Vignette (road tax)

The term originated in France in the 1950s, although vignettes there were not linked to motorway use and no longer exist; it is now used throughout Central Europe, as well as in Italy (vignetta).

Vignettes are used in Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

In most of these countries a small, coloured sticker is affixed to a vehicle windscreen, but in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and since 2021 in Slovenia these have been superseded by electronic vignettes.

Road traffic is often monitored by roadside cameras, and vignettes are verified by state officials, such as border guards and national police.

Hefty cash fines are often charged to travelers using public roads without a valid and properly affixed vignette.

[2] In Austria a tunnel or bridge subject to a special toll (de:Sondermautstrecke) is in theory free of the vignette obligation, but in practice this is usually a moot point as access to many of them is via motorway only.

The Eurovignette Directive introduced in the European Union in 1993 governs road tolls for trucks of minimum 12 metric tonnes.

[7] Since 1997, vignettes are required for all vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes, driving on motorways and expressways (prefixed with letters A and S) under federal administration.

[9] The vignette sticker was replaced by e-vignette on 1 January 2019, and an e-toll system is to be introduced in August 2019 for vehicles heavier than 3.5 tonnes.

As of 1 March 2007, all drivers are required to purchase an emission sticker when passing through low-emission zones in several cities and municipalities.

Certain "green zones" have completely disallowed entrance to vehicles with higher particle emissions ("yellow" and "red" groups).

Motorway usage entitlement is verified by roadside cameras based on license plate numbers, and drivers of vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes without a valid vignette are charged with cash fines between €50 and €200.

Vignettes are obligatory for personal motor vehicles registered abroad, driving on public roads, and are available for purchase at border customs posts and offices.

Vignettes for heavier vehicles were replaced with distance-based electronic toll collection using the remote-operated toll-box in force since 2010.

[citation needed] Vignettes are required for all vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes, driving on Slovenian motorways as of 1 July 2008.

On 1.4.2018, Slovenia implemented an electronic tolling of vehicles whose maximum permissible weight exceeds 3.5 tonnes.