What to do if you make a mistake when buying a Hungarian vignette? Errors, surcharges and grace period

2026. 09. 15. 11:28

A mistyped licence plate number, incorrectly selected country code or wrong vehicle category may seem like a minor mistake when buying a Hungarian e-vignette. However, in Hungary’s electronic highway enforcement system, these details determine whether your vehicle has a valid road-use entitlement.

For vehicles with foreign licence plates, it is therefore particularly important to check the information provided before completing the purchase, which can be done at several stages during an online purchase. If you do make a mistake, however, you do not always have to assume the worst: several types of incorrect information can be corrected afterwards, and if you accidentally enter a toll road without an e-vignette, there is also a 60-minute grace period.

In this guide, we summarise what you can do if you make a mistake when buying a Hungarian e-vignette, how much the surcharge is in Hungary in 2026, and what you should do if you have already received a surcharge payment notice.

Why is accurate information important when buying a Hungarian e-vignette?

In Hungary, the highway vignette is electronic, so the vehicle information entered during the purchase is used to register and check whether the vehicle has the appropriate road-use entitlement.

Therefore, before making payment, it is especially important to check:

• the vehicle’s licence plate number;
• the country of registration, i.e. the country code;
• the correct fee category;
• the type of e-vignette and the start date of its validity.

A mistyped licence plate number, incorrect country code or toll category means that the system cannot match the vehicle with the purchased entitlement. In other words, the vehicle will be considered not to have the required motorway vignette. This may result in unauthorised road use and a surcharge.

What should you do if you entered the wrong licence plate number?

If you mistyped no more than three characters of the licence plate number when purchasing the Hungarian e-vignette, you can request a correction. To make the correction, you will need the vehicle registration certificate and the receipt or electronic confirmation proving the purchase of the e-vignette. The administration fee is HUF 1,470. The procedure can only be handled in person or online through the Hungarian Public Roads Nonprofit PLC - Toll Division. 

What happens if you selected the wrong fee category?

Not every passenger car automatically belongs to the same e-vignette category, so for foreign vehicles it is also worth checking the vehicle category based on the information in the registration certificate.

Hungarian highway vignettes are available in four fee categories, so before purchasing, you should use the vehicle registration certificate to make sure you select the correct vignette category.

• D1: passenger cars and vehicles under 3.5 tonnes suitable for carrying no more than 7 people.
• D2: light commercial vehicles, motorhomes and vehicles under 3.5 tonnes suitable for carrying more than 7 people.
• D1m: motorcycles
• U: trailers towed by D2-category vehicles.

If the purchased e-vignette is still valid, an incorrect toll category can be corrected. When making the correction, you must pay the difference between the prices of the two categories, while in the event of an overpayment, you can request a refund. The administration fee in 2026 is HUF 1,470.

If you have a D2-category vehicle but purchased a D1 or another lower-priced vignette, you will need to pay the difference between the purchased and the required e-vignette, plus the administration fee. The procedure is similar to correcting a mistyped licence plate number and can only be handled in person or online through the Hungarian Public Roads Nonprofit PLC - Toll Division.

However, if you purchased a D2 highway vignette but actually needed a D1 vignette, you will not be subject to a surcharge and you can also avoid the correction procedure. This can be a useful option if you are unsure about your vehicle’s classification before purchasing an e-vignette.

Make sure you choose correctly before purchasing and try our e-vignette planner, which helps you determine your vehicle’s toll category!

Drove in Hungary without a vignette? Here is the solution

A highway vignette must be purchased before using Hungary’s toll road network; otherwise, you may be required to pay a surcharge. However, there is a so-called 60-minute grace period for drivers who accidentally enter a toll road without an e-vignette. This means that if you purchase the required e-vignette within 60 minutes of entering the toll road, you can avoid the surcharge.

If this happens to you, you can purchase the appropriate Hungarian e-vignette online within minutes at hungary-vignette.eu and continue your journey without unnecessary stress.

How much is the Hungarian e-vignette surcharge in 2026?

If you receive a surcharge due to incorrect information or because you forgot to purchase an e-vignette, it is worth paying the amount as soon as possible, as the basic surcharge applies if payment is made within 60 days. Hungarian motorway vignette surcharges are as follows:

Will a surcharge notice also be sent for a foreign licence plate?

Yes. Having a foreign licence plate does not mean that Hungarian e-vignette checks or surcharges can only be enforced within Hungary. However, foreign drivers may incur additional costs in connection with the collection of the surcharge due to additional administration fees charged by foreign debt collection agencies.

What should you do if you have already received a surcharge payment notice?

First, check the licence plate number, country code, date and location of the inspection stated in the letter, then find the e-vignette confirmation relating to the journey in question. If you had a valid e-vignette but entered an incorrect licence plate number or country code, you may be able to request a correction afterwards in certain cases. In the case of a mistyped licence plate number, this is possible if the error affects no more than three characters. If you have already received a surcharge payment notice because of the incorrect information, you can initiate the correction within 60 days of receiving the notice. Following a successful correction, the e-vignette will become valid for the correct licence plate number or country code retroactively from the original start date of validity.

If you genuinely did not have the appropriate road-use entitlement, make sure you pay attention to the payment deadline.

If several surcharge payment notices have accumulated for the same vehicle, you may have another option: within 75 days of receiving the first notice, you can request that the surcharges be capped. Subject to certain conditions, this can reduce the amount owed to no more than two basic or differential surcharges, but it is important to note that this must be requested separately.

How can you prevent the problem?

The simplest solution is still to purchase the Hungarian e-vignette before your journey and pay particular attention to checking the information entered. You should also check the licence plate number, country code, fee category and validity period in the confirmation.

If you only realise after entering the motorway that you forgot to make the purchase, the most important thing is not to delay: the 60-minute rule still gives you an opportunity to resolve the situation.

Buying a Hungarian e-vignette before departure

If you use a toll motorway or expressway in Hungary, the safest option is to purchase the appropriate e-vignette before departure and then check the information shown in the confirmation. If you accidentally enter a toll road without a vignette, make use of the 60-minute grace period and complete the purchase immediately.

You can also purchase a Hungarian e-vignette online at the official reseller website hungary-vignette.eu.