Romania’s road toll system will change from October 1

2026. 09. 30. 15:52

From October 1, 2026, Romania’s road toll system will undergo significant changes. The most important change affects goods vehicles with a maximum permissible gross weight of over 3.5 tonnes: the previous time-based road use entitlement will be replaced by the distance-based, kilometre-based TollRo system.

For vehicles designed for passenger transport, as well as goods vehicles with a maximum permissible gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes, the time-based Romanian e-vignette, known as the rovinieta, will remain the basis of road toll payment.

The transition will also change the current rovinieta category system. Instead of the eight categories currently in use, ranging from A to H, four rovinieta categories will remain from October. The current categories for goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes will be removed from the rovinieta system, while the designation of passenger transport vehicle categories will partly change.

What will change in Romania’s road toll system from October 1, 2026?

The new system will apply two different toll payment models depending on the vehicle’s purpose and maximum permissible gross weight.

Vehicles designed for passenger transport, as well as goods vehicles with a maximum permissible gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes, will continue to use a time-based rovinieta. Goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, however, will move to the new kilometre-based TollRo road toll system. For this vehicle group, the toll will no longer apply for a fixed period but will instead be calculated based on the distance travelled on the toll road network, which also means that some of the current rovinieta categories will be discontinued.

Which rovinieta categories will remain from October 1?

Four time-based rovinieta categories are expected under the new system:

• Category A: passenger transport vehicles with up to 9 seats, typically passenger cars;
• Category B: goods vehicles with a maximum permissible gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes;
• Category C: passenger transport vehicles with more than 9 but no more than 23 seats;
• Category D: passenger transport vehicles with more than 23 seats.

The rovinieta will therefore not remain exclusively for passenger cars and light goods vehicles. Buses and coaches will also remain in the time-based system, regardless of whether their weight exceeds 3.5 tonnes. For TollRo purposes, the 3.5-tonne threshold is decisive for goods vehicles.

The Romanian e-vignette will remain in place for passenger cars

For travellers entering Romania by passenger car, the rovinieta will not be abolished on October 1, 2026. The time-based electronic road use entitlement will remain in use, although the vehicle’s environmental classification will also play a role in determining the rovinieta fee.

The fee will be influenced by the following factors:

• the vehicle category,
• the vehicle’s EURO emissions classification,
• the validity period of the road use entitlement.

The rovinieta can be purchased for 1 day, 10 days, 30 days, 60 days or 12 months.

Who will have to pay the TollRo road toll in Romania?

The kilometre-based TollRo system applies to vehicles that:

• are designed for transporting goods,
• have a maximum permissible gross weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes,
• and use the Romanian road network covered by TollRo.

For the purposes of this regulation, vehicles designed for mixed transport are classified as goods vehicles.

What will happen to Romanian e-vignettes purchased earlier?

During the transition, there is an important difference between vehicles that remain in the rovinieta system and those that move under TollRo. Rovinietas purchased earlier for vehicles designed for passenger transport or for goods vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes, and which are still valid on October 1, 2026, may be used until their original expiry date.

The situation is different for goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. Since these vehicles will move to the TollRo system from October 1, 2026, rovinietas issued under the previous rules will lose their validity on October 1, even if the originally purchased period would have expired later. This may be particularly important for hauliers who previously purchased longer-term rovinietas for vehicles in categories C, D, E or F.

What should you check before travelling to Romania by car?

For travellers entering Romania by passenger car, the most important point is that the rovinieta will not be abolished. The electronic road use entitlement will still be required to use the toll sections of Romania’s road network.

Before departure, it is particularly important to check the following:

• Vehicle category: Category A will continue to apply to passenger cars, while goods vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes will remain in Category B.
• Validity period: the duration of the rovinieta must cover the entire period during which the toll sections of Romania’s road network are used.
• Environmental classification: from October 1, 2026, the vehicle’s EURO emissions class will also be taken into account when determining the rovinieta fee.
• Route: the rovinieta is not limited to motorways. The toll payment obligation also applies to certain sections of the national road network, so avoiding motorways does not in itself mean that no road use entitlement is required.

Not only motorways may be subject to tolls in Romania

The term Romanian road toll vignette can be misleading because the rovinieta does not apply exclusively to motorways. The system covers certain sections of Romania’s national road network, meaning that a rovinieta may also be required on routes that do not use a motorway at all, or only use one for a short section.

When planning a route, it is therefore worth checking not only whether the route includes a motorway, but also whether the roads used fall within the scope of the rovinieta system.

Frequently asked questions

What will change in Romania’s road toll system from October?
No. Passenger transport vehicles and goods vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes will still require a time-based rovinieta. The kilometre-based TollRo system will apply to goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.

Which current rovinieta categories will be discontinued?
The current C, D, E and F categories will be discontinued as rovinieta categories because the goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes that currently fall into these categories will move to the TollRo system. The current G and H passenger transport categories will remain, but from October they will be redesignated as C and D respectively.

What will happen to a rovinieta that has already been purchased?
Previously purchased road use entitlements for passenger transport vehicles and goods vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes that remain in the rovinieta system may remain valid until their original expiry date. However, existing rovinietas for goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes that move to TollRo will lose their validity on October 1, 2026.