Cars need a digital vignette (e-vignette) to use Hungarian motorways and expressways. It is tied to your number plate and you must buy it before you drive onto the toll section. For a car in category D1, the operator's rates from 1 January 2026 are 5,550 forint for a day, 6,900 for ten days, 11,170 for a month and 61,760 for the annual national vignette, VAT included. Without one, the surcharge is 27,790 forint if paid within 60 days. This guide covers prices, categories, buying, validity and the surcharge, from the operator's pages, Decree 45/2020 and GOV.UK.
What the Hungary vignette costs in 2026
The operator is the toll division of Hungarian Public Roads (Magyar Közút Nonprofit Zrt.). Its rates page says the prices apply from 1 January 2026 and include VAT. The operator says the price is set by law in forint, so what you pay in pounds depends on the exchange rate.
| Vignette | D1 (a car; U, a trailer, has the same prices) | D2 |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | 5,550 forint | 7,890 forint |
| Weekly (10-day) | 6,900 forint | 10,040 forint |
| Monthly | 11,170 forint | 15,820 forint |
| Annual, whole country | 61,760 forint | 87,650 forint |
| Annual, one county | 7,190 forint | 14,370 forint |
| Annual, M1 regional | 15,000 forint | 30,000 forint |
The M1 regional vignette is new for 2026: it covers the toll expressway network of Pest, Fejér, Komárom-Esztergom and Győr-Moson-Sopron, and anyone may buy it. For a single trip the ten-day vignette (6,900 forint) costs less than the M1 regional one and is valid on the whole toll network.
Which category do you need?
The category comes from the official entry in the vehicle registration certificate or another official document for the vehicle, not from how many people ride in it. The operator points to three fields: J (vehicle category), F.1 (maximum authorised mass) and S.1 (seats, driver included).
| Category | What the operator says |
|---|---|
| D1 | Passenger car up to 3.5 tonnes with at most seven seats including the driver, showing M1 or M1G in field J, and trailers towed by it |
| D1M | Motorcycles |
| D2 | Everything else that is not in another category: N1 or N1G in field J whatever the seats, eight or more seats, vehicles over 3.5 tonnes |
| U | A trailer towed by a D2 vehicle |
A nine-seater needs D2 even with seven people on board. A recreational vehicle over 3.5 tonnes needs D2, since all recreational vehicles joined the e-vignette system on 1 January 2026. Behind a D1 car a trailer needs no vignette of its own; behind a D2 vehicle, buy U as well, for the trailer's plate or the towing vehicle's. The operator does not say how a UK registration certificate maps to these fields; check yours before you pay.
How to buy the Hungary vignette online
The operator calls ematrica.nemzetiutdij.hu its official online portal and recommends registering there; its notice of 23 September 2026 also names toll-charge.hu as its own website. The form has three steps: vehicle data (country code, plate, category), choosing the vignette, then payment.
For online payment the FAQ names Mastercard, Maestro, Visa and Visa Electron; its answer on American Express adds V-PAY and JCB and says Amex has not been accepted since 1 January 2022. Your bank sends a code by text message for each payment, and the operator says only a successful confirmation counts as road use authorisation.
On 23 September 2026 the operator warned that some platforms only take an order, resell at a higher price than the official one set in forint and sometimes charge a monthly membership. The UK government's travel advice for Hungary says you must buy a motorway e-vignette in advance and that using the roads without one gets you a fine.
When it starts and when it ends
Decree 45/2020 and the rates page set how long each type lasts:
- Daily: midnight to midnight on the day you choose; bought for the same day, it runs from the moment of purchase.
- Ten days: the start day plus nine consecutive days.
- Monthly: from the start day to the end of the same day number the next month.
- Annual: to midnight on 31 January of the next year.
Unless you choose a later start date, a vignette starts at the time of purchase.
Which roads are tolled
With a few exceptions, the whole expressway network, the roads marked M and a number, is tolled, and signs mark where a toll section starts. The operator says the M5 is tolled up to the border at Röszke, the M70 from the border checkpoint, and from 1 January 2026 the M6 all the way to Ivándárda on the border. A county vignette works in its own county and up to the first junction in the next one. If a road closure or police diversion sends you onto a toll road, the operator says no toll is due while the diversion lasts, provided you leave at the next junction.
What happens without a valid vignette
Bona fide road users who enter the toll network by mistake have 60 minutes from entry to buy road use authorisation; after that a surcharge follows. The owner or operator of the vehicle pays it. Decree 45/2020 sets it at 45 per cent of the D1 annual price if paid within 60 days and 155 per cent after that; the operator's page gives 27,790 and 95,730 forint from 1 January 2026. A vignette for too low a category brings a differential surcharge of 15,530 forint within 60 days or 49,190 forint after that (60 and 190 per cent of the difference between the D2 and D1 annual prices, says the decree).
At a roadside check you hand over the vehicle's registration document while it is processed, and you pay the surcharge or, if the conditions are met, buy the vignette you needed. After an electronic check you receive a payment notice, and the 60 days start when you receive it. The operator lists reasons you can be charged even with a vignette: wrong category, plate or country code, one that has expired or not yet started, or a county vignette used outside its roads. A summary, not legal advice.
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, Hungary 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 them. BlitzBuddy is free, with no ads and no subscription. It is available for iPhone; the Android version is coming soon.
On the way you may also need the Austria vignette, and beyond Hungary the Romania vignette. How toll systems work in the UK and Europe and the international driving permit guide sit with them under driving abroad.
Sources
- E-vignette rates, Hungarian Public Roads, Toll Division
- Frequently asked questions, Hungarian Public Roads, Toll Division
- Surcharge, differential surcharge, Hungarian Public Roads, Toll Division
- Changes to the e-vignette system as of 1 January 2026, Hungarian Public Roads, Toll Division
- As of January, all RVs will be part of the e-vignette system in Hungary, Hungarian Public Roads, Toll Division
- Attention! Please purchase your e-vignette only from an authorised retailer, Hungarian Public Roads, Toll Division (23 September 2026)
- Query valid e-vignettes, Hungarian Public Roads, Toll Division
- E-vignette purchase, Hungarian Public Roads, Toll Division (purchase form, German version)
- 45/2020. (XI. 28.) ITM rendelet, Nemzeti Jogszabálytár (in Hungarian, version in force from 1 January 2026)
- Hungary travel advice: Safety and security, GOV.UK (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, guide updated 23 September 2026)
Sources read on 16 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Hungarian vignette for a car?
For category D1 (a car up to 3.5 tonnes with at most seven seats) the operator lists 5,550 forint for a day, 6,900 for ten days, 11,170 for a month and 61,760 for the year, VAT included, valid from 1 January 2026.
Where do I buy a Hungarian vignette online?
The operator names ematrica.nemzetiutdij.hu as its official online portal. On 23 September 2026 it warned customers to buy only from an authorised retailer, as some platforms resell at more than the official price set by law in forint.
Do I need a vignette for a trailer or caravan in Hungary?
Not behind a D1 car: the operator says a trailer towed by a D1 vehicle needs none. Behind a D2 vehicle you also need a category U vignette.
How can I check that my Hungarian vignette is valid?
Use the operator's query page with the country code and plate. It shows only a vignette valid at that moment, and a screenshot is not proof of purchase.
