- Toll roads
- Regulations for different types of vehicles
- Prices and validity periods
- Sales points
- How do I enter special characters in the licence plate?
- Fines
- Can I transfer my vignette to another vehicle?
- Can I change my registration number at a later date?
- Can I postpone the start of validity after purchase?
- Who is exempt from a vignette?
- Tolls in neighbouring countries
E-vignette Bulgaria
Tolls in Bulgaria are collected through a digital vignette via the BGToll payment system. The motorway vignette is linked to a vehicle registration number and can be bought online at vintrica. You can purchase the electronic vignette quickly and easily via PayPal, online banking or credit card. A confirmation will be sent to your e-mail address and, if you wish, you will receive a text message confirmation that you can show at a checkpoint.
Toll roads
In Bulgaria, a vignette is required on all motorways and national roads. In short, all motor vehicles (except motorbikes) are subject o the vignette obligation. In 2019, Bulgaria, along with many other countries in Europe, phased out the conventional sticker vignette and introduced the digital vignette.
Motorways
A vignette is required for the following motorways in Bulgaria:
National roads
In Bulgaria, a distinction is made between motorways and national roads. The maximum speed on motorways is 140 km/h, but on national roads it is only 120 km/h. In 2012, the Bulgarian government announced that already existing important routes will be adapted to motorways. This will reduce the high costs of a new motorway. National roads have at least two lanes, but on many sections there are no emergency landing strips.
Regulations for different types of vehicles
In Bulgaria, a distinction is made between two types of vehicles: vehicles under 3.5 tonnes and trailers.
All vehicles with a permissible total weight of 3.5 tonnes, especially passenger cars and campervans, are subject to the vignette requirement. Vehicles with less than four tyres do not require a vignette (motorbikes and trikes).
Regulations for trailers
If your vehicle with trailer exceeds the maximum total weight of 3.5 tonnes, you need an additional e-vignette for your trailer. The validity periods of the two vignettes do not have to be exactly the same. If the towing vehicle with your trailer has a total weight of less than 3.5 tonnes, you do not need an additional vignette for the trailer.
Total weight over 3.5 t (lorries)
As of 1 March 2020, if your vehicle without trailer exceeds the maximum permissible mass of 3.5 tonnes, you have to pay a route-dependent toll. This toll is calculated from the distance driven (a GPS tracker determines which roads you are driving on), the vehicle category (lorry or bus), the gross weight, the number of axles and the EURO emission class. This toll can be registered at BGToll.
Route pass (route-dependent toll)
| Lorries and campervans | Buses |
|---|---|
|
Total weight < 12 t
|
Total weight < 12 t
|
|
Total weight ≥ 12 t
|
Total weight ≥ 12 t
|
Prices and validity periods
You can choose between the following validity periods:
- 1 weekend
- 1 week
- 1 month
- 3 months
- 1 year
The vignette is always valid up to and including the last day (23:59) of the selected period. Weekend vignettes are always valid from Friday 12:00 to Sunday 23:59.
Annual vignettes cannot be registered retroactively and are always valid for one year from the start of validity.
The original vignette prices are set in Bulgarian levs (BGN). We provide you with prices updated every hour in British pounds. The current exchange rate is:
1.00 £ = 2.35 лв
(Last updated: 21/11/2024 08:00 o’ clock)
Please note that if you purchase your vignette online via vintrica.com, you will also be charged a service fee. As an independent toll portal, we take care of the registration with the toll operator for you. The service fee is shown in the last step of the order process.
Sales points
You can buy the Bulgarian vignette at border crossings, on site at self-service terminals or online. We recommend purchasing online here at vintrica.com.
How do I enter special characters in the licence plate?
When buying a vignette for Bulgaria, your registration number can be entered in Latin letters. It is important to note that your registration number may only be entered with capital letters and numbers. Dots, commas and spaces are not allowed. For German registration numbers, Umlauts such as Ä, Ü, Ö may not be transcribed and must be typed in accordingly. Please note that the letter "O" and the number "0" are not the same thing and make sure not to confuse them while entering the registration. For example, you should enter German number plates such as FÜAB1230 (for Füssen) with Ü. If you enter "FUAB1230" instead, this is identified as incorrect and can lead to a fine.
Attention: If you buy your vignette via vintrica.com, we will take care that dots, commas and spaces are correctly adjusted to the local guidelines. In the case of German or Austrian number plates, for example, the hyphen on the number plate must also be typed in.
Fines
Anybody driving without a valid e-vignette risks heavy fines. We therefore recommend buying a vignette for your category before you set off. In addition, you should check the validity of the electronic vignette before and after purchase so that you can act quickly if there are any problems.
How are tolls controlled in Bulgaria?
Motorways and national roads in Bulgaria are monitored around the clock for valid vignettes using video surveillance. The vehicle registration number is checked against the vignette register of the National Toll Administration.
What penalties do I face without an e-vignette?
If you drive your car on toll roads in Bulgaria without a valid e-vignette and are caught, you will have to pay a fine of approx. £130 to £865. If it is your first offence, you could instead be offered to make a compensation payment of around £31 to buy a valid vignette on the same day. For vehicles exceeding the total weight of 3.5 t, the fee can be up to £865.
Weight class under 3.5 t
| Fine | Compensation payment |
|---|---|
| 130 £ | 31 £ plus vignette |
Weight category over 3.5 t
| Fine | Compensation payment |
|---|---|
| 865 £ | 31 £ plus toll |
Can I transfer my vignette to another vehicle?
In Bulgaria it is not possible to transfer a vignette to another vehicle. This also includes the correction of a registered vignette. Make sure to enter the correct details when buying your vignette, otherwise a mistake can lead to fines.
Can I change my registration number at a later date?
As a rule, once you have purchased a vignette, it is not possible to change the registration number. The responsibility for entering the correct information lies with the vehicle owner or holder. Therefore, please check the entered data carefully before completing the purchase to avoid any mistakes.
If you chose the flex service during the ordering process for your e-vignette, you can change your number plate at any time before the first day of validity. No changes are possible after the first day of validity.
Can I postpone the start of validity after purchase?
The flex service at vintrica.com offers you the option of postponing the validity period of the vignette. This is not possible without booking the flex service.
Who is exempt from a vignette?
Only the following organisations are exempt:
- Vehicle owners with a reduction in earning capacity of at least 50%
- Persons or families with children who have a permanent disability, up to the age of 18 or after completion of secondary education, up to a maximum of the age of 20 (you will receive a valid annual vignette every year)
- All vehicles with less than four wheels
- Vehicles of the Ministry of the Interior, the National Guard Service (HCO), the Armed Forces, Emergency Medical Assistance and the National Security Agency
Tolls in neighbouring countries
The following neighbouring countries of Bulgaria also have compulsory tolls to finance and maintain their motorways. More information on the motorway vignettes of the neighbouring countries and their validity can be found here:
North Macedonia