Before the ferry, not at the border
Everything your car needs to know before the border.
Pick the countries on your route. I'll tell you what to buy, what to register and what gets foreign drivers fined, with the official place to do each.
Before you cross: France → Germany → Austria
- FranceCrit'Air stickerNeeded in every ZFE, foreign plates included. €5.11 posted outside France, about 10 working days by post, only from certificat-air.gouv.fr.Buy before you go
- FranceMotorway tollsBarriers, charged by distance: take the ticket, pick a lane with a card symbol. On the A13, A14, A79 and the Boulay interchange there is no barrier, and you pay online within 72 hours.Pay as you go
- FranceWinter kit1 November to 31 March in designated mountain communes: four snowflake tyres, or chains or snow socks in the boot.Check in winter
- GermanyGreen UmweltplaketteValid in every Umweltzone, tied to the plate, never expires. €5–€10 at a test centre or registration office in Germany; by post from €6 at Berlin's registration office, 7–14 days.Buy before you go
- GermanyWinter tyresNo dates: the rule applies on any ice, snow or slush. Since 1 October 2024 only the Alpine snowflake counts, not M+S.Check in winter
- AustriaMotorway vignette€9.60 a day, €12.80 for ten days, €106.80 a year. Valid at once at a petrol station counter; a two-month or annual one bought online starts only after 18 days.Buy before the motorway
- AustriaWinter tyres1 November to 15 April, in wintry conditions: M+S or snowflake, and at least 4 mm of tread.Check in winter
Ticks, dates and your own items are saved in this browser only; nothing is sent to us. On Android, use the Google Calendar link on each item.
Every line comes from the page it links to, where the sources and the date each rule was checked are listed. Rules last checked 26 September 2026.
Country briefings
FranceTolls by the kilometreCrit'Air sticker in every ZFEGermanyGreen sticker in UmweltzonenSnowflake tyres only, since 2024AustriaVignette from €9.60€200 if caught withoutSwitzerlandVignette CHF 40 a yearNo shorter option soldItalyTolls by the kilometreZTL cameras, €83–€332SpainNo vignetteRegister your plate for ZBEsBelgiumRegister for Brussels, Antwerp, GhentFree, online, no stickerNetherlandsNo sticker, no registrationOnly older diesels are caughtPolandRegister for Kraków's zoneState motorways free for carsCzechiaVignette from CZK 230Digital, on edalnice.gov.czSlovakiaVignette from €8.10Digital, on eznamka.skSloveniaVignette from €16 for 7 daysWinter tyres below 3 mm don't countHungaryVignette from HUF 5,550Surcharge, not a finePortugalCamera tolls on ex-SCUT roadsRegister the plate or pay €25 a passage