Motorway vignette 2025: what you need to know
The 2025 motorway vignette is available from 1 December – both sticker and e-vignette. What you need to know plus fines for driving without a vignette.
04.11.2024
Federal Office for Customs and Border Security
1. Where can I buy a Swiss vignette for my car?
You can buy the 2025 Swiss motorway vignette from customs offices, as well as post offices, motorway service stations, petrol stations and selected retail outlets.
The e-vignette is available online from the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG).
2. When exactly is the 2025 vignette valid?
The 2025 vignette is valid from 1 December 2024 to 31 January 2026. You must affix the new vignette by 1 February 2025 at the latest.
3. What are the benefits of the e-vignette?
The motorway vignette is not only available as an adhesive vignette, but also as an electronic vignette. Instead of being attached to your vehicle, it is associated with your license plate.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The tedious process of sticking the new vignette on and scraping the old one off is no longer necessary. | There is no visible evidence on the car. |
| You can buy the e-vignette online. | When changing license plates, you need a new e-vignette – for example, when moving to another canton. |
| When purchasing a vehicle, the e-vignette remains valid (with the number plate unchanged). | Online registration is required, which requires basic knowledge of the Internet. |
| For vehicles with interchangeable number plates, a single e-vignette is sufficient. | As with any digital system, there can be technical problems. |
4. Where and how do I affix the vignette sticker?
What to watch out for when sticking on the classic vignette:
In cars, the vignette must be affixed on the inside of the windscreen so that it is clearly visible from the outside. The vignette must not restrict your view.
On motorcycles and trailers, you must affix the vignette in an easily accessible place.
With e-vignettes, the physical sticking of the vignette is eliminated.
Please note: attaching the vignette with adhesive tape or film is not permitted. If the police notice that your motorway vignette is not correctly attached, you will be fined.
Good to know: if you have to have a windscreen with a vignette replaced – for example, because of a rock damage – and you have casco insurance, you will usually receive a new vignette free of charge.
5. What’s the easiest way to remove old vignettes?
The easiest way to do this is with special sets for removing vignettes.
Alternatively, use a scraper for ceramic hobs. Heat the windscreen from the inside with a hairdryer – and loosen the old vignette. You can dab off adhesive residue with nail polish remover.
6. Is my vignette still valid if I buy a new vehicle?
The following applies to sticker vignettes: the vignette from the old car is not valid on the newly purchased vehicle. This means that removing and reattaching the vignette is not permitted. You can’t get a refund on the vignette when changing vehicles.
Are you buying a second-hand vehicle that already has a current vignette attached to it? Then it is still valid.
The following applies to e-vignettes: if you change vehicles but keep your licence plates, the vignette is still valid. If, on the other hand, there is a licence plate change, you will need a new e-vignette. However, this only applies if no e-vignette has yet been registered for the licence plates in question.
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7. FAQs on the 2025 vignette
If you have no vignette when driving on a motorway or expressway in Switzerland that requires a vignette, you will have to pay a fine of 200 francs. You must then also purchase a valid vignette and attach it correctly.
Anyone who thinks they can get away with forging a vignette should expect to pay a severe penalty. In addition to a fine, according to Article 245 of the Criminal Code, you may have to face up to three years in prison.
If you are travelling on the first two categories of national roads (motorways and expressways), you need a vignette. All motor vehicles and trailers that are not subject to the heavy vehicle charge should have a vignette.
The vignette must either be affixed to the windscreen of the vehicle in a clearly visible form as an adhesive vignette – or you must register an e-vignette to your licence plate.
You don’t need a vignette for all motorways and expressways in Switzerland. In the canton of Zurich, for example, you do not need a vignette for the Forch motorway between Zumikon and Hinwil. Here you can find out which roads you need a vignette for.
To be on the safe side, you should remove the old vignette. If your view is obstructed by one or more vignettes, you are taking an unnecessary risk.
The police can fine drivers. This decision rests entirely with the police.
The Swiss motorway vignette is available at a discount. These special deals are usually only available for a limited time. Special promotions for motorway vignettes have been offered in the past by discount stores such as Aldi, Lidl and Denner, as well as Touring Club Suisse (TCS).
Vignette promotions are usually subject to conditions or minimum purchases.
8. All motorway vignette designs from 1985 to 2025
For some car fans, the motorway vignette is not just a fee, but a small highlight on the vehicle. These are the previous vignette designs.
This article was first published on 13.01.2021
