With the advent of the new year, modern rules for issuing and paying for vignettes in Bulgaria came into force. It should be noted that now there is no need to stick a paper sticker on the windshield of the car. When checked by road inspectors, drivers are not required to present a document confirming the purchased electronic vignette, since payment data is now available online. Prices for e-vinettes remain unchanged for all vehicles; in some cases, it is necessary to pay a percentage to the intermediary seller.
What is a vignette
A vinetka (officially called "vinetna tax") is a type of toll for traveling on a country's road network. Vignettes are used in Central and Eastern Europe. Sold at gas stations, at border checkpoints and on the Internet. Usually, video surveillance on highways quickly identifies a car that has not paid the tax. The cameras are controlled by the regional traffic police. Vignettes are used in Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. In most of these countries, small colorful stickers are placed on the windshield of the car, but in Hungary and Romania the vignettes are electronic. In Bulgaria, a vignette is required every time a car leaves a populated area.
New rules
From January 1, 2019, all drivers in Bulgaria must purchase an electronic vignette on the official sales website or from official API partners Vinetki.bg, ePay.bg, in the communication stores of the mobile operator A1 (formerly M-tel). Also, payment of the wine tax can be made at post offices, at Easy Pay offices and at OMV and Lukoil gas stations, at official terminals and at border checkpoints. You will need the registration number of your car, and given the special pedantic Bulgarian attitude to work, we advise you to keep the receipt (especially while the electronic payment system is undergoing its first testing).
Paper vignette stickers purchased in 2018 that expire after January 1, 2019 remain valid. Drivers should keep them on their car windshield until the expiration date. You can register them on the official website (www.web.bgtoll.bg/Evignette), but this not necessary.
Cost
The price for a vignette varies from 15 to 97 levs, depending on the vehicle’s carrying capacity and validity period. Drivers of trucks have the opportunity to purchase a vignette valid for only one day, and for passenger vehicles the minimum period is two weekends.
Tariff for a passenger car:
- 1 year (one year) - 97 levs
- 3 months – 54 BGN,
- 1 month – 30 levs,
- Week (weekly) - 15 levs,
- Weekend (weekends) - 10 BGN (valid from Friday 12:00 to Sunday 23:59)
| auto category | vignette price | ||
| term | euro 0, 1, 2 * | Euro 3, 4, 5, EV and above | |
K1. Freight from 12 tons
Valid until 08/15/2019
|
1 year | 1743 BGN | 1340 BGN |
| 1 month | 174 lv | 134 lv | |
| Week | 87 lev | 67 lev | |
| 1 day | 23 lv | 23 lv | |
K2. Trucks and buses
Valid until 08/15/2019
|
1 year | 1050 BGN | 808 BGN |
| 1 month | 105 lev | 80 lev | |
| Week | 53 lev | 40 lev | |
| 1 day | 23 lv | 23 lv | |
K3. Passenger cars
|
1 year | 97 BGN | |
| 3 months | 54 BGN | ||
| 1 month | 30 lev | ||
| Week | 15 BGN | ||
| Weekend | 10 lev | ||
*Environmental standard regulating the content of harmful substances in exhaust gases
New features
Within a few weeks after the official entry into force of electronic vignettes, unlicensed fake sites selling electronic vignettes appeared on the Internet, be careful. We recommend that you purchase e-Vignette from licensed suppliers.
From August 16, 2019, an electronic toll system is due to be launched in Bulgaria, which is intended for all heavy trucks and buses weighing more than 3.5 tons.
Vehicles with less than 4 wheels, as well as wheeled tractors, tractor trailers and other self-propelled equipment registered for agricultural work do not pay the wine tax.
Previously, resourceful owners of several cars used the same Vignette for different vehicles, with the introduction of e-Vignette, this life hack unfortunately stops working.
Where to buy:
- www.bgtoll.bg (available in Russian). No commission.
- www.vinetki.bg
- Offices of the mobile operator A1 (formerly M-tel). No commission.
- State post offices "Bulgarian Post".
- EasyPay offices.
- At the cash desk of OMV and Lukoil gas stations.
- Terminals.