Practical Information You Should Know about the Hungarian Vignette

In the previous pages we explained in detail how the online vignette works and the benefits they provide compared to the old paper vignette stickers. You may also want some practical advice, which is why we put together this list of FAQs. If you want to know more, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to answer your questions.

• How do the validity periods of e-vignettes work?

  Weekly road use authorization: valid for the starting day specified by the customer and for the following 9 days, until the 24th hour of the 9th day. Monthly authorization: valid from the starting day specified by the customer until midnight of the same day (number) of the following month. Where there is no such day in the month of expiry, they are valid until the 24th hour of the last day of the month. Annual national road use authorization: valid from the first day of the relevant year until midnight of 31 January of the following year (for a total of 13 months if the authorization is purchased on 1 January of the relevant year). If purchased within the validity period, the annual e-vignette grants road use authorization from the time of purchase.

• When do I have to buy an e-vignette?

  Toll sections may only be used with a valid road use authorization, i.e., you must purchase the appropriate e-vignette before you enter the toll section. If you purchase the e-vignette within the validity period, its validity will always begin at the time of purchase (day/hour/minute). Bona fide road users mistakenly entering the toll road network have up to 60 minutes from the time of entry to purchase road use authorization.

• Is a separate authorization required for trailers towed by passenger vehicles?

  No separate e-vignette is required for the trailer of motor vehicles classified as category D1. As of the beginning of 2019, trailer authorizations (vehicle category U) are also available for the registration number of the towing vehicle for vehicles in category D2 or B2 (with D2 or B2 authorization). This will benefit motorists, as they can now use the e-vignette of vehicle category U, purchased for the towing vehicle to tow any trailer.

• Is a D2 authorization required even if a 9-seater motor vehicle transports only 7 persons?

  Yes. Category D2 classification is based on the data indicated in the vehicle registration certificate, and not the number of persons actually transported, or the purpose of their journey. Click here for a full table of vehicle categories.

• My 9-seater motor vehicle has a trailer. What kind of e-vignette should I buy?

  In this case – in addition to D2 or B2 authorization purchased for a towing vehicle in vehicle category D2 or B2 – it is also necessary to purchase a trailer authorization (vehicle category U), which has been available for the registration number of the towing vehicle instead of the trailer since the beginning of 2019. This will benefit motorists, who can now use the e-vignette of vehicle category U, purchased for the towing vehicle to tow any trailer.

• Do I need to purchase the regional e-vignette(s) in addition to the usual e-vignette granting national authorization?

  No. Given the validity period, no further authorization is required in addition to the usual time-based e-vignette. At the same time, depending on drivers’ road use routines, regional vignettes grant access to the toll expressway network of the relevant county at a lower price throughout the year. Drivers with county vignettes for specific counties who wish to use the motorways of other counties, for example during their holidays, can obtain authorization by purchasing weekly (10-day) or monthly e-vignettes.

• I need to have a broken-down car transported on a trailer. Do I need to purchase an e-vignette for a vehicle broken down on a non-toll section if it is transported by the trailer on a toll section?

  No, but in the case of vehicles transported on a trailer, we recommend covering up the number plate, thus the transported vehicle is considered as the trailer’s cargo.

• What should I do when, driving on a toll-free section, I am suddenly diverted to a toll section due to a roadblock?

  For as long as a public road is closed for traffic, or traffic is restricted along or diverted from that road, if a toll road section has been designated as a diversion by the bodies under the Road Transport Act (primarily the road operator and the Police), vehicles without an e-vignette (road use authorization) shall only use the toll road designated as a diversion between the point of entry to the toll section and the next exit to a road junction or, in the case of the closure of such exit to a road junction, the next open exit to a road junction along the relevant toll road section. In this case, no surcharge will be imposed. The agency ordering the road closure or traffic restriction or diversion shall inform road users of the above by way of media service providers. If the agency legally authorized to control traffic diverts road traffic to a toll section without designating a diversion, in respect of this measure, such toll sections may be used without e-vignettes (road use authorization) and, therefore, no surcharge will be imposed. As per the above, in the case of diversion due to a roadblock or traffic restriction, no toll shall be paid on the particular toll section as long as the diversion lasts if you exit the toll road at the next exit to a road junction.

• Exactly which sections are toll-free?

  With a few exceptions, the entire expressway network (roads marked with M and a number) as well as motorways and speedways are tolled. The map of toll sections is available here.

• I purchased and paid for my e-vignette online, but still received a notice calling for surcharge payment. What should I do?

  On rare occasions, you may buy a motorway vignette for your vehicle online, pay the corresponding price from your bank account, but we do not receive this payment and – given that you have used a toll road without a vignette – you receive a surcharge payment notice. Such cases can typically be traced back to technical errors, which our customer service staff will help resolve. In addition to customer data and contact details and the data of the vehicle (vehicle registration certificate), the investigation of the issue will also require: o a screenshot of the confirmation/transaction; o the bank’s certificate that the account has been debited; o if the purchase was made online, you have to specify the purchasing platform used; o if the purchase was made over the phone, you need to submit the name of your mobile operator and your phone number, as well as the corresponding (post-paid or pre-paid) subscriber name and address from where the transaction was initiated. If it is established that the reason for the issue was a technical problem, the surcharge will of course be withdrawn, and the e-vignette purchased will be valid for the relevant time. Please note that some operators merely reserve the price of the e-vignette and only actually deduct payment in the event of a successful transaction. Should the transaction ultimately be unsuccessful, the amount will be released to the account (the duration of this process depends on the account-keeping bank). In the case of online (or text message) purchases, it should be noted that – in each and every case – only a successful confirmation notification constitutes road use authorization, and for that reason, you should always verify this after an e-vignette purchase.