminals (POS).
As of January 1, 2026, Bulgaria has adopted the euro, so vignettes are paid in the new official currency: the euro (afișarea prețurilor și în leva s-a încheiat pe 8 august 2026).
Can I buy the Bulgaria vignette online?
Yes, and it’s the most recommended option!
The fastest and safest way to buy the vignette in Bulgaria is through the official platform web.bgtoll.bg.
Whether you want to buy a vignette for a car, a truck, or even a bus, you can use the same platform.
Another way to successfully buy the vignette for Bulgaria is this platform.
If you’ve decided to buy the Bulgaria vignette online using the BGTOLL platform (which is also available in Romanian), there are just 6 steps until you have your vignette:
- Select the “electronic vignette for passenger car” option;
- Select the validity period (1 day, a weekend, a week, 1 or 3 months, 1 year);
- Choose the date/day from which you want the vignette to be valid;
- Enter the vehicle details: country of registration and license plate number;
- Enter your e-mail address to receive the payment confirmation and the vignette;
- Select the card type and pay (note: since 2026, online payments are processed in euros).
If you choose to pay by card, you’ll see that in the “Payment method” field you can only choose from:
- Visa Secure;
- Mastercard ID check;
- BCARD;
- UTA;
Our recommendation is to check the back/front of your card to see which payment processor it uses.
P.S. 90% of cards are Visa Secure or Mastercard ID Check, so you’ll most likely choose one of these 2 options.
Pay close attention to the lei – euro exchange rate.
Always check the rate your bank applies to the currency at the time of purchase so you don’t get any surprises later. (There can be large exchange rate differences, meaning you could pay more than the normal cost.)
For online Bulgaria vignette payments, make sure you have enabled online card payments.
How much does the Bulgaria vignette cost in 2026?
The cost of a vignette in Bulgaria can vary depending on the period you choose to buy (for passenger cars), or on the route, vehicle type (truck/bus), emission class, number of axles, and other details if you travel on Bulgarian roads with heavy vehicles (over 3.5 tons).
Bulgaria vignette validity for passenger cars.
| Vignette validity | Preț actual (din 1 august 2026) |
|---|---|
| 1 day (24 hours) | 5.30 euros / approx. 27 lei |
| A weekend | 6.60 euros / approx. 34 lei |
| 1 week | 10.00 euros / approx. 51 lei |
| 1 month | 19.90 euros / approx. 101 lei |
| 3 months | 35.90 euros / approx. 182 lei |
| 1 year | 64.50 euros / approx. 327 lei |
Până la 31 iulie 2026 prețurile au fost mai mici cu aproximativ 30%: 4,09 euro pentru 1 zi, 5,11 euro pentru weekend, 7,67 euro pentru o săptămână, 15,34 euro pentru o lună, 27,61 euro pentru 3 luni și 49,60 euro pentru un an.
If you have already bought one and want to check the vignette’s validity, you can do so by clicking here.
Bulgaria vignette for vehicles over 3.5 tons (trucks / buses)
If you are a haulier with trips to Bulgaria or are just transiting the country, the process of paying the vignette, or more precisely the road tolls, is a little different than for “passenger cars.”
Before we get to the payment methods, you should know that the Bulgarian authorities calculate road tolls for heavy vehicles based on the following:
- Vehicle type: (truck / bus);
- Masa vehiculului: între 3,5 și 12 tone sau peste 12 tone (peste 12 tone contează și numărul de osii);
- Clasa de emisii CO₂ (1–5): de la 1 iunie 2026 tariful include o componentă CO₂, iar vehiculele neînregistrate pe co2.bgtoll.bg intră automat în clasa cea mai scumpă;
- Emission class: from EURO 0 to EURO 6 or EEV;
- Type of road traveled: motorway, expressway, or national road;
- Distance traveled;
The ways you can pay road tolls in Bulgaria are:
Transit ticket (called a “Route Pass”)
Once paid, it is valid for 24 hours and entitles you to travel on the selected road sections.
When setting up the ticket, you must specify: the starting point, the destination, and up to 4 intermediate points, the vehicle’s registration number, country of registration, vehicle category, emission class, number of axles, and vehicle dimensions.
It can be bought up to 7 days in advance by registered users and 24 hours in advance by unregistered users. Registration is done online and is a very simple process that only requires validating your e-mail address.
It can be purchased here OR here.
The major drawback of the transit ticket is that it’s very easy to get fined if the driver deviates from the route without buying another ticket.
This option is used by hauliers who transit Bulgaria or run trips there very rarely.
Automatic toll payment device – road tolls in Bulgaria
The safest and most convenient way to pay road tolls in Bulgaria as a haulier is to use a GPS device (OBU) that automatically pays road tolls on any route you choose to travel
This option is the most widely used and recommended by hauliers who frequently transit Bulgaria, because it offers the following advantages:
- You can choose any route and change your itinerary at any time;
- Road tolls are paid automatically, so you avoid the hassle of buying tickets and calculating routes manually;
- You avoid fines;
- You avoid wasted time and the mistakes that can happen when buying tickets manually;
For automatic payment of road tolls in Bulgaria, you can try CargoTrack devices, among the most widely used devices of this kind in Romania.
In what currency can the Bulgaria vignette be paid?
As of January 1, 2026, Bulgaria officially adopted the euro, so the vignette is now paid in euros (EUR). Pe platforma oficială BGTOLL prețurile sunt afișate doar în euro (perioada de afișare dublă euro–leva s-a încheiat pe 8 august 2026), iar plățile se procesează în euro.
If you buy the vignette online or in person at card terminals (POS) using a bank card, it’s good to know that you don’t need a euro card – you can just as well pay with a card in lei, forints, etc., and the bank will convert the amount automatically.
Pay close attention to the lei – euro exchange rate. Always check with your bank what rate it applies to the currency at the time of purchase so you don’t get any surprises later.
Our recommendations:
- Be careful with in-person payments at card terminals (POS) – make sure your bank allows card payments abroad.
- If you buy the vignette online, make sure you have enabled online card payments.
Do I also need a vignette for a trailer in Bulgaria?
When the total weight of the car + trailer/caravan exceeds 3.5 tons, buying a vignette is mandatory.
Note: no vignette is required for the trailer (caravan) if the combination does not exceed 3.5 tons.
It is worth noting that if the vehicle + trailer / caravan combination exceeds 3.5 tons, a vignette must be bought for each of them.
A practical example.
Dacă mergeți în concediu pentru o săptămână cu rulota, iar ansamblul vehicul + rulotă depășește 3.5 tone este necesar să cumpărați o vinietă de 10 euro pentru vehicul și o vinietă de 10 euro pentru rulotă (prețuri pentru o săptămână, din 1 august 2026).
You can see the vignette prices for trailers/caravans here.
The validity period of the vignette for a trailer/caravan may differ from that for passenger cars.
How much is the fine for not having a vignette in Bulgaria?
Sancțiunile pentru neplata taxelor de drum încep de la 153,39 euro / cca 778 lei pentru autoturism și ajung până la 1.533,88 euro / cca 7.780 lei pentru camioane/autobuze.
- 153,39 euro / cca 778 lei – neplată vinietă autoturism.
- 920,33 euro / cca 4.670 lei – neachitare taxe de drum camioane/autobuze
- 1.278,23 euro / cca 6.480 lei – achitare parțială a taxelor de drum, date incorecte introduse la cumpărare (ex. număr greșit de axe, normă de poluare greșită, etc.).
- 255,65 euro / cca 1.296 lei – circulare pe drumurile din Bulgaria cu fără vinietă plătită și numerele de imatriculare neclare sau nelizibile (autoturisme).
- 1.533,88 euro / cca 7.780 lei – Circulare pe drumurile din Bulgaria cu fără vinietă plătită și numerele de imatriculare neclare sau nelizibile (camioane/autobuze).
I was caught without a vignette in Bulgaria – what should I do?
Fines for not paying the Bulgaria vignette must be paid on the spot to the competent authorities.
All drivers of cars, trucks, or buses who use Bulgaria’s toll road network and have not bought the vignette electronically / in person or have not paid road tolls manually / automatically will be fined.
There is good news, though, for those who for various reasons have not bought / paid road tolls in Bulgaria correctly.
The Bulgarian authorities allow you to pay a compensatory fee, which entitles you to complete your journey on that calendar day.
If the compensatory fee is paid, the vehicle may leave Bulgarian territory without an offense report being drawn up beforehand.
Taxa compensatorie pentru vehiculele ușoare (sub 3,5 tone) este de 46,50 euro (aproximativ 235 de lei), din 1 august 2026. Înainte era de 35,79 euro.
În cazul autocamioanelor și autobuzelor, acestea sunt valorile taxelor compensatorii pentru situațiile în care taxa de drum pentru Bulgaria nu este achitată, așa cum le afișează oficial NTA pe bgtoll.bg, secțiunea Control (cu mențiunea „de la 1 septembrie 2025”). Tariful pe kilometru s-a schimbat de la 1 iunie 2026, iar NTA nu a confirmat încă dacă aceste valori au fost actualizate, așa că verifică pagina oficială înainte de a te baza pe ele:
| Vehicle type | Surcharge / Compensatory fee |
|---|---|
| Truck over 3.5 t up to 12 t | 77,21 euro / cca 391 lei |
| Truck over 12 t with 2-3 axles | 213,72 euro / cca 1.084 lei |
| Truck over 12 t with 4 or more axles | 301,15 euro / cca 1.527 lei |
| Passenger vehicle with more than 8 seats up to 12 t | 29,65 euro / cca 150 lei |
| Passenger vehicle with more than 8 seats over 12 t | 36,81 euro / cca 187 lei |
The compensatory fee can be paid on the spot during the inspection by bank card, or within 14 days by bank transfer.
The bank account, belonging to the authority that manages road tolls in Bulgaria, to which payment can be made is:
- IBAN: BG50BNBG96613100165801
- BIC: BNBGBGSD
- BNB Bank
If the compensatory fee is not paid, the Bulgarian authorities issue an offense report and apply the administrative enforcement measure of temporarily taking the vehicle off the road.
A penalty notice/decision setting the fine will also be issued and handed over, taking effect after 14 calendar days if the offending driver does not pay the compensatory fee within that period.
If you have driven in Bulgaria and want to check whether a fine has been issued for your vehicle number, you can check here: https://www.digitoll.bg/en/pay-delict/.
Pay road tolls in Bulgaria automatically…
Did you know you can pay road tolls automatically with just 1 device?
With the CargoTrack device, no matter which route you choose, road tolls are paid automatically, with no more waiting in line or wasting time buying tickets or using other online platforms…
5 reasons why the CargoTrack device is worth trying:
- No subscription;
- No deposits;
- No contract periods;
- You pay ONLY when you cross;
- Installation included in Romania or Europe;
+BONUS: with the same device you can activate the GPS monitoring service.
No regular trips?
No problem at all – as long as you DON’T transit Bulgaria, you don’t pay a single leu, no matter how long the break between trips (1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 1 year).
Get rid of road toll stress – let the CargoTrack experts help you!
Apply for road toll payment here.
Bulgaria Vignette Questions and Answers
Is the Bulgaria vignette mandatory?
Yes, if you drive on Bulgarian motorways or on public roads in Bulgaria, you must have a vignette bought online or in person from authorized points of sale.
Where can I buy the Bulgaria vignette?
The vignette for Bulgaria can be bought online, from the official BGTOLL platform, or in person at gas stations, self-service terminals, and points of sale marked with the BGTOLL logo.
Can I buy the Bulgaria vignette online?
Yes, the online option is the fastest and safest way to buy it. The official platform mentioned is web.bgtoll.bg.
What types of vignettes are available for passenger cars in Bulgaria?
For passenger cars, there are six options: a 1-day vignette (24 hours, available since February 2026), a weekend vignette, and 1-week, 1-month, 3-month, and 1-year vignettes. The weekend vignette is valid from Friday at 12:00 to Sunday at 23:59.
How much does the Bulgaria vignette cost for passenger cars?
Pentru autoturisme, din 1 august 2026 prețurile sunt 5,30 euro pentru 1 zi, 6,60 euro pentru weekend, 10 euro pentru 1 săptămână, 19,90 euro pentru 1 lună, 35,90 euro pentru 3 luni și 64,50 euro pentru 1 an (cu aproximativ 30% mai mult decât până la 31 iulie 2026).
What currency is the Bulgaria vignette paid in?
Din 2026 vinieta pentru Bulgaria se plătește în euro. Pe platforma oficială BG Toll prețurile au fost afișate și în leva doar până la 8 august 2026; acum sunt afișate exclusiv în euro.
Do motorcycles need a vignette in Bulgaria?
No, no vignette is required for motorcycles.
Do I also need a Bulgaria vignette for a trailer or caravan?
If the total weight of the combination of car and trailer or caravan exceeds 3.5 tons, buying a vignette becomes mandatory.
If the combination does not exceed 3.5 tons, no vignette is required for the trailer or caravan.
If the combination exceeds 3.5 tons, a vignette must be bought for each of them.
How are road tolls paid in Bulgaria for vehicles over 3.5 tons?
For trucks and buses over 3.5 tons, the electronic Toll system applies, not the standard Bulgaria vignette for passenger cars.
Tolls can be paid either with a transit ticket for a predefined route or automatically through an electronic OBU device.
How are road tolls calculated in Bulgaria for trucks and buses?
For heavy vehicles, tolls are calculated based on the vehicle type, its weight, emission class, road type, and distance traveled.
What is the Route Pass in Bulgaria and when is it used?
The Route Pass is the transit ticket for heavy vehicles and is valid for 24 hours on the selected road sections.
This option is mainly used by hauliers who rarely transit Bulgaria or make occasional trips there.
The main drawback is that the driver can easily be fined for deviating from the declared route without buying another ticket.
What fine do you risk if you drive without a Bulgaria vignette?
Sancțiunile pentru lipsa vinietei în Bulgaria pornesc de la 153,39 euro pentru autoturisme și pot ajunge până la 1.533,88 euro pentru camioane și autobuze.
Separate penalties are also listed for situations such as partial payment of tolls, incorrectly entered data, or unclear or illegible license plates.
