Planning a vacation or just passing through Switzerland?
The Switzerland Vignette in 2026: What Has Changed
The most important change of recent years remains the digital e-vignette, introduced in August 2023. It is sold exclusively through the official Via portal of the Swiss customs authority (via.admin.ch, also known as www.e-vignette.ch), is linked to the vehicle’s license plate number, and is valid immediately after payment — you no longer have to stick anything on the windshield.
The classic sticker remains valid alongside the e-vignette, and the price is unchanged: 40 CHF (about 43 euros, or roughly 226 lei). The 2026 vignette is valid for 14 months, from December 1, 2025, to January 31, 2027, and the rule for trailers and caravans up to 3.5 tons stays the same: they need their own vignette, separate from that of the towing vehicle.
The fine for not having a vignette remains 200 CHF (about 216 euros), plus the obligation to buy the 40 CHF vignette on the spot.
For hauliers, the major change is LSVA III: from January 1, 2026, the toll for vehicles over 3.5 tons is paid exclusively digitally (EETS on-board unit, the NETS electronic service, or manual online declaration), with the old Emotach devices taken out of service. LSVA rates were raised by about 5% starting January 1, 2025.
Are you a haulier and not sure what the best way to pay road tolls in Switzerland is?
Below you’ll find all the information you need, depending on your type of trip and your needs.
For our fellow hauliers (trucks and buses), from January 1, 2026, road tolls in Switzerland are paid exclusively digitally, through the new LSVA III system: either through an EETS/NETS provider with an on-board unit, or by manual online declaration in the Swiss customs portal (BAZG ePortal), before entering the country.
If you’re a haulier and want to read more about how to pay the vignette in Switzerland, read the article to the end.
Where Can I Buy the Switzerland Vignette?
In Switzerland, if you drive on highways or class 1 and 2 national roads, you must buy a vignette.
Similar to other countries such as Hungary OR Bulgaria, the Switzerland vignette can also be purchased online, as a digital e-vignette, directly from the official Via portal of the Swiss customs authority (www.e-vignette.ch).
So the Switzerland vignette can be purchased both online (an e-vignette linked to the license plate number) and at the 5 types of physical sales points we’ll detail in the following sections.
Buying the Switzerland Vignette at Physical Sales Points
To buy the Switzerland vignette in person, you have 5 options:
- Customs points
- Gas stations
- Post offices
- Road traffic authority offices
- Tourist offices
If you chose the classic sticker, after buying the vignette in Switzerland the first step is to stick it on the windshield in a visible spot so that the Swiss authorities can check its validity. If you chose the digital e-vignette, you don’t need to stick anything on: it is linked to the license plate number and checked electronically.
The price of the vignette in Switzerland does not include passage through the tunnels: Grand St. Bernhard Tunnel and Munt la Schera. A special toll must be paid there.
How Do You Correctly Affix the Switzerland Vignette?
The vignette is affixed to the inside of the windshield after the protective backing has been removed. The designated placement must be followed to the letter; otherwise you risk significant fines.
Most often, the vignette in Switzerland must be placed at the top of the windshield on the driver’s side, or in the middle, behind the rearview mirror.
A vignette already applied to the windshield becomes void if it is removed; it cannot be stuck on again.
Buying the Switzerland Vignette Online
You can choose to buy the Switzerland vignette online to avoid extra stress when you arrive in Switzerland.
To do so, you can go here, to the official Via portal of the Swiss customs authority (www.e-vignette.ch), to buy the Switzerland e-vignette online. Beware of unofficial third-party websites that charge additional fees.
How Much Does the Switzerland Vignette Cost in 2026?
For passenger cars up to 3.5 tons, there is a single mandatory vignette for using the highways, meaning you cannot choose between different validity periods.
The price of the vignette is 40 Swiss francs CHF (about 43 euros, or roughly 226 lei) and it has a standard validity period of 14 months: the 2026 vignette is valid from December 1, 2025, to January 31, 2027.
Switzerland Vignette – Good to Know!
If you buy the 2026 Switzerland vignette at Swiss customs points, note that you can also pay in euros, pounds sterling, or dollars, but only in cash (for these currencies).
Switzerland Road Tolls for Trucks and Buses…
For vehicles heavier than 3.5 tons, the Swiss authorities apply a “federal” fee, generically called LSVA (“performance-related heavy vehicle fee”).
The LSVA is calculated based on:
- the maximum permissible total weight (hzG) of the vehicle or vehicle combination;
- the distance driven, in km;
- the toll rate, based on the EURO class;
From January 1, 2025, LSVA rates were raised by about 5% and are roughly 3.26 centimes/ton-km (Euro 0–III), 2.82 centimes/ton-km (Euro IV–V), and 2.39 centimes/ton-km (Euro VI). You can check the 3 rate categories here.
Another fee that applies to vehicles over 3.5 tons is the PSVA (“flat-rate heavy vehicle fee”), which applies to passenger transport vehicles.
The road toll in Switzerland can be paid in the following ways.
- through an EETS on-board unit (providers such as DKV, Toll4Europe, Axxès, Telepass, with Switzerland activated in your account);
- through the NETS national electronic toll service, with registration in the Swiss customs ePortal;
- by manual online declaration (NMTS), for occasional trips, available since April 2025.
Important: the old Emotach on-board units and payment at customs terminals with an ID card have been discontinued — Emotach is no longer valid as of January 1, 2026, and the physical terminals were closed in May 2025.
Switzerland Road Tolls for Tunnels
The tolls for the Great Saint Bernard Tunnel apply depending on the vehicle type and the number of trips.
| One-way trip | 32 CHF (33.50 €) |
| Round trip (within 30 days) | 51 CHF (53.50 €) |
| 10 trips (within 2 years) | 131 CHF (137.50 €) |
| 20 trips (within 2 years) | 173 CHF (181 €) |
You can find the tolls for motorcycles and other vehicle types here.
For crossing the Munt la Schera Tunnel, prices are set based on the vehicle type, the period (December–April, May–November), and the day of the crossing (Saturday, Sunday–Friday).
| Monday | e-ticket | Sunday–Friday | Saturday |
| December–April | round trip | 35 CHF (~37.80 €) | 42 CHF (~45.40 €) |
| one way | 20 CHF (~21.60 €) | 29 CHF (~31.30 €) | |
| May–November | round trip | 25 CHF (~27.00 €) | 25 CHF (~27.00 €) |
| one way | 15 CHF (~16.20 €) | 15 CHF (~16.20 €) |
You can see the prices for other vehicle types here.
In What Currency Can You Pay for the Switzerland Vignette?
As we know, Switzerland is not part of the European Union or the eurozone, so the vignette is paid in the national currency, namely the Swiss franc (CHF).
If you buy the vignette at Swiss customs points, note that you can also pay in euros, pounds sterling, or dollars, but only in cash (for these currencies).
Do I Also Need a Vignette for a Trailer in Switzerland?
Trailers with a total weight of up to and including 3.5 tons, towed by a motor vehicle, need their own vignette.
How Much Is the Fine for the Switzerland Vignette?
Vignettes are strictly checked through three systems:
- Mobile and stationary checks carried out by the Federal Customs Administration.
- Fixed checkpoints on heavily traveled road sections.
- Additional checks by the cantonal police.
If you drive on Swiss roads without a vignette, the fine is 200 Swiss francs (~216 euros, or over 1,100 lei).
Note – the Switzerland vignette fine can also be applied if the sticker is not affixed correctly. In addition to the fine, you must also buy a vignette afterward.
I Was Caught Without a Vignette in Switzerland. What Do I Do?
Either you pay the fine for not having the Switzerland vignette on the spot, if you’re “lucky” enough to be stopped in traffic by the enforcement authorities, or you’ll receive the fine by mail at your home address. Payment is made by following the instructions in the envelope.
Switzerland Vignette – Questions and Answers
Is the vignette mandatory in Switzerland?
Yes, if you drive on highways and class 1 and 2 national roads, you must have a valid Switzerland vignette.
Where can I buy the vignette for Switzerland?
The Switzerland vignette can be bought online, as well as in person at customs points, gas stations, post offices, road traffic authority offices, and tourist offices.
Can I buy the Switzerland vignette online?
Yes, the Switzerland vignette can also be bought online, which helps you avoid extra stress when entering the country.
How much does the Switzerland vignette cost?
For passenger cars up to 3.5 tons, the vignette costs 40 CHF, or about 43 euros (roughly 226 lei).
How long is the Switzerland vignette valid?
In Switzerland there is a single vignette for passenger cars up to 3.5 tons, and it has a standard validity of 14 months.
Are there several types of vignettes in Switzerland?
You can’t choose between different validity periods; there is only one annual vignette. You can, however, choose the format: the classic sticker or the digital e-vignette, available since August 2023 and linked to the license plate number.
How do you correctly affix the vignette in Switzerland?
The Switzerland vignette is affixed to the inside of the windshield, after removing the protective backing, in a spot visible to the authorities.
As a rule, it is applied at the top of the windshield on the driver’s side, or in the middle, behind the rearview mirror.
Can I remove and reuse the Switzerland vignette?
No, a vignette already applied to the windshield becomes void if it is removed and cannot be used again.
In what currency is the Switzerland vignette paid?
Payment is made in Swiss francs, i.e., CHF. If you buy it at Swiss customs points, you can also pay in euros, pounds sterling, or dollars, but only in cash.
Do I also need a vignette for a trailer in Switzerland?
Yes, trailers with a total weight of up to and including 3.5 tons, towed by a motor vehicle, need their own vignette.
Are tolls for certain tunnels in Switzerland paid separately?
Yes, the vignette price does not include crossing the Grand St. Bernhard and Munt la Schera tunnels, for which separate tolls are paid.
How are road tolls paid in Switzerland for trucks and buses?
Separate fees apply to vehicles over 3.5 tons, such as the LSVA and PSVA. From January 1, 2026, payment is made exclusively digitally, through the LSVA III system: an EETS on-board unit, the NETS electronic service, or manual online declaration (NMTS) in the Swiss customs ePortal.
How is the LSVA fee calculated in Switzerland?
The LSVA fee is calculated based on the maximum permissible total weight of the vehicle or vehicle combination, the distance driven in kilometers, and the applicable rate based on the EURO class.
How do the authorities check whether you have a valid vignette in Switzerland?
Checks are carried out through mobile and stationary inspections by the Federal Customs Administration, fixed checkpoints, and additional checks by the cantonal police.
What fine do you risk if you drive without a vignette in Switzerland?
If you drive without the Switzerland vignette on roads where it is mandatory, the fine is 200 CHF, or about 216 euros.
The same penalty may apply if the vignette is not affixed correctly, and after the fine you must also buy a valid Switzerland vignette.
What should you do if you were caught without a vignette in Switzerland?
You can pay the fine on the spot if you were stopped in traffic, or you may receive it later by mail at your home address. Payment for the Switzerland vignette fine is made according to the instructions received with the notice.
