Have you received a fine due to an e-vignette issue in Hungary? Here’s what you need to know and what you can do

Driving on motorways and express roads in Hungary is subject to holding a valid electronic vignette (e-vignette). The system is fully digital, and the absence of a valid vignette or the entry of incorrect details can result in significant penalties. Every year, many drivers end up paying fines not out of bad faith, but due to inattention or lack of familiarity with the rules.

In Hungary, there is no physical vignette. The right to use toll roads is registered exclusively in electronic form, based on the vehicle’s registration number. Checks are carried out automatically through an extensive network of fixed and mobile cameras, which identify the vehicle and match it against the national e-vignette database. According to official information published by the toll system operator, any use of toll roads without a valid vignette is considered unauthorized use, even if the absence of the vignette was accidental.

The most common situations leading to penalties are related to seemingly minor mistakes. A single incorrect character in the registration number, selecting the wrong vehicle category, or using an expired vignette is sufficient to automatically trigger a surcharge. The system does not take intent into account, but solely the accuracy of the data available at the time of verification.

Hungarian legislation does, however, provide an important safeguard for drivers in the form of a 60-minute grace period. If a vehicle enters a toll road section without a valid vignette, the vignette can be purchased within one hour from the time of entry without any penalty being applied. Once this period has elapsed, the right to correction is lost and the system may automatically generate an excess charge.

If unauthorized use of toll roads is detected, the Hungarian authorities issue a payment notice (excess charge) to the vehicle owner. This is not a classic traffic fine, but a civil payment claim administered by the official toll system operator. The notice is usually sent by post to the vehicle’s registered address and includes the date of detection, the road section used, and the payment deadline.

For 2026, indicative thresholds show that the standard surcharge for the absence of a valid vignette is generally around 26,000–27,000 Hungarian forints if paid within the prescribed deadline. According to official information, if payment is not made within 60 days, the amount can increase significantly, reaching over 80,000–90,000 forints, depending on the length of the delay and the recovery procedure applied. In certain cases, the claim may be transferred to debt collection agencies, including outside Hungary, which can lead to additional costs.

Payment of the surcharge must be made in accordance with the instructions included in the official notice, using authorized payment channels. It is essential that payment is made on time, as ignoring the document does not result in cancellation of the amount, but in further increases.

If you receive such a notice, the first page of the document, in the top right-hand corner, contains an official e-mail address to which requests for clarification or correction can be sent. Communication is carried out by sending a written message in which the reference number of the notice must be indicated and proof of vignette purchase attached. Although the request is submitted electronically, the response is not sent by e-mail, but is instead delivered by post to the correspondence address of the vehicle owner.

It is important to note that such requests are reviewed exclusively in cases of material errors, meaning obvious typing mistakes that do not change the actual identity of the vehicle. A typical example is entering an incorrect digit or letter in the registration number, such as “AB12BNC” instead of “AB11BNC”, or similar cases of accidental character inversion or duplication. In such situations, if the vignette was purchased for the same period and for a clearly identifiable vehicle, the correction may be accepted.

Situations related to the vehicle category, the type of vignette, or the validity period are not considered material errors and cannot be corrected. Selecting the wrong category, even if the vignette was paid for, is treated as unauthorized use of the toll road and the surcharge remains applicable. Likewise, discrepancies that substantially alter the registration number or could correspond to a different vehicle are generally not accepted for correction.

In practice, most penalties can be avoided through minimal planning. Purchasing the vignette before entering Hungary, carefully checking the entered details, and keeping the payment confirmation are simple but essential measures. For drivers who travel through Hungary frequently, the annual vignette remains the safest option, eliminating the risk of expiration or repeated purchases.

Hungary’s electronic toll system is efficient and fast, but it operates on a clear principle: responsibility for the accuracy of the entered data lies entirely with the driver. A few seconds spent checking the details before departure can make the difference between a worry-free journey and a costly surcharge.