A car, camper van or motorcycle up to 3.5 tonnes needs a vignette to drive on Austria's motorways and expressways. For a car, ASFINAG, the motorway operator, lists 9.60 euros for one day, 12.80 euros for ten days, 32.00 euros for two months and 106.80 euros for the annual vignette in 2026. Online you buy the digital vignette, which is tied to the number plate; a two-month or annual one bought as a private person in ASFINAG's own shop or app is valid only from the 18th day after purchase. This guide covers the prices, the 18-day rule, section tolls and the penalty, from ASFINAG and Austrian law as read on 16 October 2026.
Who needs a vignette
ASFINAG says all cars, motorbikes and camper vans up to 3.5 tonnes technically permissible maximum laden mass (the figure in field F.1 of the registration certificate) must display a sticker or have bought a digital vignette in time before they drive onto a motorway or expressway. Above 3.5 tonnes you need a GO-Box and pay by distance.
A caravan or trailer needs no vignette of its own: ASFINAG says only the towing vehicle counts, whatever the trailer weighs.
Since 15 December 2019 the Federal Roads Toll Act has exempted some stretches, ASFINAG says, among them three from the border: the A 1 between the Walserberg border and the Salzburg Nord junction, the A 12 between the Kufstein border and Kufstein Süd, and the A 14 between the Hörbranz border and Hohenems. Tolls explained compares the ways of charging.
Prices for 2026
ASFINAG's rates are in euros, include 20 per cent VAT and are valid as of 1 December 2025.
| Vignette | Car | Motorcycle | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day (digital only) | 9.60 | 3.80 | One calendar day, until 23:59 |
| 10 days | 12.80 | 5.10 | Ten consecutive calendar days |
| 2 months | 32.00 | 12.80 | Two months from the start date |
| Annual | 106.80 | 42.70 | 14 months, 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027 |
ASFINAG's examples: a ten-day vignette starting on 10 June 2026 lasts to 19 June; a two-month one ends on 10 August.
The 18-day rule
The rule comes from consumer protection: you may withdraw from an online purchase within 14 days and ASFINAG adds three days for post, so validity starts on the 18th day at the earliest. It applies only when all of this is true:
- you buy as a private person (a consumer),
- in the ASFINAG toll shop or the ASFINAG app,
- and the product is a digital two-month or annual vignette.
ASFINAG's example: an annual vignette bought on 15 January starts on 2 February at the earliest. For a two-month vignette you can pick a later start date, but none before the 18th day.
The rule does not apply to the one-day and ten-day vignettes, which can be valid immediately. It also does not apply when you buy at a toll station, from a local sales partner (ARBÖ, ÖAMTC, selected petrol stations and kiosks), from an authorised online distributor or at an ASFINAG machine at a rest area; those sales are valid at once and have no right of withdrawal. The machines take cards, not cash. A business buying for its business gets immediate validity in the shop too.
Digital or sticker
ASFINAG offers the traditional sticker for the last time in 2026, a bright red one; from 2027 only the digital vignette is sold. Once you have an annual sticker or a digital vignette, you cannot switch to the other kind before it expires, except to a digital one after windscreen damage or a total loss.
Digital vignette. Choose car or motorcycle and the product, enter the country of registration, the number plate, an email address and the start date, and pay by card, PayPal, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay or eps (eps works from Austrian bank accounts). The help centre lists the United Kingdom among the countries you can buy from; the digital vignette page names only the EEA and Switzerland. For a foreign plate, ASFINAG says to enter no special characters, hyphens or spaces. Keep the confirmation until the vignette expires. ASFINAG's validity check at evidenz.asfinag.at shows what is registered for a plate, so a typo shows up.
Sticker. It is valid only if stuck once, fully removed from the carrier foil, on the inside of the windscreen outside the tinted strip, without tape or suction cups. ASFINAG says an unaffixed sticker is invalid, a removed one loses its validity and it cannot move to another car. Keep the lower section: it is the proof of purchase. If you stick it on during or after the journey, ASFINAG treats that stretch as unpaid and says you cannot report it afterwards.
Section tolls
The vignette is not valid on the six sections with an extra toll: the Gleinalm and Bosruck tunnels (A 9), the Tauern and Katschberg tunnels (A 10), the Karawanken tunnel (A 11), the Brenner motorway (A 13) and the Arlberg tunnel (S 16). ASFINAG says you need no vignette on the sections between the toll stations. Its rates from 1 January 2026 for a single trip include 12.50 euros on the Brenner motorway, 15.00 euros on the Tauern and Katschberg tunnels and 9.00 euros on the Karawanken tunnel, and a digital section toll registers your number plate so the barrier opens without stopping.
Using an unrestricted lane at a toll station without a valid section toll ticket leads to a replacement toll, ASFINAG says, even if you hold a vignette.
Checks and the cost of driving without one
ASFINAG says around 100 toll supervision staff check vehicles on the road, and control cameras that change location detect vehicles without a valid vignette. The operator asks a car or camper van for a replacement toll of 200 euros (100 euros for a motorbike). The Federal Roads Toll Act 2002 caps the replacement toll at 270 euros in section 19 (1), and section 20 (1) sets a fine of 300 to 3,000 euros for a driver who uses toll roads without having properly paid the time-based toll; under section 20 (5) the offence is not punished if the replacement toll is paid as requested.
ASFINAG warns of fake texts, emails and shops: check the sender, open no links, enter no data.
What BlitzBuddy does
BlitzBuddy does not sell vignettes. Its speed camera warnings run in five countries and switch on by themselves on arrival; in the UK, Ireland, Austria and every other country you get none, while your speed, your trips and reports from other drivers still work. Where speed camera warnings are allowed compares the countries. BlitzBuddy is free, with no ads and no subscription. It is available for iPhone; the Android version is coming soon.
The Swiss vignette guide covers the other vignette on the way to the Alps, the low emission zone explainer the city zones and the international driving permit guide your licence paperwork; all sit under driving abroad.
Sources
- Toll Sticker and Digital Vignette, ASFINAG
- Digital Vignette, ASFINAG
- Toll sticker, ASFINAG
- Section toll, ASFINAG
- Service and Controls, ASFINAG
- Vignette, ASFINAG Help Centre
- 18-day waiting period, ASFINAG Help Centre
- General topics on car tolls, ASFINAG Help Centre
- Replacement toll, ASFINAG Help Centre
- Bundesstraßen-Mautgesetz 2002, Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (in German, version of 16 October 2026)
Sources read on 16 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Austria vignette cost for a car in 2026?
ASFINAG lists 9.60 euros for one day, 12.80 euros for ten days, 32.00 euros for two months and 106.80 euros for the annual vignette, for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. The rates include 20 per cent VAT and are valid as of 1 December 2025.
Can I buy the Austrian vignette online from the UK?
ASFINAG's help centre says yes: it lists the United Kingdom among the countries you can buy from in its toll shop. A two-month or annual vignette bought there as a private person is valid from the 18th day after purchase at the earliest.
How soon is an online Austria vignette valid?
A one-day or ten-day vignette can be valid immediately. A two-month or annual one bought as a consumer in the ASFINAG toll shop or app is valid from the 18th day after purchase; bought at a toll station, a sales partner, an authorised online distributor or an ASFINAG machine, it is valid at once.
What happens if I drive in Austria without a valid vignette?
ASFINAG asks for a replacement toll of 200 euros for a car or camper van. Section 20 of the Federal Roads Toll Act 2002 sets an administrative fine of 300 to 3,000 euros, and the offence goes unpunished if the replacement toll is paid as requested.
