The Swiss e-vignette can be purchased from any country via the official Confederation portal, but the process raises specific questions for French motorists, particularly regarding the actual price charged in euros, the accepted plates, and the management of a vehicle change after purchase. This article compares the purchasing channels available from France and details the particular cases that usual guides overlook.
Price and purchasing channels for the Swiss vignette: comparative table
The official price of the Swiss motorway vignette is set at 40 CHF regardless of the platform. The final amount in euros varies depending on the chosen channel, as each intermediary applies its own fees and conversion rate.
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| Purchasing Channel | Base Price | Additional Fees | Accessible from France |
|---|---|---|---|
| Via Portal (e-vignette.ch) – official OFDF site | 40 CHF | Bank exchange rate only | Yes |
| Online resellers (tolltickets, etc.) | From 44.50 EUR | Reseller margin included | Yes |
| Border post, gas station, Swiss post office | 40 CHF | None (payment in CHF) | Requires travel |
| Sticker vignette (physical) | 40 CHF | None | Physical sales points only |
Third-party resellers generally charge a few euros more than the official rate. The difference covers their profit margin and currency conversion. For a motorist purchasing the Swiss vignette online from France, the Via portal remains the least expensive channel as it does not add any fees beyond the exchange rate applied by the card-issuing bank.
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Via Portal: what the procedure concretely requires
The site e-vignette.ch, managed by the Federal Office of Customs and Border Security (OFDF), asks for three pieces of information during the purchase:
- The vehicle category (car, motorcycle, trailer up to 3.5 tons)
- The country of registration of the vehicle
- The registration number to which the vignette will be linked
No proof of vehicle registration or document scan is required. The electronic vignette is directly linked to the registration number, not to the driver or the owner. This operation fundamentally differs from the sticker vignette, which is physically affixed to the windshield.
Payment is made by credit card. A confirmation is sent by email with a summary of the transaction and the registered license plate number.
Validity of the Swiss motorway vignette: 14 months, not 12
A point often misunderstood: the Swiss vignette covers a period of 14 months, from December 1 of the previous year to January 31 of the following year. This extended calendar allows motorists traveling at the end of the year not to purchase two vignettes for a stay spanning two calendar years.
There is no short-term vignette. No weekly option, no monthly package. This annual formula applies to all motorized vehicles and trailers up to 3.5 tons traveling on Swiss motorways and national roads.
Electronic vignette or sticker: two formats coexist
Switzerland now offers two formats. The sticker vignette is affixed inside the windshield, outside any tinted band. The electronic vignette, on the other hand, requires no physical support as it is associated with the registration number.
Both formats have the same validity and price. However, only the e-vignette can be purchased online from France without traveling to a physical Swiss or border sales point.
Rental plate, temporary plate, and vehicle change after purchase
This is the scenario that most guides overlook. Since the e-vignette is linked to a registration number, several situations pose problems:
- A rental vehicle registered in France can receive an e-vignette without difficulty, provided the exact plate on the rental contract is entered. If the rental company changes the vehicle at the last minute (and thus the plate), the purchased vignette will not be valid for the new vehicle
- A temporary plate (WW or transit plate) is accepted on the Via portal as long as it corresponds to a format recognized by the system. The risk lies in the duration: if the temporary plate expires before the vignette’s validity ends, it becomes unusable
- In the case of resale or vehicle change after purchase, the e-vignette cannot be transferred to another plate. The Via portal does allow for managing certain situations via the modification function, but a pure transfer from one plate to another is not provided
For Franco-Swiss cross-border commuters who regularly change vehicles, the sticker vignette paradoxically offers more flexibility, as it remains on the windshield regardless of the plate. In contrast, the e-vignette locks access to the registration number entered during purchase.
Sanctions on Swiss motorways without a valid vignette
Driving on a Swiss motorway without a valid vignette exposes one to a fine. The control is carried out by automatic plate reading for the e-vignette and by visual inspection of the windshield for the sticker version.
The fine is in addition to the obligation to immediately purchase a vignette. The driver thus pays the penalty plus the price of the vignette. For a vehicle registered in France, recovery may follow bilateral agreements on road traffic violations.
A common case: the motorist who purchased an e-vignette but whose plate was incorrectly entered (character inversion, missing space). The system does not recognize the vehicle as covered, and the fine is issued. Checking the plate entered on the order confirmation before crossing the border remains the simplest reflex to avoid this problem.
The choice between e-vignette and sticker vignette ultimately depends less on price (identical) than on the stability of the registration number. A personal vehicle kept all year is perfectly suited for online purchase on the Via portal. A rental vehicle or temporary plate deserves additional verification before confirming the order.