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Everything about vignettes in Bulgaria
To drive freely on Bulgarian roads outside your own town, you need to buy a vignette. We explain in detail what it is and why you cannot do without one.
Bulgaria has no toll roads in the classic sense, yet you have to pay to drive on most highways. The exceptions to this rule are city streets, bypasses, ring roads and roads marked with signs D11 and D12.
Payment is made through the so-called “винетна такса”, or “vignette”. Previously the vignette took the form of a sticker on the windscreen. Since the beginning of 2019, electronic vignettes, or e-vignettes, have been used. They are required for travel on all roads marked with the corresponding sign. This requirement applies both to vehicles registered in Bulgaria and to foreign vehicles.
Types of vignettes and their cost
The types of vignettes differ depending on the type of vehicle (passenger cars, trucks) and the period of validity. For passenger cars with a maximum weight of up to 3.5 tonnes (including a trailer), the following options are available in 2020:
- Week—end. This vignette is valid from noon on Friday until 23.59 on Sunday. The best option for those who leave their town only at weekends. Price – 10 leva.
- Weekly. This type is valid for 7 calendar days starting from the chosen date. So, if you buy a vignette on 1 March, it will be valid until 23:59 on 7 March. Price – 15 leva.
- For 1 month. Valid for one month from the chosen date. For example, if you buy a vignette on 6 March, you can drive with it until 5 April inclusive. This is a good choice for holidaymakers. The price is 30 leva.
- For 3 months. Accordingly, it is valid for three months, for example from 15 April to 14 July. Such a vignette costs 54 leva. The best solution for those who have bought Bulgarian property or simply try to live in Bulgaria for a long period.
- Annual. Valid for one year from the chosen date, for example from 09.05.2020 until 8 May 2021 inclusive. This option costs 97 leva. It suits those who live in Bulgaria permanently and spend a lot of time travelling.
Please note: the prices given apply only to passenger cars; for trucks the cost of vignettes is significantly higher. Motorcycles are exempt from the charges and may use Bulgarian roads free of charge.
How to buy a vignette?
An e-vignette can be purchased in various ways:
- On the website www.bgtoll.bg.
- Using the BGTOLL mobile app for smartphones (versions are available for Android and IOS).
- At Easy Pay offices.
- Using special terminals.
- At the post office.
- At mobile phone shops.
- At sales points and the regional offices of ИА «Пътна инфраструктура».
- At petrol stations.
- In the E—pay electronic payment system.
To make a purchase you need to enter the vehicle’s registration number and specify the country of registration. You can check whether a vignette exists and its period of validity on the website www.bgtoll.bg.
Regardless of where it is bought, the cost of a vignette remains the same. Payment can be made in advance – no more than 30 days before the intended start date.
Fines
Stationary and mobile cameras that read vehicle registration numbers operate around the clock on Bulgarian roads. These numbers are checked against the database, and if there is no valid vignette, the driver of a passenger car (up to 8 seats) will have to pay a fine of 300 leva.
Since January 2020, BGTOLL vehicles checking for vignettes have been on duty around the clock on many roads of national importance.
Company registration in Bulgaria
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