E-Vignette is finally possible in Switzerland

In many countries, it is necessary to stick a small picture on the car as an indication that you have paid to use a particular road network by car. Especially with ski holidays approaching, this is something to be careful about, as many winter sports countries make such a vignette mandatory. People are sometimes willing to take the gamble of not purchasing the vignette, but high fines can be imposed if the vignette is lost or if traffic is stuck. Last year, ANWB received numerous complaints about fines showing up in the mailbox after the holidays. It is important that the vignette is pasted correctly. This means that the vignette must be stuck to a specific location on the window (the vignette indicates the location) and must be stuck to the adhesive side of the vignette itself. All other possible methods are wrong and therefore can cost a lot of money. Such a vignette is mandatory in countries such as Switzerland.

Digital vignette

Vignettes for Switzerland can easily be ordered on sites such as Vignetteswitzerland.com. It is good to keep in mind that in addition to physical vignettes, Switzerland now finally offers the option of electronic vignettes. Whereas previously people had to fiddle a lot with a physical sticker that wouldn’t stick properly or that, more annoyingly, wouldn’t go out the window properly anymore, a digital vignette can now be used. We already knew that countries like Austria could work with the so-called electronic vignette. It now appears that Switzerland is not far behind.

Advantages of a digital vignette

The biggest advantage of an electronic vignette is of course the fact that you no longer need to mess around with physical labels. The digital vignette is linked to the vehicle’s license plate, so a physically visible vignette is no longer necessary. No more sticking or scratching afterwards. The digital vignette is also more user-friendly. Where previously one had to go to an ANWB or a gas station to purchase a vignette, this can now easily be done in advance from the comfort of your armchair. Multiple vehicles can also be added to a single vignette. Any modifications or updates are updated instantly online. Something a physical poster obviously can’t do.

For example, if the windshield is damaged, a new vignette will have to be purchased upon replacement. Since the electronic vignette is linked to the license plate, this is not necessary for these vignettes. Screening and enforcing a digital vignette is safer for authorities as well. With an electronic vignette, you simply read the license plate to see if it is registered or not. Convenient and fast compared to scanning a physically existing vignette. Finally, such a digital vignette is better for the environment, which nowadays also plays a major role in the discussions surrounding such posters. This also helps reduce waste and plastic production.