Switzerland has around 1,500 kilometres of motorway. To drive on them, you need a road tax sticker known as a "vignette". In this article, we have compiled some key facts and figures on the Swiss motorway vignette for you.
Guide
The motorway vignette in Switzerland. The key facts.
How much does the motorway vignette cost in Switzerland?
The motorway vignette costs CHF 40 in Switzerland – be it in digital form or as the classic sticker.
Incidentally, on its launch in 1985, the motorway vignette originally cost CHF 30. Ten years later the price was raised to CHF 40 in line with inflation. In 2013, there were plans to increase the price to CHF 100, but they were rejected in a referendum.
The motorway vignette generates more than CHF 1.5 billion in income each year – money that is urgently needed to maintain and expand the Swiss motorway and road network.
Where can I buy the vignette?
You can buy the vignette as a sticker at petrol stations, post offices or online. The e-vignette can be purchased online at e-vignette.ch.
Do I need a new vignette if I buy a new car, use an interchangeable number plate, or my windscreen gets damaged?
The classic motorway vignette in sticker form is tied to your vehicle. In other words, if you buy a new car, you also need a new sticker.
Removing the vignette and sticking it on the windscreen of another vehicle is not permitted. For that reason, if you use an interchangeable number plate, you need two stickers – one for each vehicle.
However, this is not the case with the digital e-vignette, which is tied to your licence plate. This means that if you use an interchangeable number plate, you only have to pay for the e-vignette once. And if you buy a new vehicle and keep your number plate, you also do not have to pay for the e-vignette again.
If your windscreen is cracked and has to be replaced, your car insurance will generally cover the costs of a new vignette, provided that you have taken out partially comprehensive cover for your vehicle.
How does the e-vignette for Swiss motorways work?
The digital e-vignette is the alternative to the traditional vignette in sticker form. To buy an e-vignette, you have to register your car on the website of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security. Your vehicle is then authorised to drive on Swiss motorways via its number plate.
This service has proven very popular: according to a federal government press release, around 35% of buyers opted for the electronic motorway vignette in 2024. One reason for this is likely to be that purchasers from abroad can only buy the e-vignette now.
The e-vignette costs CHF 40 for a whole calendar year – the same as the sticker. You can buy it easily and conveniently online at e-vignette.ch.
No, unlike the classic motorway vignette, the e-vignette is valid for your number plate, not for an individual vehicle. This means that you only have to buy one e-vignette for your interchangeable number plate.
How long is the motorway vignette valid for?
The motorway vignette is valid for 14 months – from 1 December of the previous year until 31 January of the following year.
The motorway vignette can be purchased from 1 December of each year for the following year. You have to affix the new sticker or register online by 1 February at the latest to be able to use the Swiss motorways.
No, unlike in Austria there are no 10-day vignettes in Switzerland. Here, you always have to pay for a whole year – even if you are only passing through. The same is true if you only use the motorway for a short drive from the airport to Zurich or Basel.
" The motorway vignette costs CHF 40 in Switzerland – be it in digital form or as the classic sticker. "
What happens if I drive on the motorway without a vignette?
The vignette is a mandatory requirement for using Swiss motorways. If you drive on the motorway without one, you risk incurring a fine. In general the fine for being caught without a valid vignette is CHF 200. You also have to buy a valid vignette – either as a sticker or in digital form (e-vignette).
The same applies if the vignette has not been affixed correctly. If youborrow a car from friends at the start of the year, for example, pay particular attention to whether the vignette has been applied correctly. It is not sufficient to simply carry the vignette with you in the vehicle.
Incidentally, you need a separate vignette for trailers and caravans.
How do I affix the motorway vignette correctly?
First, completely remove the old vignette. A good way to do this is with a ceramic scraper or a razor blade. Then stick on the new vignette in a clearly visible location. In a car, this means on the inside of the front windscreen – ideally behind the rear view mirror or on the left edge of the windscreen on the driver’s side.
On motorbikes and trailers, you must affix the vignette on an easily accessible part that cannot be replaced – so not on the number plate.
Which motorways outside of Switzerland do I need a vignette for?
Here you can see which of Switzerland’s neighbouring countries require motorway vignettes:
- There is no motorway vignette in Germany.
- Use of the motorways is free for passenger cars.
- In Austria, the vignette is mandatory for cars and motorbikes on motorways and highways.
- The vignette comes in ten-day, two-month and one-year versions.
- For some stretches of road (e.g. tunnels) there are additional toll charges.
- France has a toll system (“péage”).
- Fees are charged at toll stations on the basis of the distance travelled.
- At the new “free flow” stations, your vehicle is recorded electronically and you then pay online within 72 hours.
- Italy has a toll system (“pedaggio”).
- Fees are charged at toll stations on the basis of the distance travelled.
- If you use the “Telepass”, fees are charged automatically and you do not have to stop.
- There are no motorways in Liechtenstein – and therefore no vignette.
Conclusion
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