Does your rental car already have a vignette?
The vignette is a fee for using Swiss motorways and expressways. It costs CHF 40 and covers cars, motorcycles, trailers, caravans, vans and campers up to 3.5 tonnes, according to ch.ch's vignette page. The 2026 vignette runs from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027. There is no shorter or cheaper option.
Whether you need to buy one depends on where the car is registered and what the rental terms say.
| Where you pick up | Vignette status to expect | What to do before the motorway |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss branch, Swiss-registered car | Usually included; Europcar Switzerland's terms name it as the only charge built into the price | Look for the sticker or ask whether an e-vignette is on the plate |
| Geneva airport French sector | Car is rented from a French branch; not guaranteed | Ask at the counter; buy an e-vignette if none |
| Branch in Germany, France, Italy or Austria | Avis says you must arrange the vignette yourself, as with your own car | Buy the e-vignette before crossing |
Europcar Switzerland's hire terms (version 1 July 2026) state that apart from the Swiss motorway vignette, the price excludes vignettes and tolls. Avis's vignette overview says vignette and toll costs are the renter's responsibility when driving a rental car from Germany. Other companies' wording differs, so get a yes or no at the desk.
For the Geneva airport sectors, see renting a car in Switzerland as a visitor.
Sticker or e-vignette
A car can carry the vignette in two ways, and a rental car may use either.
| Type | Linked to | Where it is sold | Check on a rental car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker | That vehicle; must be stuck inside the windscreen | Filling stations, post offices, customs posts, automobile clubs | Look at the windscreen |
| E-vignette | The number plate | Online only at e-vignette.ch | Plate lookup, only if the buyer made it publicly visible |
The FOCBS FAQ explains that a plate can be checked online only if the person who bought the e-vignette ticked the "publicly visible" option. If the lookup shows nothing, that does not prove the car has no vignette. Ask the rental staff instead of buying a second one, because refunds are given only for a proven double purchase.
What happens if you drive in Switzerland without a vignette?
Driving on a motorway or expressway without a valid vignette costs a CHF 200 fixed fine, and you still have to buy the vignette for CHF 40. That is item 6001 in the fixed-fine ordinance (OBV, status 1 August 2026). A sticker that is not stuck on properly, or is damaged, is a separate offence.
For a rental car picked up outside Switzerland, the choice is simple: CHF 40 now or CHF 240 if you are stopped, plus any handling fee if the notice goes to the rental company.
How much are speeding fines in Switzerland?
Limits are 120 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on expressways, 80 km/h on other roads outside built-up areas and 50 km/h inside them, per ch.ch. Signs can set lower limits.
The tolerance deduction comes first
Before the fine is set, a safety margin is subtracted from the measured speed. The FEDRO ordinance (VSKV-ASTRA, Art. 8) sets these deductions:
| Measurement | Up to 100 km/h | 101–150 km/h | 151 km/h and above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radar, and section control | 5 km/h | 6 km/h | 7 km/h |
| Laser | 3 km/h | 4 km/h | 5 km/h |
| Moving radar in a police car | 7 km/h | 8 km/h | 9 km/h |
Fixed fines after the deduction
These amounts come from item 303 of the OBV (status 1 August 2026). They are the same across all cantons.
| Excess after tolerance | Built-up area | Outside built-up area and expressways | Motorway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 km/h | CHF 40 | CHF 40 | CHF 20 |
| 6–10 km/h | CHF 120 | CHF 100 | CHF 60 |
| 11–15 km/h | CHF 250 | CHF 160 | CHF 120 |
| 16–20 km/h | Reported to prosecutor | CHF 240 | CHF 180 |
| 21–25 km/h | Reported to prosecutor | Reported to prosecutor | CHF 260 |
Beyond the last fixed band, the case leaves the fixed-fine system and goes to the prosecutor, who sets the penalty. Under the fixed-fine act (OBG), a single fixed fine is capped at CHF 300, and if several offences together would exceed CHF 600, all of them go to ordinary proceedings.
Worked example: a camera on the motorway
Radar records a rental car at 138 km/h in a 120 km/h zone. The deduction for a reading between 101 and 150 km/h is 6 km/h, so the recorded speed is 132 km/h: 12 km/h over. The fine is CHF 120.
If the notice goes to the rental company and it charges a handling fee on top, the cost rises. Avis Switzerland's location terms set that fee at CHF 50 per fine, making CHF 170 in total.
The same 12 km/h excess costs more on a smaller road. On an 80 km/h road, a radar reading of 97 km/h loses 5 km/h (the deduction for readings up to 100 km/h), leaving 92 km/h: 12 km/h over, and a CHF 160 fine. Inside a town, 67 km/h on radar in a 50 zone becomes 62 km/h and costs CHF 250.
How does a Swiss speeding fine reach you after the trip?
When police do not stop the driver, the OBG (Art. 7) sends the fine to the registered keeper, which for a rental car is the rental company. If the keeper names the driver, the procedure continues against that driver, who has 30 days to pay. An unpaid fixed fine becomes an ordinary criminal case, with added costs.
Rental companies pass your details on. Europcar Switzerland's terms allow it to share contract data with police, prosecutors and road traffic offices, and require the renter to reimburse fines plus administrative fees.
Since 2019 the Zurich cantonal police have printed a QR code on their fines. It opens a portal where you can pay by credit card, PostFinance or TWINT and see the location, time and vehicle. If the fine is not paid online within 30 days, a notice with a payment slip goes to the keeper's address. For card and TWINT use in general, see paying in Switzerland.