Motorway vignettes: how long they last in Czechia and abroad

The Czech vignette

Czechia charges an electronic time fee for 1 year, 30 days, 10 days or 1 day. You pick the start date — not before payment and at most 30 days after it.

So the annual vignette does not end on 31 December but one year from the chosen day. If you bought it in March, you need a new one in March — exactly the date people forget.

• It is linked to your number plate; there is no sticker.
• Buy it on the official site edalnice.gov.cz. Reseller and scam sites charge more.
• Changing your number plate? Check how to move the vignette to the new plate.

Annual vignettes in nearby countries

Where a time-based vignette applies, what differs most is when the annual one ends:

• Slovakia: 365 days including the chosen day (also 30, 10 and 1 day).
• Slovenia: 12 months from the chosen day (also monthly and weekly).
• Bulgaria: 12 months from the chosen day (quarterly down to one day also available).
• Austria: from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year. A digital vignette bought online is valid only from the 18th day after purchase.
• Switzerland: annual only, 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year.
• Hungary: the annual one runs until 31 January of the year after the purchase year (short-term and county vignettes also exist).

Where there is no vignette

Germany, Poland, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia and others have no time-based vignette for cars — you pay a distance toll or nothing. There is nothing to renew.