Wann beginnt Ihre Vignette? Startdaten in Europa erklärt

Why start date matters

An e-vignette is valid only between specific timestamps. Enter the motorway one hour before validity begins and cameras treat you as uninsured — the fine process starts automatically.

Every country lets you choose a start date at purchase, but the rules for what that date means differ.

Austria

• 1-day and 10-day digital: Valid from 00:00 on the chosen start date. The 1-day ends at 23:59 the same calendar day.
• 2-month and annual from official ASFINAG shop (private buyers): Validity begins 18 days after purchase — EU withdrawal period. Plan ahead or use an authorised reseller for immediate long-term products.

Czechia and Slovakia

Start date = first day of validity at 00:00. The 1-day product expires at 23:59 that night. If your trip spans two calendar days on motorways, buy 10-day.

Hungary

National and county products follow a similar calendar-day model. You pick the first day; time of purchase on that day usually does not shorten the window — but buy before you enter the tolled road.

Slovenia

Validity starts at 00:00 on the selected date for the chosen duration (7 days, 1 month, etc.). Week means 7×24 hours from start midnight, not "any seven days."

Romania and Bulgaria

Short-term products (1 day, 7 days) run on calendar or fixed-hour windows depending on product — check the receipt. Romanian 1-day rovinieta is cheap enough to buy twice rather than guess.

Switzerland

Digital vignette: valid from the purchase date for 14 months (annual product). Sticker: must be affixed before use; no backdating.

Common gap scenarios

Scenario 1: Buy Austrian 1-day for "today" at 22:00, drive at 21:00 — not covered. The start date must be today and you must be after 00:00.

Scenario 2: Buy 10-day starting Monday, enter Sunday evening — not covered until Monday 00:00.

Scenario 3: Buy Czech 1-day for Friday, sleep in Prague, drive home Saturday on D5 — need a new vignette or a 10-day from Friday.

Best practice

• Set start date to your motorway entry day, not departure from home
• If unsure, choose today when buying at the border queue
• For multi-day motorway use, default to 10-day — the price difference vs 1-day is small in most countries
• After purchase, run the national plate checker before merging onto the motorway