Tolls & vignettes in Austria - replacement tolls and fines threatened

Anyone travelling by car in Austria must pay a toll on motorways and dual carriageways. A vignette is required. This is available either as a classic sticker or as a digital vignette. If you don't have a vignette, affix it incorrectly or enter your licence plate number incorrectly, you will receive receive a subsequent request for payment.

Find out more about replacement tolls and fines and how you can defend yourself.

The adhesive vignette must be correctly affixed before you start your journey. This is the only way it can be recognised as valid by the toll cameras. 

First, remove the anti-counterfeiting film (indicated by the crossed bars). Drivers should then affix the vignette from the inside of the windscreen so that it is clearly visible, preferably on the upper edge under any tinted strip.

Motorcyclists should affix the vignette to a fixed part, such as the fuel tank or fork crown.

A short YouTube video from ASFINAG is helpful. 

• Vignette placed in glove box

• Adhesive vignette is not glued but placed behind the windscreen

• Adhesive vignette is attached to the windscreen with tape

• The backing film is not removed before affixing the sticker
   

For the operating company ASFiNAG, it makes no difference whether you have not purchased a vignette or simply failed to affix it properly. Both are regarded as infringements of the vignette obligation and will be punished.

Mistakes can also happen when buying a digital vignette.

Common mistakes:

• Wrong country code, e.g. AT instead of DE.

• Hyphen in the wrong place, e.g. HY-X1221 instead of H-YX1221

• The purchase of the digital vignette was not confirmed, e.g. because the payment did not work.

• The validity period of the vignette has been incorrectly selected.

Such errors can also occur at a petrol station if the seller makes incorrect entries. Always check the accuracy of the information immediately!

Regardless of whether there is no digital vignette or incorrect information. Both will be prosecuted by ASFiNAG as toll offences.

Anyone who fails to comply with the toll regulations is guilty of "toll evasion" as defined by the Federal Road Toll Act.  Claims are collected as follows.

Firstly, motorists will be informed in writing by ASFiNAG and asked to pay a replacement toll („Ersatzmaut“). This amounts to €120 incl. VAT for cars. Payment deadline: four weeks from the date of issue of the letter.

The replacement toll is an "offer" by ASFiNAG to settle the matter without going to court. It is neither a fine nor a penalty.

If the substitute toll is paid, this is a reason to cancel the offence of toll evasion.

If the substitute toll is not paid, ASFINAG forwards the case to the authorities who can initiate administrative proceedings.

Important: ASFINAG is generally not prepared to take back the substitute toll or to negotiate the amount of the substitute toll if a toll offence has been established.  

If the matter is before the responsible authority in Austria, it will first send an information letter/an anonymous order to the vehicle owner.

The administrative fine demanded can be up to 365 euros. The amount must be paid within four weeks of the letter being issued (not delivered!). The amount must be received by the authority within this period.

It should be noted that no legal action can be taken against this information letter. The authority is therefore not obliged to respond to such requests.

If payment is refused, a report will be made (see point 3). An appeal can then be made.

If the request for payment in the information letter is not complied with, the authorities will initiate proceedings to investigate the driver. If you were not the driver, you now have the opportunity to state who was driving the vehicle at the time of the offence.

A penalty notice will then be issued. The fine is between 300 and 3,000 euros.

You can appeal against the fine by writing to the issuing authority by post or e-mail within two weeks of receiving it. The objection can also be made orally at the site. The appeal must clearly state that it is an appeal against the specific penalty notice.

It is important to present counter-arguments. If the situation is favourable, this may lead to a reduction of the fine, the case being closed or only a warning being issued. 

With regard to the statute of limitations, it should be noted that the penalty notice must be issued (not served!) by the authority within one year of the toll offence, otherwise the claim becomes invalid. 

There is an administrative and legal assistance agreement between Germany and Austria that allows the enforcement of fines of 25 euros or more.

Even if the decision is not enforced in Germany, it remains valid in Austria. If you re-enter Austria, the fine may therefore be enforced if you are stopped.