Tolls in Switzerland: general information
There is no distance-based car toll; in fact, levying this type of toll is prohibited by the Swiss Federal Constitution. However, all motor vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes are required to have a vignette for driving in Switzerland, while vehicles weighing over 3.5 tonnes that are not used for freight transport are subject to a flat-rate heavy vehicle charge (PSVA). This is not only compulsory on motorways, but also on the entire Swiss public road network (and in Liechtenstein).
Vehicle types and respective fee types in Switzerland
To provide an overview, the respective requirements are listed here once again according to the vehicle type.
| Vehicle type | Type of fee | Where it is used |
| Vehicles and trailers up to 3.5 tonnes | Vignette | National motorways and dual carriageways |
| Vehicles and trailers over 3.5 tonnes (e.g. heavy cars, heavy motorhomes and caravans, buses) | Flat-rate heavy vehicle charge (PSVA) | Entire road network |
| Commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes | Performance-related heavy vehicle charge (LSVA) | Entire road network |
The performance-related heavy goods vehicle charge for freight transport is not covered in this article.
Vignettes in Switzerland
The vignette system in Switzerland has a relatively simple structure. Every vehicle with a total weight of up to 3.5 tonnes requires its own Swiss vignette in order to use the national motorways and dual carriageways. This also applies to trailers. If you are driving in Switzerland with a trailer, you will need two vignettes, one for the towing vehicle and one for the trailer. They are not only available as classic adhesive vignettes, but since 2023 also as e-vignettes.
Vignette Switzerland: price
In Switzerland, there are no vignettes for periods of less than one year, i.e. no 1-day, 10-day or monthly vignettes. The annual vignettes for using the national motorways and dual carriageways in Switzerland cost CHF 40 for all motor vehicles, motorcycles, and trailers with a total weight of up to 3.5 tonnes. The vignette is valid for the calendar year in which it is purchased and for January of the following year.
Where can I buy vignettes for Switzerland?
Physical vignettes for using the national motorways and dual carriageways in Switzerland can be purchased directly at border stations, as well as online. The Switzerland e-vignette is only available online in the Via online shop of the Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security. As previously mentioned, only the annual vignette for the current calendar year is available for CHF 40; there are no options for shorter periods.
Motorway vignettes in Switzerland
National motorways can be identified by a green motorway sign with a white outline and a white number with a red background. National dual carriageways also have a white number on a red background and a green sign with a white car on it. Please note that the motorways and dual carriageways are often split up by several slip roads. These slip roads are part of the respective motorway or dual carriageway and are also subject to a Swiss motorway pass.
The cantonal motorways and dual carriageways, on the other hand, are not subject to vignettes. However, the signposting is not standardised and it is often difficult to distinguish them from national motorways and dual carriageways at first glance. The most prominent examples of cantonal motorways are the A50, A51 and A52 in the greater Zurich area.
| National road/ Slip road | Names | Route | Length | Things to note |
| N1 | East-west axis, Lake Geneva motorway | St. Margrethen – Bardonnex | 410 km | |
| N1K | Kreuzbleiche | St. Gallen Kreuzbleiche – Rosenbergstrasse | ||
| N1L | Letten | Zürich Ost – Zürich Letten | ||
| N1H | Hardturm | Limmattal – Zürich Hardturm | ||
| N1R | Aaretalstrasse | Aarau-Ost – Rohr | ||
| N1T | Neufeld Tunnel | Bern-Neufeld – Bern (Tiefenaustrasse) | ||
| N1F | Bern-Forsthaus – Bern (island) | |||
| N1M | Ecublens – Lausanne Maladière | |||
| N1G | Le Vengeron – Genève Lac/Route de Meyrin | |||
| N1E | Voie centrale | Perly – La Praille/Carrefour de l’Etoile | ||
| N2 | Gotthard motorway, north-south axis | Kleinhüningen – Chiasso | 295 km | |
| N2P | Gotthard Pass | Motto Bartola – A2 | ||
| N3 | Walensee motorway | Basel Kannenfeld – Sarganserland | 180 km | |
| N3W | Wiedikon | Zürich Süd – Zürich Wiedikon | ||
| N4 | Thayngen customs office – Brunnen Süd | 165 km | ||
| Flüelen – Altdorf | ||||
| N5 | Motorway on the southern Jura river (Jurasüdfluss) | Luterbach – Biel/Bienne (Bernstrasse) | 100 km | |
| Biel Westast | Brüggmoos – Vingelz connection | Suspended | ||
| Ligerz tunnel | Twann – Ligerz | |||
| Connection La Neuveville – Yverdon | ||||
| N6 | Brüggmoos – Mülenen | 84 km | ||
| N6M | Muri | Muri near Bern – Rüfenacht | 2 km | |
| N6T | Thun | Thun Nord – Glättimüli near Steffisburg | 1.9 km | |
| N6W | Wimmis | Wimmis – Simmenflue Tunnel | ||
| N7 | Kreuzlingen – Winterthur Ost | |||
| N8 | Spiez – Faulensee | |||
| Leissigen West – Leissigen Ost | 2 km | |||
| Interlaken West/Gunten – Brienzwiler | 23 km | |||
| Lungern Nord – Lungern Süd | ||||
| Giswil Süd – Hergiswil NW | ||||
| N9 | Rhone motorway | Vallorbe – Ganterbrücke | 230 km | Sierre Ost – Leuk and Gampel – Visp Süd sections under construction |
| N9C | Lutry | Lutry – La Croix | ||
| N11 | Airport (Flughafen) motorway | Kloten Nord – Zürich Nord | 6 km | |
| N12 | Bern-Weyermannshaus – La Veyre/Vevey | 80 km | ||
| N13 | Rhine Valley motorway, San Bernardino route | St. Margrethen – Bellinzona Nord | 198.9 km | |
| Locarno bypass (Umfahrung) | Aeroporto Locarno – Ascona | |||
| N14 | Rotsee/Emmen Süd – Walterswil/Sihlbrugg | |||
| N15 | Oberland motorway | Brüttisellen – Uster Ost | ||
| Uster Ost – Ottikon | In planning | |||
| Betzholz – Reichenburg | ||||
| N16 | Transjurane | Boncourt JU – La Heutte | ||
| Biel/Bienne-Taubenloch – Biel/Bienne Ost/Bözingenfeld | ||||
| N16T | La Rochette Tunnel | Tavannes – Route de Tramelan | ||
| N17 | Näfels – Niederurnen | 2.6 km | ||
| N18 | Hagnau – Angenstein | |||
| Gelingen bypass (Umfahrung) | ||||
| N20 | Allée des Défricheurs | Le Locle Ost – La Chaux-de-Fonds West | ||
| La Chaux-de-Fonds – Neuchâtel | ||||
| Thielle – Ins | 7.2 km | |||
| N21 | Martigny bypass (Umfahrung) | Grand St-Bernard – Martigny-Croix | ||
| N22 | Pratteln – Sissach | |||
| N23 | Bodensee-Thurtalstrasse | Grüneck – Meggenhus | 40.9 km | Eschikofen – Arbon West section in planning |
| N24 | Motorway slip road | Mendrisio – Stabio | 3.5 km |
Swiss toll roads
As levying a regular Swiss toll for passenger transport is prohibited by law, there are officially no toll roads. The road charges incurred for the chargeable roads listed below are usually declared as driving authorisation or parking charges.
Sellamatt Alpine Road
Using the road costs CHF 13 per day or CHF 30 per week. A ticket machine is located just after the Schwendi junction in Sellamatt.
Mountain roads in the municipality of Arosa
Tickets can be purchased at various shops in the village, as well as via TWINT, Parkingpay or EasyPark.
| 1 day | 17 days | 1 year |
| CHF 10 | CHF 30 (up to 3.5 tonnes)CHF 60 (over 3.5 tonnes) | CHF 90 (up to 3.5 tonnes)CHF 180 (over 3.5 tonnes) |
Kunkelspass
The driving permit can be purchased from the municipality of Tamin or by SMS.
| 1 day | 1 month | 1 year | |
| Motorcycle | CHF 10 | CHF 16 | CHF 25 |
| Cars up to 3.5 tonnes | CHF 20 | CHF 32 | CHF 50 |
| Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes | CHF 40 | CHF 64 | CHF 100 |
Grönstrasse
A voluntary fee of CHF 5 per day or CHF 15 per year is requested on site to use the 6 km-long route.
Hahnenmoosstrasse
In order to drive on the 5 km-long Hahnenmoosstrasse between the villages of Gilbach and Geils in the canton of Bern, you must apply for a special permit for a fee. This is only available for travellers from outside the region in the summer season from 1 May to 30 November. The cost is CHF 8 per day, CHF 15 for 21 days and CHF 40 for the entire season.
Mühletal-Engstlenalp
The fees can be paid on site at the Wagenkehr restaurant. Pitches for motorhomes cost CHF 25 per night.
| 1 day | 1 month | Season | |
| Motorcycles | CHF 5 | CHF 20 | CHF 40 |
| Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes | CHF 10 | CHF 40 | CHF 80 |
| Vehicles 3.5-7.5 tonnes | CHF 20 | N/A | N/A |
| Vehicles 7.5-32 tonnes | CHF 50 | N/A | N/A |
Tunnel fees in Switzerland
A fee is charged for the following tunnels in Switzerland.
Great St Bernard Tunnel
The Great St Bernard Tunnel connects Martigny in the canton of Valais in Switzerland with la Valle d’Aosta in Italy over a distance of 5,798 metres. Payments are made on site at the entrance.
| Single journey | Outbound and return journey | 10 journeys | 20 journeys | |
| Motorcycles (with sidecar/trailer) | EUR 18.50 | EUR 24.50 | EUR 125 | EUR 165 |
| Vehicles with two or more axles (up to 2 metres high) | EUR 31 | EUR 50 | EUR 125 | EUR 165 |
| Vehicles with two or more axles (2 to 3 m high) | EUR 48.50 | EUR 77.50 | EUR 290 | EUR 285 |
| Lorries/buses with two axles (over 3 m high) | EUR 84.50 | EUR 136.50 | EUR 630 | EUR 1090 |
Munt-la-Schera Tunnel
The 3385 metre-long Munt-la-Schera Tunnel connects Engadin in Switzerland with the province of Sondrio in Italy. The maximum permissible vehicle dimensions are 3.60 metres high and 2.5 metres wide. Tickets are sold online at the following prices.
| Motorcycle | Passenger car | Caravan | |
| Single ticket (Sun-Fri) | CHF 11 | CHF 20 | CHF 23 |
| Return ticket (Sun-Fri) | CHF 17 | CHF 35 | CHF 41 |
| Single ticket (Sat) | CHF 11 | CHF 29 | CHF 23 |
| Return ticket (Sat) | CHF 17 | CHF 42 | CHF 41 |
Motorails in Switzerland
There are several motorail stations in Switzerland where vehicles are transferred to transport trains in order to avoid long detours. The Oberalp motorail station was closed in spring 2023.
Furka Tunnel motorail
The 15.38 km-long Furka Base Tunnel connects Oberwald in the canton of Valais with Realp in the canton of Uri. The motorail trains run every hour during the day and every half hour from Friday to Monday. The journey takes about 15 minutes. The tickets are available online and at onsite ticket machines.
| 01.10. to 31.05. | 01.06. to 30.09. | |
| Motorcycles | CHF 20 | CHF 20 |
| Motor vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and 3.05 m high | CHF 33 | CHF 27 |
| Motor vehicles and trailers that weigh up to 3.5 tonnes or are more than 3.05 m high | CHF 66 | CHF 54 |
| Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes without a trailer (advance registration required) | CHF 200 | CHF 200 |
Lötschberg Tunnel car transport service
The 14.6 km-long Lötschberg Tunnel has connected the Kander Valley to Goppenstein in Valais since 1913. The journey by car train takes place every half hour and takes about 15 minutes. Tickets can be purchased on site and online.
| Monday to Thursday | Friday to Sunday, public holidays | |
| Motorcycles/Trikes | CHF 19 | CHF 19 |
| Cars up to 3.5 tonnes and 9 seats, motorhomes up to 5 tonnes | CHF 25 (online) CHF 27 | CHF 28 (online) CHF 29.50 |
| Trailers up to 0.75 tonnes | CHF 20 | CHF 20 |
| Trailers from 0.75 to 3.5 tonnes | CHF 27 | CHF 29.50 |
Simplon Tunnel car train
The 19.8 kilometre-long Simplon Tunnel is located between Brig in the Swiss canton of Valais and Iselle di Trasquera in the Italian region of Piedmont. Trains run every 90 minutes and have a journey time of 90 minutes. Tickets are available online and on site on the Swiss side.
| Motorcycles | CHF 15 |
| Cars and motorhomes up to 3.5 tonnes and 9 seats | CHF 26 |
| Motorhomes over 3.5 tonnes | CHF 45 |
| Trailers up to 0.75 tonnes | CHF 15 |
| Trailers from 0.75 to 3.5 tonnes | CHF 26 |
Vereina Tunnel car train
The car train runs every 30 minutes through the 19 km-long Vereina Tunnel between Klosters in Prättigau and Sagliains in Engadin. Single tickets for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes can be purchased online, alternatively, all tickets are available on site.
| 01.12. to 30.04. | 01.05. to 30.11. | |
| Motorcycles | CHF 22 | CHF 21 |
| Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and 9 seats | CHF 39 | CHF 34 |
| Vehicles from 3.5 to 5 tonnes | CHF 84 | CHF 52 |
| Vehicles from 5 to 10 tonnes | CHF 126 | CHF 81 |
| Trailers up to 0.75 tonnes | CHF 22 | CHF 21 |
| Trailers from 0.75 to 3.5 tonnes | CHF 39 | CHF 34 |
| Trailers from 3.5 to 5 tonnes | CHF 84 | CHF 52 |
The toll for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes in Switzerland
All vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of over 3.5 tonnes must pay a flat-rate heavy vehicle charge (PSVA) in Switzerland. This also applies to motorhomes and trailers. The PSVA is not only required on all public roads in Switzerland, but also for travelling in general; it must also be paid for a motorhome that is only parked on a campsite.
The PSVA can be paid at border crossings when entering the country or in advance online or in the Via app. The proof of payment issued for the vehicle must then be presented upon request during inspections.
The following costs apply for a motorhome or caravan with a total weight of over 3.5 tonnes:
| Term | Price |
| 1-30 consecutive days | CHF 3.25 per day (min. CHF 25, max. CHF 58.50) |
| 10 freely selectable individual days | CHF 32.50 |
| 1-11 consecutive months | CHF 58.50 per month |
| 1 year from issue date | CHF 650 |
The PSVA can be transferred to another vehicle as long as it is of the same type of vehicle.
Further information
All basic information on the vignette and PSVA in Switzerland can be found on the official VIA online portal of the Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security.
An official, interactive map showing all motorways and dual carriageways subject to vignettes is provided by the Swiss Federal Roads Office.
You can find information about the current riding quality of the many Alpine passes here.
FAQ
How much is a Swiss vignette?
The Swiss vignette costs CHF 40 and is valid for the calendar year plus the following January.
Do you need a vignette in Switzerland?
Yes. All vehicles within the permissible total weight require a vignette in Switzerland.
Can you tell me where to buy the Swiss vignette?
Vignette stickers are available in both online shops, such as the Swiss Post website, and at border stations or post offices. The e-vignette can be purchased worldwide via the VIA online portal or the VIA app.
Comment