Motorway Toll Netherlands: Information for Drivers
The Netherlands, also referred to as Holland, is a popular travel destination renowned for its friendly inhabitants. Less well known, however, is the toll system, and for good reason - there is none. Although there are road tolls in some places, a nationwide car toll for motorways has not yet been introduced. This makes Holland one of the few countries in Europe that does not charge motorway tolls.
Nevertheless, there are tunnels for which a charge is levied, which applies to both cars and other types of vehicles such as motorcycles. Heavy goods vehicles weighing over 12 tonnes must also purchase a digital toll sticker called Eurovignette.
Toll roads
Tunnel tolls in the Netherlands
Currently, there is no general toll for driving on country roads and motorways in the Netherlands. This means you can travel around the country without paying any additional road tolls. However, there are two tunnels that are subject to tolls: the Kiltunnel and the Westerschelde Tunnel.
The Kiltunnel makes it possible to cross the Hollands Diep River near Willemstad, connecting the province of North Brabant with Zuid-Beveland in the province of Zeeland. The Westerschelde Tunnel connects the provinces of Zeeland in the Netherlands and Zeewus-Vlaanderen in Belgium.
Kiltunnel
Price | |
---|---|
Motorcycles Vehicles with or without trailers under 2.30m in height |
2,00 € / 1,72 £ |
Motorcycles Vehicles with or without trailer from 2.30m in height |
5,00 € / 4,30 £ |
Westerscheldetunnel
Price | |
---|---|
Motorcycles | 2,50 € / 2,15 £ |
Up to 6m long and 3m in height | 5,00 € / 4,30 £ |
Over 6m long and up to 3m in height, with caravan/trailer | 7,45 € / 6,41 £ |
Up to 12m long and over 3m in height | 18,20 € / 15,66 £ |
Over 12 metres long and over 3m in height | 25,00 € / 21,51 £ |
The prices listed were taken from the official websites of the tunnel providers and are current as of 2024. Please note that prices are subject to change. For more information and current prices, we recommend that you visit the official websites of the Kiltunnel and the Westerschelde Tunnel.
City toll in the Netherlands
There is no city toll for entering specific urban areas in Holland. Instead, some larger cities such as Amsterdam, Arnhem, The Hague, and Utrecht have set up environmental zones which vehicles are only allowed to enter if they fulfil certain environmental standards.
Toll charges and payment
Toll charges
Toll charges for tunnels in Holland are rather low compared to other countries in Europe. The tolls are used to finance the tunnel infrastructure and apply to both domestic and foreign vehicles.
Payment
At the Kiltunnel you can pay in cash or by Visa/Master Card. At the Westerschelde Tunnel, fees can be paid in cash, by t-tag world card or with a Visa credit card.
Does the Netherlands have a vignette?
To drive on Dutch motorways, heavy goods vehicles with a gross weight of over 12 tonnes must pay a lorry toll. The toll is billed via the electronic Eurovignette. The Eurovignette is a digital toll sticker that is used in several European countries to tax the road use of lorries. This regulation also applies in other Eurovignette countries such as Denmark, Luxembourg, and Sweden, where a lorry toll is similarly imposed and must be evidenced through an electronic vignette. Unlike lorries, cars and motorcycles are not required to have an e-vignette to drive on motorways and other roads.
How are tolls controlled in the Netherlands?
Tolls in the Netherlands are mainly controlled by cameras that record the licence plates of vehicles and compare them with the tolls paid. Additionally, staff conduct occasional random checks to verify toll payments.
Fines and penalties
Drivers who do not pay toll charges may receive a fine. The fine can vary depending on how often the regulations have been breached. In the Kiltunnel, the fine is currently €115 (about £126.27), and €140 (about £153.72) in the Westerschelde Tunnel. Anyone who drives through the Kiltunnel three times within a year without a valid payment is penalised with a higher fine of €230 (about £252.54).
Who is exempt from tolls?
There is currently no motorway toll in the Netherlands, so no vehicles are exempt from such a toll. Although the introduction of a kilometre-based toll has been discussed by the Dutch government in the past, there are still no concrete plans to introduce a vignette or any other type of road toll, like those that exist in Austria, for example. Travelling to Holland by car will therefore remain toll-free for the time being.
There are several vehicles that are exempt from the toll in the Kiltunnel and Westerschelde Tunnel. These include:
- Ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles
- Vehicles belonging to people with disabilities with a special parking permit
- Agricultural vehicles
- Public transport
Tolls in neighbouring countries
The Netherlands' neighbouring countries also have compulsory tolls to finance and maintain their motorways: