From 2024, new 1-day vignette for Hungary

Hungary announced last week, that it will also introduce a 1-day vignette from next year. Till now the only available options to use the Hungarian motorways were the weekly vignette (7 days), the monthly vignette and the yearly vignette, but next year you can also buy a one-day vignette.

Hungary came to this decision at the request of the European Union, which required its members who charge a fee to use the roads, to introduce a vignette for one day. De EU believes that the members should offer a one-day vignette so that people passing through do not have to pay unnecessary costs. The EU has determined that the costs for the vignette for 1 day may not be more than 9% of the total costs of the yearly vignette.

Mandatory new car vignette for 1 day in EU

By doing so, the Balkan country follows the example of Austria, which announced a week earlier that it would introduce the 1-day vignette from the beginning of 2024. It is expected that the other EU countries that charge toll but do not yet have a 1-day vignette, will follow shortly.

The new vignette is an interesting addition to the existing vignettes but not convenient for everyone. For whom is the new 1-day vignette for Hungary a convenient new product?

1-day vignette when passing through Hungary

When you are going on holiday in Hungary for one week, the one-day vignette is not a good option, because the car vignette is required for virtually all major roads between cities and the various areas in the Balkan country. But if you are passing through, it often is convenient. The route to Romania or Bulgaria almost always goes through Hungary and if you do not stay there, you only need a 1-day vignette. In general, one day will give you plenty of time to cross Hungary on your way to the other destinations. In that case, two vignettes for one day for the outward and return journey are cheaper than the monthly vignette.

If you drive through Hungary more than once within a week, it is not a good option to purchase two car vignettes for one day and you are better off purchasing the seven-day vignette.

Where do I need the car vignette in Hungary?

In Hungary the car vignette, also called e-Matrica, is required for all M-roads. These are almost all motorways that run through the country and are therefore called, for example, M1, M3 or M60. A number of the M-roads that lead around the major cities do not require a vignette, but as a motorist you can hardly get there without using at least one of the motorways that require a vignette. So if you drive to or through Hungary by car, you have no other option than to buy the mandatory vignette.

Since 2018, you no longer have to physically buy the vignette for Hungary and affix it to your windscreen. Nowadays it is done with the online registration of your number plate. They use a camera system in Hungary to check whether your vehicle has been registered in the number plate database and the fines for not being registered are around 90 euros. The fines are tracked via a European system, so even if you drive to the Netherlands in one go, you will not avoid the fine.

Where can I buy the vignette for Hungary?

Although the system has now been digitized, you can still buy the old-fashioned stickers at petrol stations near the border, at border crossings and at the offices of the Road Authority. That takes a lot of time and effort for nothing, because the best way to buy your vignette for Hungary is via I-vignette.

How much is a car vignette for Hungary?

Until 2023, there are three types of vignettes available for Hungary. The vignette for one week (7 days), the vignette for one month and the vignette for one year, which is valid from 1 January of the year of purchase, until January 31 of the following year. The costs of the car vignette in Hungary for this year are as follows:

Can I drive everywhere in Hungary with my car vignette?

With the car vignette for Hungary you are allowed to drive on all M-roads in the country, but that does not mean that you can automatically go anywhere with your vehicle. In the city centres of major cities you will also need an environmental sticker, which is only issued to vehicles that meet local environmental requirements. So before you travel to Hungary, you must make sure that your vehicle meets the country's environmental requirements. If you have no intention to go into the city centre with a vehicle, the car vignette is sufficient to drive across the country. For all the latest news for your cartrip to Hungary see our latest blogs.