Switzerland: Vignette & Tolls

Switzerland sells exactly one vignette and it covers the calendar year. There is no weekly option, no monthly option, and no way to pay for a single crossing — an afternoon's transit and twelve months of daily commuting cost the same CHF 40. That price has not changed since 1995, which is worth knowing mainly because it makes the Swiss vignette unusually cheap for anyone staying a while, and unusually poor value for anyone clipping a corner of the country. If you are only passing through, check whether a non-motorway route avoids the charge. The validity window also runs from December of the previous year through January of the next, so a vignette bought in late December covers the tail of one year and most of the next.

Toll system

An annual vignette (physical sticker or digital, plate-linked) is required for all motorways and expressways — sold for a fixed calendar-year period (valid from December of the prior year through January of the following year), with no short-term options.

Buying a vignette

Available as a physical windscreen sticker (sold at petrol stations, post offices, and border crossings) or as a plate-linked digital e-vignette bought online in advance through the official Swiss customs/ASTRA e-vignette shop. The vignette covers a roughly 14-month cycle, from December of the prior year through January of the following year, with no short-term option.

Price bands

The vignette price has been fixed at CHF 40 since 1995, regardless of vehicle size (up to 3.5 t) or how much of the validity window you actually use. Confirm the current price on the official ASTRA site before buying, since the rules can still change.

Official source

How this compares with neighboring countries