Toll Roads in Austria: Motorway Vignette, Extra Tolls and What Your Rental Car Needs

Austria requires a vignette for all motorways and expressways. Without one, you cannot legally use any section of the national motorway network. The vignette is not included in any standard rental car rate — it is your responsibility to buy it before you drive on a motorway.

On top of that, several high-alpine routes charge extra tolls regardless of whether you have a vignette. This is the part most tourists miss.

The motorway vignette

Austria switched from a physical windscreen sticker to a fully digital vignette in 2023. It is registered to your number plate, not the car itself.

Where to buy:

• Online at asfinag.at before your trip (recommended — activate at least 18 hours before use)
• At petrol stations near the Austrian border
• At some motorway service areas inside Austria (but buying before entry is safer)

Activation delay: the digital vignette is not valid immediately after purchase online. There is an 18-hour waiting period before it activates. Buy it at least a day before you plan to use the motorway.

What it covers: all sections of the Austrian motorway and expressway network (Autobahn and Schnellstrasse), except the routes listed below that carry additional toll charges.

Compare car rental deals in Austria

Rental cars do not include the vignette

This is a common and expensive surprise. Unlike some countries where a transponder or toll tag is fitted by the rental company, Austrian rental car suppliers do not purchase the vignette on your behalf. You pay for it separately.

If you pick up a car at Vienna Airport, Salzburg or Innsbruck and immediately join the motorway, you are already liable for the vignette. Purchase before you arrive, or ask the rental station staff where the nearest purchase point is.

Additional tolls beyond the vignette

Several routes require a separate road or tunnel toll on top of the vignette. These are collected at physical booths (cash or card) or via the electronic Go-Box system (for frequent users — tourists use the booth).

These routes are in addition to the vignette, not instead of it. You need both.

The Brenner is the most commonly encountered: it is the main road route from Innsbruck to Italy and from Germany via the Inn Valley south. If your trip involves crossing into Italy from western Austria, budget for the €11 Brenner toll each way.

Fine for missing the vignette

Police carry out spot checks and some sections of the motorway use plate-reading cameras that detect vehicles without a registered digital vignette. The on-the-spot fine is a minimum of €120. This is not a warning — it is an instant financial penalty, and there is no grace period.

A 10-day vignette costs €9.90. The ratio between the fine and the vignette price makes this one of the easiest transport costs to justify before any trip through Austria.

Driving from Germany or Switzerland into Austria

If your route enters Austria from Germany (via the A93 or A8) or from Switzerland (via Vorarlberg), you will hit the Austrian motorway network almost immediately after crossing the border. Purchase the digital vignette online before departure — do not assume you can buy it conveniently at the border.

For Switzerland-specific toll information, see toll roads in Switzerland.

In short

Austria requires a digital vignette for all motorways: €9.90 for 10 days, €29 for 2 months. It is not included in rental car rates — buy it online at least 18 hours before use. Beyond the vignette, the Brenner (A13), Arlberg tunnel and Tauern motorway sections all carry extra tolls of €8 to €13.50 each way. The fine for driving without a vignette starts at €120.