Sticker Confusion: Austria And Swiss Toll Rules Explained

If you're planning a trip to Switzerland or Austria, you'll need to buy a vignette to travel freely. In both countries, all vehicles under 3.5 tonnes, including motorcycles, must have a vignette to use motorways and expressways. In Austria, this is called a toll sticker, and in Switzerland, it's called a motorway vignette. The vignette is a toll sticker that you can buy as a physical adhesive or a digital version. It must be displayed on your vehicle's windscreen when driving in Austria or Switzerland. The price of the Swiss motorway vignette is CHF 40, while the Austrian toll sticker costs €11.50 for 10 days, €28.90 for 2 months, and €96.40 for a year.

Where to buy a Swiss toll sticker

If you're planning a trip to Switzerland, you'll need a Swiss motorway vignette to drive on the country's motorways and expressways. This applies to both Swiss citizens and tourists. The vignette is available as a sticker or a digital e-vignette. Here's where you can buy one:

Online

You can buy the Swiss motorway vignette online in advance of your trip. This option allows you to cross the border using the fast lane, and you'll have time to apply the sticker correctly. Websites where you can purchase the vignette include the Swiss Post website and www.e-vignette.ch. Additionally, you can use the portal at vignetteswitzerland.com to buy the official Swiss e-vignette.

At the Swiss Border

You can purchase the Swiss motorway vignette at the border when entering Switzerland. Pick the lane for cars without a vignette.

Gas Stations

Vignettes can be bought at gas stations near the Swiss border in Austria, France, Germany, and Italy. In Switzerland, you can buy the sticker vignette at filling stations.

Other Options

In Switzerland, the sticker vignette is also available at post offices and customs posts at the border. If you're renting a car, check with your rental agency, as Swiss rental cars usually come with a vignette.

The Swiss motorway vignette costs CHF 40 and is valid for 14 months, from December 1 of the previous year to January 31 of the next year. It's important to display the vignette correctly on your vehicle to avoid fines.

Where to buy an Austrian toll sticker

If you're planning to drive on Austrian motorways, you'll need to buy a toll sticker, or "vignette", for your vehicle. The vignette is a simple sticker that you place on the inside of your windscreen, and it serves as a toll payment system. It is required for all vehicles driving on Austrian motorways and expressways, except for provincial and federal roads.

The vignette can be purchased either as a physical toll sticker or a digital toll sticker.

Physical Toll Sticker

Physical toll stickers can be obtained from various outlets in Austria and its neighbouring countries. This includes:

• Austrian Automobile Clubs
• Post offices
• Newsagents
• Petrol stations
• Border shops
• Automobile Clubs in neighbouring countries

Digital Toll Sticker

The digital vignette can be purchased online through the ASFINAG online shop or the ASFINAG app "Unterwegs". It is available for 1 day, 10 days, 2 months, or 1 year. The 1-year and 2-month options are only valid from the 18th day after online purchase, while the 1-day and 10-day options are valid immediately.

The digital vignette can also be purchased at a physical sales office or a vending machine in Austria, and these options are valid immediately.

How to display your toll sticker

The toll sticker, or vignette, must be displayed on the inside of the vehicle's windshield. It must be stuck to the windshield to be valid and cannot be attached with tape or any other method. It should be placed in the top left-hand corner, the lower left corner, or in the middle near the rearview mirror. It must not be covered by any tinting strips and must be clearly visible from the outside.

For motorcycles, the vignette should be placed in the lower left corner of the inside of the windscreen. For caravans, it should be placed on the front window, similar to a car. For trailers, the vignette should be placed on a non-removable and visible part of the vehicle, such as a fork leg or tank.

Only correctly applied vignettes are valid. Once attached, the vignette cannot be moved, so it is important to carefully select and clean the place where you want to stick it. If you are driving a rental car, check with the rental agency to see if the car already has a vignette.

If you are purchasing a digital vignette, you will not need to worry about displaying a physical sticker. The digital vignette is linked to your license plate and will be checked electronically.

Exemptions from needing a toll sticker

In Switzerland, a toll sticker (or vignette) is required for all vehicles up to a Technically Permissible Maximum Laden Mass (TPMLM) of 3.5 tons. This includes cars, motorcycles, light mobile homes, trailers, caravans, delivery vans, and campers. However, heavy vehicles exceeding 3.5 tons are exempt from the vignette requirement and are instead subject to a special heavy vehicle charge.

In Austria, a similar toll system is in place, with a vignette required for all vehicles up to and including 3.5 tons on motorways and expressways. Vehicles exceeding this weight limit are subject to a mileage-based GO-Box toll system.

Switzerland:

• Heavy vehicles over 3.5 tons: Vehicles exceeding 3.5 tons, such as heavy goods vehicles, are exempt from the vignette requirement. Instead, they are subject to a separate heavy vehicle charge.
• Service vehicles of international organisations: According to the Vienna Convention of 18 April 1961 on Diplomatic Relations, service vehicles of international organisations with an agreement with the Federal Council are exempt from the motorway fee.

Austria:

• Motorway sections: Certain motorway sections in Austria are exempt from the vignette requirement, including the A1 Westautobahn toll section near Salzburg, the A12 Inntal motorway toll section near Kufstein, the A14 Rheintal/Walgau motorway toll section near Hohenems, and the A26 Linz motorway toll section (currently under construction).
• Provincial and federal roads: While tolls are required on motorways and expressways, provincial and federal roads in Austria are exempt from the vignette requirement.
• Environmental sticker requirement: The environmental sticker requirement in Austria applies specifically to lorries in categories N1, N2, and N3 when entering one of the designated environmental zones, as well as cars registered as HGV N1 for tax purposes.

Penalties for not having a toll sticker

In Austria, all motor vehicles up to and including 3.5 tons are required to pay tolls on motorways. If you drive on Austrian roads without a valid digital or paper vignette, you could face a fine of up to €240. Failure to pay the fine immediately may result in an administrative penalty procedure, which can increase the costs significantly to between €300 and €3,000.

The fine for driving on a Swiss motorway without a vignette is CHF 200, plus the costs of the vignette. If you drive with a sticker vignette that is not applied correctly or is damaged, that too is considered driving without a vignette.

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