eFlow is the company that collects the toll on the M50, the motorway around Dublin, and the toll has no booth: cameras on a gantry read your number plate, and a driver without an account must pay by 8pm the next day. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) lists the "applicable tolls 2026" for a car as 3.80 euro for an unregistered user, 3.20 euro with an eFlow video account and 2.60 euro with a tag. This guide covers where the toll is, how to pay it as a visitor, what a missed deadline costs and what the other Irish toll roads charge, from the TII and eFlow pages read on 17 October 2026.
Where the M50 toll is
eFlow says the barrier-free toll operates in both directions between junction 6 (N3 Blanchardstown) and junction 7 (N4 Lucan). Cameras on the overhead gantry capture the registration numbers of all vehicles, so the charge can be applied to the registered owner. TII owns the toll road, and eFlow, established in 2007 and run by Turas Mobility Services, operates the system under a TII contract. TII also says there is no cash payment at the tolling point.
The toll applies to every road user, tourists included. Of the vehicles eFlow lists as exempt, one matters for visitors: motorcycles, together with emergency and defence vehicles and some council vehicles, are recognised by the system and not charged.
eFlow tolls on the M50 for 2026
TII's M50 page lists the "applicable tolls 2026" by vehicle class and by how the toll is paid; the page gives no other date, and the figures below are as read on 17 October 2026.
| Vehicle | Tag | Video account | Unregistered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car (up to 8 passengers and the driver) | 2.60 | 3.20 | 3.80 |
| Goods vehicle up to 2,000 kg | 3.60 | 4.20 | 4.90 |
| Bus or coach (more than 8 passengers) | 3.60 | 4.20 | 4.90 |
| Goods vehicle 2,000 to 10,000 kg | 5.20 | 5.90 | 6.50 |
| Goods vehicle over 10,000 kg | 6.50 | 7.20 | 7.80 |
Amounts in euro. A visitor with no account pays the last column. eFlow's benefits page says a tag account saves up to 1.30 euro per journey and a video account up to 0.70 euro, and from the table a car saves 1.20 euro with a tag and 0.60 euro with video. Video tolling is valid on the M50 only; a tag also works on the express lanes at toll plazas nationwide and costs 1 euro plus VAT a month to rent.
How to pay as a visitor
TII and eFlow give the same options for an unregistered vehicle:
- Online at eflow.ie. Enter the registration number on eFlow's Pay a Toll page, which says you can pay before the journey or by the 8pm next-day deadline.
- At a Payzone outlet. Any retail outlet with the Payzone logo accepts the toll, in cash.
- By card over the phone. TII lists a call to eFlow with a Visa or Mastercard credit card or a Visa debit card.
The deadline is 8pm on the day after the journey, so a trip on Monday morning can be paid until Tuesday 8pm.
Hire cars
eFlow says many of the larger rental companies run a "company pays" model, so the toll is handled for you. It adds that you should confirm who is responsible with your rental company before you use any toll road. If it is you, the 8pm deadline is yours.
If you miss the deadline
TII's Pay a Toll page sets out the sequence. After 8pm the next day a late payment penalty is added and a First Penalty Notice goes to the registered owner's address. If the original toll and penalty are not paid within 14 days, a further fine is incurred and an Unpaid Toll Notice is issued. If it is still outstanding 72 days later, another penalty is applied and the journey is passed to eFlow's solicitors for collection.
On the M50 page, TII gives the default toll amounts: the initial default toll is the applicable toll plus 4.00 euro, the additional default toll is the initial one plus 51.00 euro, and the final default toll is the additional one plus 128.00 euro. That text is headed "Default Tolls for 2025" while the table above it is for 2026, so confirm the current amounts with eFlow. TII also says that anyone liable who fails, neglects or refuses to pay is guilty of an offence, liable on summary conviction to a fine of up to 5,000 euro or up to six months in prison, or both.
The other Irish tolls
TII says every Irish toll road except the M50 uses barrier-operated plazas, with attended lanes taking cash or card and automatic coin or contactless card lanes, while a tag lets you use all lanes. TII's "applicable tolls 2026" for a car, page by page:
| Toll road | Car, euro |
|---|---|
| M1 Gormanston to Monasterboice | 2.30 |
| M3 Clonee to Kells (each of two plazas) | 1.80 |
| M4 Kilcock to Kinnegad | 3.60 |
| M7/M8 Portlaoise (plaza on the M7) | 2.30 |
| M6 Galway to Ballinasloe | 2.30 |
| M8 Rathcormac to Fermoy bypass | 2.30 |
| N25 Waterford city bypass | 2.30 |
| N18 Limerick Tunnel | 2.30 |
TII places the M1 on the Dublin to Belfast route. The Dublin Port Tunnel has time-based tolls: 14.00 euro southbound from 6am to 10am and 12.00 euro northbound from 4pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday, and 3.50 euro at other times and on public holidays, with goods vehicles over 3,500 kg exempt. TII's page for the East Link toll bridge in Dublin mixes a 2024 period with a 2026 column, so check that one at the bridge; for bridges in Great Britain see UK toll bridges and their charges. For the electronic option TII describes eToll, an interoperable national tag system with express lanes on every toll road.
For the licence and papers, GOV.UK says a UK licence needs no international driving permit in Ireland and that you do not need a UK sticker or identifier there; the rest of the checklist is in driving in Europe from the UK. Another barrier-free system, with a different payment rule, is in the Portugal highway tolls guide, and the tolls overview compares the ways a toll is charged. More guides are under driving abroad.
What BlitzBuddy does in Ireland
BlitzBuddy gives no speed camera warnings in Ireland. Your speed and your trip log still work, with distance and time, while the trips setting is on, and camera warnings switch on by themselves when you arrive in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France or Türkiye. The app does not pay or track tolls, so the 8pm deadline stays your job. BlitzBuddy is free, with no ads and no subscription. It is available for iPhone; the Android version is coming soon.
Sources
- About the M50 Toll Road, eFlow
- Benefits, eFlow
- eFlow home page, eFlow
- Pay a Toll, eFlow
- M50 Barrier Free Tolling, Transport Infrastructure Ireland
- Pay a Toll, Transport Infrastructure Ireland
- Toll Locations and Charges, Transport Infrastructure Ireland
- eToll, Transport Infrastructure Ireland
- Driving in the EU, GOV.UK
Sources read on 17 October 2026 and checked again the same day.
Frequently asked questions
What is eFlow?
eFlow is the operator of the barrier-free toll on the M50 around Dublin and a provider of electronic tags for Irish toll roads. It is run by Turas Mobility Services under a contract with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, which owns the toll road.
Do tourists have to pay the M50 toll?
Yes. eFlow says the toll applies to all road users, tourists included. You pay by 8pm the day after you pass the toll point, online, at a Payzone outlet or by card over the phone.
Is there a cash lane on the M50?
No. TII says there is no cash payment facility at the M50 tolling point. Gantry cameras read the number plate and the toll is charged to the registered owner.
What happens if I miss the 8pm deadline?
A late payment penalty is added and a First Penalty Notice is sent to the registered owner. TII says further penalties follow if the toll and penalty stay unpaid, and that non-payment is an offence with a fine of up to 5,000 euro or up to six months in prison.
Who pays the M50 toll in a rental car?
It depends on the company. eFlow says many larger rental firms pay it for you, but you should confirm with yours before using any toll road, because if you are responsible the 8pm deadline applies to you.
