Sticker comes in physical or digital format, and failure to have it results in a fine<\/p>\n
\n The sticker functions as a kind of road tax for vehicles. Archive photo shows a Swiss motorway near Zurich
\n Michael Derrer Fuchs\/Shutterstock\n <\/p>\n
Drivers crossing the border from France into Switzerland are being reminded to update their \u2018motorway sticker\u2019, an annual requirement for all vehicles driving on the country\u2019s major roads.<\/p>\n
The \u2018vignette autorouti\u00e8re\u2019 is a sticker<\/a> that all vehicles less than 3.5 tonnes must purchase annually if they want to drive on Switzerland\u2019s motorway network or certain other major roads.\u00a0<\/p>\n A map of roads is available here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Drivers passing through the Rheinfelden, Kreuzlingen, and Basel \/ Saint-Louis border points but leaving the motorway on the first exit to drive on smaller local roads are exempt from the requirement.<\/p>\n The sticker essentially functions as a form of road tax, and needs to be re-purchased each year (or bought for the first time if you have never driven on the roads before).\u00a0<\/p>\n It is required for drivers including tourists passing through on a one-off basis, as well as those who live in a neighbouring country but use the road network (for example if they live in France but work in Switzerland).<\/p>\n Vehicles weighing above 3.5 tonnes are exempt, but must pay a separate mandatory heavy vehicle tax.<\/p>\n How does it work and where can I buy a sticker?\u00a0<\/p>\n The sticker lasts until January 31 of the following year (so currently until January 31, 2027), meaning all vehicles need the next vignette from February 1 each year.<\/p>\n New vignettes can be purchased from December 1 onwards to cover the next 14 months, so there is a period of overlap between annual stickers.<\/p>\n You can either buy a physical version of the sticker to attach to your windscreen, available at Swiss Post Offices, service stations, and some border checkpoints.<\/p>\n You can also order a physical version from the Swiss Post Office<\/a> website to be delivered but this is limited to Swiss addresses.<\/p>\n