Swiss Vignette (2026): Cost, Where to Buy, Tunnels & What Rental Cars Include

Switzerland requires a vignette (motorway sticker) for all vehicles using its national highways. It costs 40 CHF and is valid for the entire calendar year — there is no day, week, or month option. If you skip it and get caught, you pay 200 CHF plus the vignette cost on the spot.

Rental cars frequently come with a vignette pre-fitted, but not always. Confirm at pickup. If your car does not have one and you plan to use motorways, buy it at the border, a petrol station, or online before you arrive.

This guide is for road trippers who need to understand exactly what the vignette covers, where to buy it, what tunnel fees apply separately, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.

The vignette is an adhesive sticker that must be permanently attached to the inside of your windscreen — not placed on the dashboard or hung from the mirror. Cameras and border police check for correct attachment, not just possession.

It covers all Swiss motorways (marked with green Autobahn signs). It does not cover mountain passes, cantonal roads, or local roads, which are all free. Famous routes like the Furka Pass, Susten Pass, Gotthard Pass, and Bernina Pass are not motorways and do not require a vignette.

Electronic versions (e-vignette) are available from 2023 onwards via the official Swiss customs portal. These are tied to your number plate, not a physical sticker, and are ideal for rental cars where sticker removal could damage the windscreen.

Before travel: the official Swiss customs e-shop at shop.bazg.admin.ch sells both physical stickers and e-vignettes. Order at least a week ahead for postal delivery. E-vignette is instant and the safest option for rental cars.

At the border: Swiss border crossings typically have a purchasing window. This is convenient but adds a few minutes to your crossing. Available in CHF and sometimes EUR.

In Switzerland: AVIA, Migros, and many Coop petrol stations sell vignettes. The Post Office also stocks them. If your rental car lacks one and you cross via motorway from the start, buying at the border is the right move.

Note: vignettes are not sold at airports past border security. Buy before you collect your rental car if you plan to drive directly onto a motorway.

The Grand Saint Bernard Tunnel (connecting Switzerland to Italy via Aosta) charges a separate toll — approximately 30 CHF one-way for a car. It is not covered by the vignette. The open pass road over the Great Saint Bernard is free but only open late June to early October.

The San Bernardino Tunnel (on the A13 between Chur and Bellinzona) is a motorway tunnel covered by the vignette — no extra charge applies.

The Gotthard Road Tunnel is part of the A2 motorway network and is vignette-covered. The historic Gotthard Pass road (Tremola cobblestones route) is entirely free.

Austrian motorways and pass roads have their own fee system: an annual or 10-day picket (vignette equivalent) plus separate tolls on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, Arlberg Tunnel, and several other premium routes.

Buying a fake vignette: counterfeit vignettes are sold on third-party websites and markets. Buy only from official sources. A fake vignette does not protect you from fines.

Peeling and re-applying: once applied, the vignette is designed to destroy itself if removed. Do not try to transfer it between vehicles or reattach it. It must be permanently applied at purchase.

Assuming the rental car has one: some rental providers include the vignette in the cost, others do not. Check your rental contract in the confirmation email, not just at pickup.

Crossing motorway sections near borders: even a short motorway segment between a border crossing and the first exit requires the vignette. Officers patrol precisely these short stretches.

Driving in early January with a previous year's sticker: vignettes are valid for the calendar year only. January 1 each year, you need the new sticker. Buy the following year's vignette from November onwards.

Most major rental providers (Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Sixt) include the Swiss vignette for Switzerland pick-ups. Budget and local operators vary — confirm in writing before travel.

If you pick up in Germany, France, or Italy and drive into Switzerland, the vignette is almost certainly not included. Buy an e-vignette online before your departure date.

For cross-border trips, confirm your rental agreement permits entry into Switzerland (most do from surrounding countries). Austrian, German, and French vehicles regularly cross Swiss borders legally.

The e-vignette is the cleanest solution for cross-border rentals — no sticker damage to a vehicle you do not own, and the plate registration is automatic.