Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Useful tips for tourists: Driving in Bulgaria

Information on taxes, fines and road network conditions

Photo: vinetki.bg

The safest option for traveling short or long distances during a pandemic remains using a private car. Foreign citizens arriving to Bulgaria by car should follow the rules and comply with speed limits and road conditions. Many roads are being repaired during the summer and speed is limited, engineer Ivan Dosev – a member of the Management Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency said and called on drivers to be patient.


In order to use the road network in Bulgaria, one must purchase an electronic vignette for their vehicle. The price of the weekend vignette, valid from 12:00 on Friday to 23:59 on Sunday, is 5.11 €, the weekly one costs 7.66 €, and the monthly one – 15.33 €. For three months you will pay € 27.60, and for an annual vignette – € 49.50. An electronic vignette can be purchased online up to 30 days before the start of its validity at the following addresses: https://www.bgtoll.bg/, https://vinetki.bg/, https://tollpass.bg/ and https://www.digitoll.bg/bg/, or through the BGTOLL mobile application. On the site www.bgtoll.bg, in addition to Bulgarian, information is available in English, German, Serbian, Russian, Turkish, Greek and Romanian, while the other sites have bilingual versions – Bulgarian and English.


An electronic vignette can also be purchased through the 500 terminals at the border checkpoints, in large gas stations, in the branches of Bulgarian Posts and in regional road administrations. However, it is important that the vehicle data is filled in correctly, as the system does not allow corrections. Drivers advise checking everything is filled in correctly before making a payment because in case of incorrect data, the vignette is not valid. Control over vignettes is carried out by 105 mobile teams and through 295 stationary cameras. If a vehicle without valid vignette is stopped, the fine is about 35 €.

In order for your trip to Bulgaria to be safe and calm, be vigilant and do not neglect the rules. Violators are subject to fines of different amounts and/or penalty points. For example, for high speed in a populated area, the penalties range from € 10, if you exceed the speed limit by 10 km/h, to € 350 if you drove 50 km/h. above the allowed speed. Fines for speeding outside towns are similar.

Author: Yoan Kolev / based on an interview with Ivan Dosev on Horizont Channel and information provided by Road Infrastructure Agency /

English: Alexander Markov

Photos: vinetki.bg and BGNES


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Knitting enthusiasts unite in a community to preserve the traditional craft

The making of knitted products is a traditional craft that deserves a revival and a new life, believes Alexandrina Pandurska, known for her numerous initiatives to popularize cultural and historical places in the Blagoevgrad region. According to her..

published on 12/22/24 9:05 AM

Residents of village of Zmeyovo celebrate pelin wine whose recipe they jealously guard

The village of Zmeyovo near the town of Stara Zagora is celebrating today, December 21, its traditional Festival of Pelin Wine. According to an old Bulgarian custom, guests will be welcomed with bread and salt on the square in front of the..

published on 12/21/24 9:25 AM

Christmas tales made of glass, or how a forgotten tradition is revived

Each piece evokes warmth and nostalgia because each is handmade and unique. The silvery reflections on the glass baubles take us back to childhood, when winters were harsh and snow-white and Christmas decorations were made of wafer-thin glass . Nowadays,..

published on 12/21/24 8:10 AM