What the Swiss motorway vignette 2027 costs, when it is valid, how the e-vignette works, where to buy it officially, what applies to hire cars from abroad and which fine applies. Plus: hire car or transfer – an honest calculation for travellers from Zurich Airport.
Anyone using motorways or expressways in Switzerland needs a valid vignette. For locals it is routine; for visitors with a hire car or their own car from abroad it is one of the most common questions before the trip – and a reason for unnecessary fines.
This guide explains everything about the 2027 vignette: price, validity, e-vignette and sticker, the official sales points, special cases such as interchangeable number plates and trailers – and why you do not need a vignette at all with a transfer.
The 2027 vignette at a glance
The key facts (as of October 2026, according to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, FOCBS):
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Price | CHF 40 – the same for e-vignette and sticker |
| Validity | 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2028 (14 months) |
| Available from | 1 December 2026 |
| 2026 vignette still valid | until 31 January 2027 |
| Who needs it | Motor vehicles and trailers up to 3.5 tonnes on motorways and expressways |
| Fine without vignette | CHF 200, plus you must buy a vignette |
What does the 2027 vignette cost?
The Swiss motorway vignette has cost an unchanged CHF 40 for many years. A short-term vignette for a few days or weeks, as in Austria, does not exist in Switzerland: even if you only use the motorway for one day, you buy the annual vignette.
When buying the e-vignette with a foreign credit card, the actual amount may differ slightly due to the exchange rate and card fees. Beware of unofficial websites: some sellers add a considerable mark-up. Officially, you get the e-vignette through the FOCBS online portal.
When is it valid and for how long?
Each vignette is valid for 14 months: from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year. The 2027 vignette is therefore valid from 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2028. Because the periods overlap, you may still drive with the 2026 vignette until the end of January 2027; from 1 February 2027 you need the new one.
E-vignette or sticker?
Both cost the same and are valid for the same period. The differences show in everyday use:
- E-vignette: bought online, linked to the number plate, valid immediately. Ideal for interchangeable plates, because the vignette applies to the plate, not the vehicle. If you change car but keep the plate, it remains valid.
- Sticker: available at customs, post offices, petrol stations and service areas, must be stuck directly onto the windscreen. It only applies to the vehicle it is stuck to – after a broken windscreen or a change of vehicle you need a new one.
- For foreign vehicles the e-vignette is usually the simpler choice, because you buy it before the trip and save the stop at the border.
Who needs a vignette – and who does not?
All motor vehicles and trailers up to 3.5 tonnes using motorways or expressways need a vignette – cars, motorbikes, motorhomes up to 3.5 tonnes and also trailers, which need their own vignette. Heavier vehicles pay a different charge.
You do not need a vignette if you only use main and minor roads. In practice that is rarely realistic: most connections from Zurich Airport, whether to Lucerne, Basel, Bern or the mountains, use the motorway.
Hire cars: who takes care of the vignette?
Hire cars with Swiss plates that you collect at Zurich Airport usually already have the vignette. It is different with vehicles hired in Germany, France or Italy, for example on the French side of EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse or in Konstanz. These often have no Swiss vignette; ask at pickup and, if in doubt, buy one before the first motorway slip road.
If you drive on to Austria, note: from 1 February 2027 Austria only accepts the digital vignette; the sticker no longer exists there. Germany charges no motorway toll for cars. What else applies at the border is in From Zurich Airport to Germany or Austria.
Checks and fines
Anyone caught on the motorway without a valid vignette pays a fine of CHF 200 and must also buy a vignette on the spot. Checks are carried out by police and customs, including at border crossings. A sticker that is not stuck directly onto the windscreen but attached with film, for example, is considered invalid.
Hire car or transfer? The honest calculation
The vignette itself is rarely the issue – CHF 40 is manageable. What makes a hire car expensive is everything else: the daily rate, insurance, fuel, parking fees in hotel garages in cities and mountain resorts, and in winter chains or surcharges for winter equipment. On top of that, key holiday resorts such as Zermatt, Wengen, Mürren and Saas-Fee are car-free; the car sits in a paid car park for a week.
A transfer from Zurich Airport, on the other hand, takes you right to the hotel door at a fixed price per vehicle, without a vignette, searching for parking or driving after a long-haul flight. For travellers who mainly use trains, mountain railways and boats once there, it is almost always the cheaper and more relaxed solution. The booking calculator shows the price for your route in seconds; mountain destinations are in The best ski resorts from Zurich Airport.
A hire car pays off, by contrast, if you are planning a round trip with many remote destinations or want to drive somewhere different every day. A combination is often ideal: transfer from the airport to the first hotel, rest there, and only pick up the hire car for the days you really need it.
Frequently asked questions about the 2027 vignette
What does the 2027 vignette cost?
CHF 40, both as an e-vignette and as a sticker. There are no short-term vignettes in Switzerland.
From when do I need the 2027 vignette?
From 1 February 2027 at the latest. It is available and valid from 1 December 2026.
Where do I buy the e-vignette officially?
Through the online portal of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS). Avoid third-party sellers with mark-ups.
Does my hire car have a vignette?
Vehicles hired in Switzerland usually do. For vehicles from abroad, ask at pickup.
Do I need a vignette for a transfer?
No. Our vehicles are Swiss vehicles with all required charges paid; you get in and sit back.
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