Vignette for a rental car: when you need to buy one yourself

That depends on where the car is registered. The overview is based on common practice, not on an official rule; what counts is what your rental company confirms to you.

Even if there is no vignette sticker, the car may still have an e-vignette, as this is only stored in the system of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS). If it was registered as “publicly viewable”, you can look it up in the FOCBS Via portal under “Check validity”. Otherwise, only the rental company can tell you; the FOCBS itself does not provide this information.

Also check the year: the 2026 vignette is valid until 31 January 2027.

Buy the vignette after collecting the car and before your first journey on a Swiss motorway or expressway.

1. 1Before booking, check with the rental company whether you may take the car to Switzerland and whether it has a Swiss vignette.
2. 2When you collect the car, copy the registration number directly from the plate and note the country of registration. The number plate is often not known before then, and without a number plate there is no e-vignette.
3. 3Have the e-vignette registered for exactly this number plate, for example through us. You receive two emails after payment: the order confirmation and the registration confirmation.
4. 4Only then join the motorway: the number plate must be registered before you use a motorway or expressway for the first time in the charge period (Art. 7a(1) NSAG). If you order through us, that means after the registration confirmation.

The e-vignette stays with the rental car's number plate after you return the car. There is no refund.

Number plate, vignette, vehicle type, trailer and border crossing: it is best to clarify these points as soon as you collect the car.

• Number plate: Note it character by character, together with the country of registration. Hyphens and spaces do not matter for the e-vignette.
• Vignette present? Look for a vignette sticker on the windscreen or ask the rental company about an e-vignette, and check the year in each case.
• Vehicle type and weight: Motorhomes up to 3.5 t need the vignette; over 3.5 t, they pay the lump-sum heavy vehicle charge (PSVA) instead. Details under Vignette for motorhomes.
• Trailer: A trailer or caravan up to 3.5 t needs its own vignette, see Trailers and caravans.
• Border crossing: Check with the rental company whether you are allowed to drive to Switzerland.

An input error can be corrected once, but for foreign number plates only within 24 hours of registration.

For rental cars with foreign number plates, the 24-hour deadline therefore applies. If you ordered from us, contact support immediately. All cases, from a typo to a new plate, are explained on the page Number plate entered incorrectly or changed.