Swiss Vignette
Driving to or through Switzerland? You'll need a vignette for Swiss motorways and highways. Switzerland offers only one type: the annual vignette for CHF 40, valid for 14 months. With the introduction of the digital e-vignette, there's no need to stick anything on your windscreen: the vignette is linked to your registration number and is valid immediately upon registration. On this page, you'll find all the information about the price, validity, rules for caravans and motorhomes, and fines for driving without a vignette.
We're working hard to offer the Swiss e-vignette directly through VignetDirect soon, just as easily as our other vignettes. Leave your email address at the bottom of this page, and we'll notify you as soon as the Swiss vignette is available to order from us.
What is the Swiss Vignette?
Switzerland doesn't charge tolls per kilometre like France or Italy. Instead, it uses an annual fee system with the motorway vignette (Autobahnvignette). This vignette is mandatory for all motor vehicles and trailers up to 3,500 kg using Swiss national roads - typically the motorways and highways marked with green signs. Whether you're driving through Switzerland for a day or living there for a year, the same annual vignette applies to everyone.
There are two types available: the classic adhesive sticker for your windscreen and the digital e-vignette linked to your vehicle's registration. Both cost the same and are valid for the same duration; the difference lies purely in convenience.
The e-vignette is registered to your registration number and is valid immediately after purchase. There's nothing to stick, send, or carry with you. Checks are done via your registration number. If you buy another vehicle but keep the same registration, your e-vignette remains valid.
Swiss Vignette Price
The Swiss vignette costs CHF 40, approximately €43. This rate has been unchanged since 1995 and applies per registration number. Unlike Austria or Slovenia, there is no short-term option: no day vignette, no 10-day vignette, and no monthly vignette. Even for a short transit - for example, on your way to Italy - you pay the full annual vignette.
| Vehicle | Annual vignette |
|---|---|
| Car (up to 3,500 kg) | CHF 40 |
| Motorbike | CHF 40 |
| Motorhome (up to 3,500 kg) | CHF 40 |
| Trailer or caravan (separate vignette required) | CHF 40 |
The mentioned amount is the official rate set by the Swiss government (BAZG). When ordering through VignetDirect, a one-time administration and service fee will be added; the exact total price will be displayed at launch in the order screen.
This is the key difference with Austria. In Switzerland, both your towing vehicle and your caravan or trailer need their own vignette. If you're driving with a car and caravan, you'll pay CHF 40 twice. Only trailers behind a motorcycle are exempt.
Validity: 14 months for the price of one year
The annual vignette follows the calendar year but with a generous margin on both sides. It's valid from 1 December of the previous year until 31 January of the following year - a total of 14 months. For example, the 2026 vignette is valid from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027. If you're going skiing around New Year's, one vignette covers the entire Christmas and February half-term holidays.
Where is the vignette required?
The vignette is required on Swiss national roads of the first and second class: the motorways (Autobahnen) and highways (Autostrassen), identifiable by green road signs. You don't need a vignette for regular roads and mountain routes, but if you're travelling extensively across Switzerland, you'll inevitably need the motorway. The major north-south routes towards Italy - via the Gotthard or San Bernardino - are entirely subject to the vignette requirement.
You don't pay an extra toll for the famous Gotthard Tunnel; it's covered by your vignette. Only the Great St Bernard Tunnel (towards Italy) and the Munt-la-Schera Tunnel (near Livigno) have separate tolls, which are paid in addition to the vignette. The car trains through the Vereina and Lötschberg tunnels also have separate charges.
Camper, motorbike, and vehicles over 3,500 kg
Motorcycles use the same CHF 40 annual vignette as cars. Motorhomes up to 3,500 kg also require a vignette. If your motorhome or vehicle exceeds 3,500 kg, you cannot use a vignette and must instead pay the Swiss heavy vehicle tax. This can be arranged at the border or online with the Swiss customs.
Opting for the sticker? Here's how to apply it correctly
If you prefer the classic sticker, it must be placed correctly, or the vignette is invalid. The rules are strict:
- Place the sticker inside the windscreen, on the left edge or behind the rear-view mirror.
- For a motorcycle, place the vignette on a fixed, non-removable part, like the tank, fairing, or windscreen.
- For a caravan or trailer, place its own vignette on the left side, preferably on a window.
- A loose, taped, or damaged sticker does not count as a valid vignette.
- The sticker is non-transferable to another vehicle; removing it renders it void.
With the digital e-vignette, there's nothing to stick and nothing to misplace, making it the safest choice for most travellers.
Fine for driving without a vignette
Swiss customs and police actively check at the border and on the motorway, increasingly using cameras. If caught without a valid vignette, you will be fined CHF 200 (over €200) on the spot and must still purchase a CHF 40 vignette. A wrongly placed or covered sticker is treated the same as having no vignette.
Arrange your vignette before departure. Border crossings are not always staffed, and not every crossing has a sales point; "I couldn't find anywhere to buy a vignette" is not a valid excuse for Swiss customs.
How will ordering work soon?
Once the Swiss vignette is available at VignetDirect, it will be just as easy to obtain as our other vignettes:
- Enter your number plate and country of registration.
- Check your details - the e-vignette is registered exactly to this number plate.
- Pay securely with card, Apple Pay or PayPal.
- We register the e-vignette to your number plate in the official Swiss system, and you'll receive confirmation via email.
No sticker on the dashboard, no hassle at the border: your number plate is your vignette.
Frequently Asked Questions about Swiss Vignette
Yes. A vignette is required for all Swiss motorways and highways for vehicles up to 3,500 kg. This applies even if you're just passing through, such as on your way to Italy.
The official rate is CHF 40, approximately €43. There is only an annual vignette available; shorter options like a day or 10-day vignette do not exist in Switzerland.
The annual vignette is valid for 14 months: from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year. So, the 2026 vignette is valid from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027.
The price and validity are the same. The e-vignette is digital and linked to your registration number: no need to stick anything on, and it's valid immediately upon registration. The physical sticker must be placed correctly on your windscreen and is non-transferable.
Yes. In Switzerland, a caravan or trailer requires its own vignette, in addition to the one for the towing vehicle. So, with a car and caravan, you pay CHF 40 twice. Only trailers behind motorcycles are exempt.
The fine is CHF 200, and you must also purchase a CHF 40 vignette. A wrongly placed or damaged sticker is treated as driving without a vignette.
Almost everything is covered by the vignette, including the Gotthard Tunnel. Only the Great St Bernard Tunnel and the Munt-la-Schera Tunnel have their own tolls, and the car trains through the Vereina and Lötschberg tunnels have separate charges.
Motorhomes up to 3,500 kg require a vignette. If your motorhome is heavier, you'll need to pay the Swiss heavy vehicle levy, which can be arranged at the border or online in advance.
No, each country has its own system. For Austria, you need a separate digital vignette, and for French environmental zones, a Crit'Air sticker. Both can be easily arranged through VignetDirect.
The e-vignette is linked to your registration number, not the vehicle. If you buy a new car but keep the same registration, the vignette remains valid. A typo in a foreign registration can only be corrected shortly after purchase, so double-check your registration when ordering.
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The Swiss vignette is not yet available to order from VignetDirect. Leave your email address, and we'll notify you when you can request the e-vignette from us. We won't use your address for anything else unless you opt in for our newsletter below.