Are you going on holiday to Switzerland by car, or even just to Austria for a shopping trip? Then you will almost certainly be driving through one of the countries where motorways are subject to tolls. And beware – each country has its own system. In some places you pay a vignette, in others a toll or an electronic vignette. There’s more than enough room for confusion. So here’s what you need and where you need it.
To use motorways in Slovakia, you need a Slovak electronic vignette. The following options are available:
If you go driving on a Slovak motorway without a Slovak vignette, be prepared for high penalties – fines start at €50 but can go up to €500. Slovakia uses automated cameras, so you can be “caught” without anyone stopping you. If the offence applies to you, you will usually receive a notice to pay the fine in Czech or Slovak. The penalties can be high, but it is possible to appeal or make an agreement with the authorities to pay in instalments.
Austria has a system combining electronic vignettes and tolls for selected sections. You pay this in areas such as the Brenner Tunnel or the Gleinalm. You can buy a vignette for shorter or longer periods:
Interestingly, the e-vignette can be anonymous, so it is not always tied to a single name or email. But the fines here are stiff – €120 on the spot and up to €3,000 in administrative proceedings. Calls for payment usually come in German and English. In Austria, fines can often be settled on the spot, which is especially worthwhile when you’re at a roadside check.
We can advise you on how to proceed, help you with appeals or resolve difficult situations so that the fines don’t burden you more than necessary. Don’t wait for the foreclosure to arrive – contact us early and be confident that your rights will be protected! Contact us today.
You don’t need a vignette for motorways in Germany yet, you can use them for free with a private car. But that doesn’t mean you’re completely free of obligation. In many cities there are so-called Umweltzonen – ecological zones. You can’t enter these without an emissions plaque. Fines for violation can be around €80.
The electronic vignette Slovenia is used in Slovenia. It offers the following variants:
Slovenia is known for its frequent and very thorough road checks. The fines for driving without a plate range between €300 and €800, and beware – you may be fined when you get home, even months after you return.
Switzerland has a simple but strict system. There is only an annual vignette for about 1,076 CZK (40 CHF), which is valid from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year.
Are you only going to Switzerland for a short visit? Unfortunately, you’re out of luck, because you won’t get an annual vignette. If you decide to take a chance and head out on a Swiss motorway without a vignette, if you are stopped you will be immediately fined approximately 5,300 CZK and you are obliged to buy a vignette immediately.
Tip: If you are going abroad, you should definitely not go without travel insurance. We will advise you how to choose the best one.
Hungary’s motorways are tolled with an electronic stamp, the e-matrix. You can buy it at a petrol station or online. You must enter the correct number plate when you register, otherwise the system will penalise you. And quite quickly. If the system detects that you are driving with a different number plate than the one you entered within 60 days, you will be fined about CZK 1,150. If this happens after 60 days, the fine is as much as 4,500 CZK. Hungary is one of the fastest countries to send fines across the border.
It sounds like a nightmare – you come back from holiday and find a fine from Slovenia or Austria in your mailbox a month later. Is it even possible to be fined for an offence abroad at home in the Czech Republic?
Yes, it is perfectly legal and common. Thanks to Directive (EU) 2015/413 of the European Parliament and of the Council, countries automatically share information about traffic offences – especially those recorded by cameras or automated systems. This exchange takes place electronically and very quickly.
If you commit a traffic offence abroad, for example if you drive on a toll road without a valid vignette, an automated camera can record you. The foreign authorities will then request information about the vehicle from the Czech register, so they can find out who the car belongs to. They will then send you a notice to pay the fine by post – usually in Czech or with a translation attached. You have the option of defending yourself against the fine if, for example, you disagree with the fine or think it was unjustified, but each country has different time limits and formal requirements. If you ignore the notice and do not pay the fine, it may be enforced in the Czech Republic, even in the form of an execution.
It is clear from this that foreign fines have legal weight in the Czech Republic as well. It is not uncommon for Czech drivers to receive an enforcement notice several months after returning from holiday. If you do encounter a fine, do not ignore it, especially if it is an EU offence. If you have any doubts about its justification or amount, you can contact us. Sometimes it is possible to challenge a fine on a technicality and avoid unnecessary costs.
Tip: Are you planning to import goods from abroad? Then be prepared to go through customs and pay duty. We know the details.
Have you received a letter from abroad telling you that you have violated traffic laws? Don’t panic. Follow these steps:
Many Czech drivers are often unaware that they must have a valid vignette in order to drive through certain sections, especially on short routes or newly tolled sections. Another common mistake is incorrectly entering the vehicle registration number when purchasing an electronic vignette, where a single typo is enough to invalidate the vignette. Drivers also often overlook the rules concerning ecological zones, which are strictly controlled, especially in Germany and Austria, and violation of these rules can lead to fines. In addition, many people ignore summonses to pay fines from abroad because they mistakenly believe that there is nothing they can do from abroad – but the opposite is true and fines can be enforced in the Czech Republic.
Our recommendation is:
When travelling abroad by car, especially to countries such as Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland and Hungary, there are different systems of paying for motorways and roads – from electronic vignettes (Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary), to a combination of vignettes and tolls (Austria), to free motorways but with ecological zones (Germany) or just an annual vignette (Switzerland). The prices of the stamps vary from a few euros per day to hundreds of euros per year, and driving without a valid stamp or a correctly entered registration mark is punishable by fines that can reach several thousand euros. Offences are recorded by automated cameras and, thanks to the European Data Sharing Directive, fines can be enforced even after return to the Czech Republic, including the possibility of execution. It is therefore important to know the rules, always check the validity of the tag, fill in the details correctly and do not ignore any fines – on the contrary, it is advisable to deal with them in good time or consult a lawyer.
Our team of experienced attorneys will help you solve any legal issue. Within 24 hours we’ll evaluate your situation and suggest a step-by-step solution, including all costs. The price for this proposal is only CZK 690, and this is refunded to you when you order service from us.
Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 10 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
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