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Travel Switzerland with Confidence

Your complete guide to the 2024 Swiss Autobahn Vignette. Avoid fines and travel smoothly.

See Quick Guide

The Vignette at a Glance

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Who Needs It?

Required for all vehicles and trailers up to 3.5 tons on Swiss motorways and expressways, including cars, motorcycles, and commercial vehicles.

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What's the Cost?

A flat fee of CHF 40. There are no options for shorter periods or different prices for different vehicle types. One fee covers the entire validity period.

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How Long is it Valid?

The vignette is valid for 14 months: from December 1st of the previous year to January 31st of the following year. For example, a 2024 vignette is valid from December 1st, 2023, to January 31st, 2025.

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What's the Penalty?

Driving without a valid vignette on required roads results in a CHF 200 fine, plus the mandatory immediate purchase of a new CHF 40 vignette. Save yourself the trouble!

How to Get Your Vignette: Sticker vs. E-Vignette

The Modern Choice: E-Vignette (Digital)

The digital vignette is linked to your license plate, not your vehicle. This makes it ideal for drivers with multiple cars using the same plates (wechselkennzeichen) or for those who simply dislike having stickers cluttering their windscreen. It also offers immediate activation upon purchase.

Purchase Steps:

  • Visit the official portal via "Via" of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG). Ensure you are on the legitimate government site.
  • Carefully enter your vehicle category, country of registration, and the precise license plate number. Double-check for accuracy.
  • Complete the secure payment using a credit card or other accepted digital methods. Your vignette is active immediately after successful payment.
Smartphone screen showing the e-vignette purchase process

The Classic Method: Adhesive Sticker (Physical)

The traditional physical sticker remains a popular option. It must be correctly affixed to your vehicle's windscreen to be valid. An incorrectly placed sticker, or one that has been removed and re-applied, is considered invalid.

Points of Sale:

Physical vignettes can be conveniently purchased upon arrival at:

  • Swiss border crossings
  • Swiss post offices
  • Many gas stations throughout Switzerland
  • Various tobacconists and retail points

Application Instruction:

Crucial: Affix the sticker to the inside of the windscreen on the left-hand side (driver's side in LHD vehicles) or directly behind the rear-view mirror. Do NOT affix it in the tinted strip of the windscreen, or anywhere that obstructs the driver's view. It is absolutely not valid if kept in the glove box, wallet, or anywhere else not on the windscreen.

Diagram showing the correct placement of the Swiss vignette sticker on a car windshield

Do I Need a Vignette? A Quick Checklist

If you checked ALL three boxes, a valid Swiss vignette is MANDATORY for your journey. Please ensure you purchase and correctly apply one to avoid fines. Conversely, if you plan to use only cantonal roads (recognized by blue signs) and local routes, a vignette is generally not required. Always plan your route carefully!

Common Questions Answered

Yes. If you are towing a trailer or caravan that also uses Swiss motorways and expressways, and its gross weight is under 3.5 tons, it requires its own separate CHF 40 vignette, in addition to the one for your towing vehicle. This applies even if the trailer is empty.
Almost always, yes. Rental cars registered in Switzerland typically come equipped with a valid motorway vignette already affixed. However, it is always wise to confirm this with the rental agency specifically when you pick up the vehicle. Be aware that cars rented in neighboring countries (e.g., France, Germany, Italy) will most likely NOT have a Swiss vignette, and you will need to purchase one at the border.
For a physical sticker vignette, you can obtain a free replacement vignette. You'll need to present the damaged old vignette (even if in pieces) and the invoice for the windshield replacement at official sales points, typically customs offices near the border. For an e-vignette, no action is needed as it is digitally tied to your license plate, not the physical vehicle.
The physical adhesive sticker vignette is explicitly tied to the vehicle it was affixed to and cannot be transferred to another person or vehicle. Attempting to remove and re-affix it invalidates the vignette. The e-vignette, however, is tied to the license plate. If you move your license plates to a different vehicle (which is possible in Switzerland with "Wechselkennzeichen"), the e-vignette remains valid for that plate, thus for the new vehicle.
No. The CHF 40 fee is a flat rate for the entire 14-month validity period, irrespective of how long you plan to stay or actually stay in Switzerland. There are no partial refunds issued for shorter stays, nor are there options for daily or weekly vignettes. Once purchased, it's valid until its expiry date.

Get in Touch or Visit Us

Contact Information

Vignette Guide CH
Bundesgasse 3
3011 Bern
Switzerland

Phone: +41 31 998 4470

Email: [email protected]

Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 09:00 - 17:00

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