Forgot to buy a highway vignette? Here's the solution!

2023. 08. 02. 9:38:56

During car trips, there are several pieces of information to keep in mind, and it's easy to forget to buy a highway vignette, for example. In such cases, the question arises of what to do and whether there is a possibility to avoid the penalty. That's why we have summarized the rules regarding Hungarian highway vignettes.  

Hungary has a time-based vignette system on its highways, and toll sections can only be used by drivers with a valid highway vignette, which must be purchased before using the road. Failure to do so results in a fine, so it's important to be prepared in case you unintentionally drive onto a toll section.  

It's possible that you forget to buy a vignette and only realize it during the trip, that your vignette has expired, or that you have entered a highway where you didn't intend to go and don't have a valid vignette. No problem, the National Toll Payment Services provides a 60-minute grace period from the time of entering the highway to rectify this situation. If you exceed the 60 minutes, you still have the option to purchase an 1 year highway vignette instead of paying the penalty. This can be a good alternative, especially if you plan to travel through Hungary or visit the country multiple times.  

To avoid this situation, we recommend purchasing your highway vignette online before your trip, thereby avoiding worries about penalties. When purchasing an e-vignette, there is no need to register. You only need to provide the type of vignette, the category of your vehicle, the license plate number, the country identifier, and the validity period. After providing these details, you can proceed with the payment. It's important to wait for the confirmation email as it ensures that your vehicle's information has been registered in the system. The control slip doesn't need to be printed out, but we advise you to keep it during your journey, and we recommend storing it for at least two years after it expires. The same recommendations apply to physical, paper-based vignettes. We suggest making a copy of it to avoid the printed information on thermal paper becoming illegible over time.

Do you have any questions?  

Feel free to contact our customer service to ensure your journey is safe and penalty-free!