Swiss vignette: no need to stick it on the windshield
For the past year, it's no longer been necessary to buy a sticker to drive on Swiss motorways. In 2023, the confederation successfully introduced an electronic sticker.
No need for a motorway sticker (vignette) to cross the Swiss border anymore. There is a new formula. Until recently, every user of Swiss motorways had to buy a motorway vignette before crossing the Swiss border, or directly at customs. Vignettes costs 40 francs (42 euros) and then had to stick it behind the windshield. Buying it abroad before going to Switzerland, buying one at a petrol station or in a garage often cost more, with the exchange rate and the seller's margin being added to the cost. What's for more, this was an extra sticker that had to be stuck on the windshields of drivers who frequently in Europe (the French Crit'Air and the German Feinstaubplakette, for example). In addition, regular visitors to Switzerland ended up with a collection of stickers of all sorts of colours stuck on their windshield.
Instant validation
Switzerland finally decided to offer the motorway vignettes in electronic form a year ago (Editor's note: August 2023). This e-vignette can be purchased at the same price as the normal vignette on the official website (www.e-vignette.ch). Simply enter the registration, country and vehicle category, then pay the 40 CHF online. Once the payment is accepted, the electronic vignette is valid immediately. Just like the normal vignette, it is valid until 31 January of the following year (i.e. 31 January 2025 for one purchased in 2024). The new 2025 e-vignette will be available from 1 December (valid from 1 December 2024 to 31 January 2026). For those who are nostalgic, the normal vignette remains valid and available at many points of sale in Switzerland and abroad.
Scanner check
The electronic vignette is checked by a scanner based on the registration plate. It can be done manually by a border guard or a police officer. You should remember to keep your confirmation e-mail. And in any case, the purchasing site keeps a record of 'active products'. In the absence of a vignette, electronic or not, the fine is 200 Swiss francs (€212). In December 2023, 1.8 million 2024 electronic vignette had already been purchased. The Swiss authorities estimate that nearly 11 million vignettes will be sold in 2024, out of which about half will be electronic.
(MH with Olivier Duquesne – Source: 20 minutes – Swiss Federal Administration / Picture: © BAZG – Swiss Administration)
