All about road tax in Romania: where you need a toll sticker

Whether you’re a novice driver or perhaps preparing for a vacation in Romania, it’s essential to be aware of all the legal aspects so you can drive without worry. And one important topic is rovinietă – the road tax in Romania that drivers have to pay in certain situations.

Here’s everything you need to know about the vignette: where you need it, how much it costs and where you can buy it.

• What is road tax and why you have to pay it
• Which roads require a toll
• How much does it cost: how much does it cost in Romania
• What is the period of validity of the Rovinet in Romania
• Where to buy your vignette
• Rovignette penalties: what fines can be imposed on drivers driving without a rovignette
• Q&A: Common questions and answers about tolls in Romania

What is road tax and why you have to pay it

According to OG 15/2002 with subsequent amendments and additions, the rovinieta is a road toll in Romania or, in other words, a tariff for the use of the road transportation infrastructure in Romania. Payment of this toll entitles you to use the Romanian national road network for a given period. If you’re interested in the history of the rovinieta, you should know that this road toll in Romania was introduced in 2002, in order to align with European standards in terms of financing the transport structure.

According to the law, the Romanian road tax – rovinieta – is applied according to:

• vehicle category;
• emission class (EURO);
• the duration of use of the Romanian national road network. The duration of use includes the duration of the journey as well as the duration of the stationary time.

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Which roads need a toll

Rovinieta applies to the national road network in Romania, with the exception of the national road sections located within the territory of municipalities between the entry/exit signs in/out. In other words, the road tax in Romania is compulsory for those traveling on:

• national roads;
• express roads;
• highway.

When do I not need a vignette?

Well, if you use a county, local or forest road you are not obliged to buy a vignette. However, if you’re not sure, you can check the map of roads with compulsory vignettes.

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How much does it cost: the price of a vignette in Romania

The National Road Company publishes the rates for the road toll in Romania. For a category A passenger car, the price of a one-day vignette is €2.5, while for goods vehicles with a maximum permissible gross laden mass of 3.5 tons or less, the vignette for a one-day vignette for a commercial vehicle costs €8.6.

If we’re talking about category G passenger vehicles, then a one-day vignette costs €4, and for category H vehicles with more than 23 seats, a one-day vignette costs €7.

For more details, check the list published by CNADNR, which includes a table with the prices of the Romanian toll, by category and type of vehicle.

What is the period of validity of the Rovinet in Romania

The period of validity of the vignette begins at 00.00 on the first day and expires at 24.00 on the last day of the period for which it was paid. No matter which category of vehicle you are talking about, you can choose between the following validity periods for tolls in Romania:

• 1 day;
• 10 days;
• 30 days;
• 60 days;
• 12 months.

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How you can check the validity of your road license

Have you forgotten when your vignette expires and don’t know how to check it? You can check the validity of your rovinieta on the CNAIR website. All you need is the license plate number and the chassis number, i.e. the car’s identification number.

You get the answer to your Romanian toll check instantly, so if you find you don’t have a valid rovinietă, there are several ways to get one.

Where to buy your vignette

If you’re wondering where you can buy your rovignette, there are numerous distribution points authorized to collect the fee for the use of the national road network in Romania. The list is published by CNAIR.

However, there are also more convenient ways to pay your rovinlette, such as paying your rovinlette online in Romania or by SMS.

Online vignette: download online vignette

If you would like to buy your vignette online, you can easily do it on the platform provided by the National Road Infrastructure Management Company. You need to create an account and enter the necessary data, such as your car’s license plate number and its type. Then, at the end of the process, you can download the vignette online.

Road toll by SMS: pay toll by text message

To pay your toll by SMS, follow these steps:

1. Text the license plate number of your vehicle, the type of vehicle and the period for which you are claiming the vignette to 7500.
2. You will receive a text message informing you that the vignette will be issued for the data provided in the previous step.
3. You confirm the issuance of the vignette by sending a text message saying “YES”.
4. You will receive a text message confirming the issuance of the vignette, which will contain the details of the issued vignette.

If, after receiving the SMS confirming the issuance of the vignette, you receive an SMS with the text “The vignette has not been issued. The SMS confirming the issue of the vignette could not be sent. Please restart the vignette issuance process.” means that the transaction could not be charged by the mobile operator and the vignette is not valid.

Rovignette penalties: what fines can be imposed on drivers driving without a rovignette

According to the legislation in force, driving without a valid vehicle registration sticker is a continuous infringement and is punishable by a fine.

The fine is set between a minimum of double the 12-month toll and a maximum of four times the 12-month toll.

However, the amount of the fine for driving without a valid vignette is updated annually, according to the consumer price index (CPI) communicated by the National Institute of Statistics for the previous year.

Q&A: Common questions and answers about tolls in Romania

Because there are many questions drivers have about the toll, we have prepared below the most common questions and answers about the toll in Romania.

1. If the vehicle will be driven by a different driver, do I have to pay another toll?

According to art.10 of Law 226/ 2023 with subsequent amendments and additions, in case of a change of vehicle user, the vignette remains valid.

1. If I change my car’s registration number, do I have to pay a new registration fee?

According to art. 10, point 2 of the updated Rovinet Law, “in the case of vehicles registered in Romania, when a different registration number is assigned, the Rovinet remains valid. The Directorate-General for Driving Licenses and Registrations ensures, on the basis of a protocol, daily access by CNAIR to the data relating to the change of registration numbers in the National Register of Driving Licenses and Registered Vehicles.”

1. I paid the toll, but I no longer use the car. Can I get my money back?

According to art. 10, point 4 of the above-mentioned law, the value of the toll for the period of non-use may be refunded in the event of the vehicle being taken out of circulation. In such a case, in order to get your money back, you need to submit a written request to CNAIR.

1. I’ve sold a car for which I’ve paid a car tax. Can I get my money back?

According to the Order of the Ministry of Transport no. 748/2019 with subsequent amendments and additions, if you sell a car that has a valid rovignette, you can ask the National Road Infrastructure Administration Company (CNAIR) to return the money for the remaining period of validity of the rovignette.

1. I bought a one-year vignette and in the meantime the fees have increased. What should I do?

If you buy a vignette and the fee subsequently changes, it remains valid until the end of the validity period. So you do not need to buy a new vignette after the fee changes.

1. Can you pay your toll in hours?

No, the minimum period of validity of a rovinette is one day, so 24 hours. The maximum period of validity is one year.

1. Do you need a car sticker in Ilfov?

Yes. Ilfov County is part of Romania’s national road network, so the toll is compulsory.

1. Is the toll more expensive for novice drivers?

No, the toll is the same for all drivers, regardless of their experience.

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All in all, you now have all the information you need to pay the road tax in Romania, so all that’s left for you to do is to enjoy your vacation and the distances you have to cover. Have a safe journey!

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