In Switzerland, there is a toll sticker requirement: To drive on Swiss national roads, usage fees are collected through a motorway vignette. It is important to note that the toll sticker requirement applies only to national roads, which are Swiss motorways operated by the federal government. Motorways operated by cantons also require a vignette. A positive vote in a referendum in 1984 led to the introduction of the motorway vignette in 1985.
From 1985 to 1994, the price of the vignette was 30 Swiss francs per year and was increased to 40 Swiss francs per year on January 1, 1995, following a referendum. The price of 40 Swiss francs per year remains valid in 2023 as well, after a successful referendum against a proposed increase in 2013. The vignette is valid for 14 months, from December 1 of the previous year to January 31 of the following year. The vignette for the year 2023 is valid from December 1, 2022, to January 31, 2024, and the vignette for the year 2024 is valid from December 1, 2023, to January 31, 2025.
The toll sticker requirement applies to cars and trailers with a maximum permissible weight of up to 3.5 tonnes, as well as motorcycles. Trucks and vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes have no vignette requirement and are subject to a Heavy Vehicle Fee (LSVA) instead. It should be noted that an additional vignette must be purchased for any trailers. Vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes have to pay the Heavy Vehicle Fee instead of using a vignette.
Until August 2023, the Swiss vignette was only available as a physical sticker vignette, which could be purchased at customs offices, post offices, service stations, and gas stations (in Switzerland and in the border area with Switzerland) or at road traffic offices. The sticker vignette must be directly attached to the inside of the front windshield on the left side or behind the rearview mirror. The validity year is indicated by the year number in combination with changing color combinations.
As of August 1, 2023, Switzerland introduced the E-Vignette, a digital vignette. However, there are no plans to replace the physical sticker vignette with the E-Vignette. Both systems are intended to coexist in parallel. With the E-Vignette, the vehicle's license plate is registered, and the validity of the vignette can then be checked automatically through database access. The E-Vignette offers several advantages over the physical sticker vignette:
The Swiss vignette costs 40 Swiss francs for the year 2023. The vignette for Switzerland is valid for the year 2023 until January 31, 2023. Private providers through which the Swiss toll can also be registered usually charge additional administrative fees.
The Swiss vignette is only available as an annual vignette. It is always valid from December 1 of the previous year until January 31 of the following year. Therefore, the vignette for 2023 is valid until January 31, 2024.
Unlike, for example, Austria, Switzerland only has the annual vignette. There are no vignettes for shorter periods, such as a 10-day vignette or a 2-month vignette.
The physical sticker vignette for Switzerland can be purchased at customs offices, post offices, service stations, and gas stations (in Switzerland and in the border area with Switzerland) or at road traffic offices. Since August 2023, in addition to the physical sticker vignette, there is also the E-Vignette, which can be registered online. This is possible through a web portal of the Federal Customs Administration or through private providers like vignette-online.ch. The vignette can be paid for with a credit card or Twint through the Federal Customs Administration. Private providers like vignette-online.ch offer additional payment methods, such as Paypal, Sofortüberweisung, EPS, and more.
