Official Bulgaria e-vignette 2026

Bulgaria has had an electronic vignette (e-vinetka) since 2019 — nothing goes on the windscreen, it is digital and linked to your number plate. As soon as you enter a Bulgarian motorway or a first-class national road, ANPR cameras check whether you have one.

Who does it apply to? Every vehicle up to 3.5 t — car, van, motorhome. Motorcycles are exempt. If you tow a trailer, you add a separate vignette for the trailer.

When do you need it? Whenever you use a motorway (Trakia A1, Hemus A2, Struma A3, Maritsa A4, Lyulin A6) or a first-class national road. Second- and third-class roads and city streets are free.

What do you do? Pick a category and period, enter your number plate, pay. 2026 prices — weekend, 7 days, month, quarter and year. Bulgaria is one of the few countries with a weekend vignette.

The vignette applies on ALL Bulgarian motorways (автомагистрали) and on first-class national roads. Practically every longer route — to the Black Sea, to Turkey or Greece — runs through a tolled section.

• A1 Trakia — Sofia → Plovdiv → Burgas (~360 km): The country’s main axis from the west to the Black Sea. The key holiday route (Burgas, Sunny Beach) and transit corridor across central Bulgaria.
• A2 Hemus — Sofia → Varna (~360 km): The northern axis to the second Black Sea resort (Varna, Golden Sands). It runs via Botevgrad, Lovech and Shumen; further sections opened in 2025.
• A3 Struma — Sofia → Kulata (Greek border): The south-western corridor towards Thessaloniki and the Greek coast. The main entry point on the transit route to Greece.
• A4 Maritsa — Plovdiv → Kapitan Andreevo (Turkish border): The key gateway to Turkey (~115 km). It connects to the Turkish TEM corridor towards Istanbul. The most common Turkey transit route.
• A6 Lyulin — Sofia → Daskalovo (~19 km): A short motorway linking Sofia’s western ring with the Struma (A3) towards Greece and North Macedonia.

Prices apply for 2026 and cover a vehicle up to 3.5 t (car, van, motorhome — a single rate). Bulgaria has settled in euro since 1 January 2026.

* The same rate covers car, van and motorhome up to 3.5 t. Motorcycles are exempt from the vignette. A trailer towed behind the vehicle has a separate, chargeable category (same rate as the vehicle). Vehicles over 3.5 t do not buy a vignette — they fall under the separate Tol Pass system (a per-kilometre charge). Verify official prices at bgtoll.bg.

The most popular destinations and transit points. You reach each by motorway or first-class road — vignette required.

On each of these routes you need a Bulgarian vignette — even for a short stretch of motorway. Most run via Hungary and Romania (the Ruse Danube bridge) or via Serbia.

Most of Bulgaria’s most popular places require driving on a motorway or first-class road. Without a vignette you cannot sensibly use the main routes.

What to expect

• Euro (EUR) since 2026 — Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, so no currency exchange (the old lev is being withdrawn).
• Cards widely accepted — in cities and resorts cards work everywhere; in smaller towns it is worth carrying some cash.
• Cyrillic alphabet — road signs are often bilingual (Cyrillic + Latin), but not always. A sat-nav helps.
• The Black Sea — season from June to September; Sunny Beach and Golden Sands are the main resorts.
• Tol Pass for heavy vehicles — vehicles over 3.5 t pay separately per kilometre (not the vignette).
• Safe — the tourist regions are safe and family-friendly.

In Bulgaria the vignette covers vehicles up to 3.5 t. There is a single rate for car, van and motorhome. Motorcycles are exempt. Vehicles over 3.5 t do not buy a vignette — they fall under the separate Tol Pass system (a per-kilometre charge).

Vignette required:

• Car / van / motorhome — any vehicle up to 3.5 t with at least four wheels (single rate)
• Trailer — towed behind the vehicle, it has a separate, chargeable vignette (same rate as the vehicle)
• Van, MPV, SUV up to 3.5 t — the same category as a passenger car

Exempt / not this system:

• Motorcycle and moped — exempt, no vignette needed
• Vehicle over 3.5 t — falls under the Tol Pass charge (per kilometre), not the vignette
• Coach over 3.5 t — also Tol Pass, does not buy a vignette
• Priority and service vehicles: ambulance, police, military — as per regulations

Trailer and caravan

In Bulgaria a trailer has its own vignette — when towing a trailer or caravan you need TWO vignettes: one for the towing vehicle and one for the trailer. That is an important difference from, e.g., Slovenia, where trailers are exempt. The trailer rate is the same as the vehicle rate.

How to buy a vignette with us

In Bulgaria enforcement is electronic — ANPR cameras scan plates 24/7, plus patrols. No valid vignette is treated as driving without payment and carries a fine. The fine can arrive weeks later, including to your home country.

• Automatic enforcement — ANPR cameras on gantries and patrols scan plates in real time.
• Fine can come later — it may arrive weeks afterwards, including to an address in another EU country.
• First-class roads are tolled too — the vignette applies not only on motorways but also on national first-class roads.
• Motorcycle without a vignette — motorcycles are exempt, so this does not affect them.
• Check online — you can verify the vignette validity at bgtoll.bg by number plate.

Bulgarian motorways keep improving, but national roads can be uneven. The rules are strict. The essentials:

The key differences from home

• Motorway up to 140 km/h — one of the highest limits in the EU. Expressway 120, outside built-up areas 90, in town 50.
• Alcohol 0.5 ‰ — but 0.0 ‰ for drivers with less than 2 years’ experience. Checks are frequent.
• Winter tyres — required in winter conditions (typically 15 November – 1 March), min. 4 mm tread. Studded tyres are banned.
• Lights — dipped headlights mandatory in winter (1 November – 1 March) and always in poor visibility and tunnels.
• Phone hands-free only — the fine for a phone in hand can be higher than for speeding.
• Child seats — a child under 150 cm and 12 years only in a suitable seat.
• Compulsory equipment — warning triangle, reflective vest, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher.

Emergency numbers

• 112 — the universal emergency number (ambulance, fire, police)
• 166 — police
• 146 — roadside assistance (SBA, Union of Bulgarian Motorists)
• 116 116 — blocking payment cards

Buy your Bulgaria vignette now

No fine, no queues at the border. Order online, activation usually within 10-15 minutes after the payment is processed.