The rovinieta (road vignette) and bridge tolls: how to pay online
In short
The rovinieta is mandatory for driving on Romania's national roads and motorways and is bought online, in minutes, on the official CNAIR portal erovinieta.ro or the eTarife app, using just the plate number. For cars, tariffs range from about 18 lei for one day to about 255 lei for 12 months, and driving without a vignette carries a fine of 500 to 1,000 lei. The toll for the Danube bridges is paid separately, through the same channels.
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The rovinieta is Romania’s road usage charge for the national road network — electronic, with no windscreen sticker, enforced automatically by cameras. The toll (peaj) is the separate charge for crossing the CNAIR-managed Danube bridges. Both are paid online in minutes, and fines for non-payment arrive automatically by post, so it pays to make validity checks a habit.
Rovinieta vs. toll: two different charges
- The rovinieta covers driving on national roads and motorways, for a period you choose (1 day to 12 months). It is tied to the plate number.
- The toll is paid per crossing, for the Danube bridges Fetești–Cernavodă (the A2, the road to the seaside) and Giurgeni–Vadu Oii. Pay online before or on the day of crossing — there are no barrier toll booths on the A2; enforcement is automatic.
Exact tariffs for all vehicle categories and periods are published by CNAIR on erovinieta.ro; car tariffs are in the table below. As they are set in euro, the lei amounts vary slightly day to day with the exchange rate.
One tip that avoids fines
Buy the rovinieta only from official channels or authorised distributors, and verify on erovinieta.ro right after paying that the vehicle shows a valid vignette. Clone websites with inflated fees constantly appear in search-engine ads — the official portal is erovinieta.ro, run by CNAIR.
Steps to follow
- Choose an official payment channel. The safest options are the CNAIR portal erovinieta.ro or the eTarife mobile app; alternatively, buy from authorised distributors (petrol stations, payment processors). Avoid unofficial websites that add hefty markups.
- Enter the vehicle details. You only need the plate number and the vehicle category (category A for cars). The rovinieta is electronic and tied to the plate number — there is no sticker.
- Choose the period and start date. For cars there are periods of 1 day, 10 days, 30 days, 60 days and 12 months. Validity starts on the date and time you choose, so you can buy in advance.
- Pay and keep the confirmation. Payment is by card and confirmation arrives by e-mail. Nothing goes on the windscreen — enforcement is automatic, via cameras that read plate numbers.
- Crossing the Danube? Pay the toll too. Crossing the CNAIR-managed Danube bridges (Fetești–Cernavodă on the A2, Giurgeni–Vadu Oii) is tolled separately from the rovinieta. Pay online on erovinieta.ro or in the eTarife app, before or on the day of crossing.
Required documents
- The vehicle's plate number
- The vehicle category (car, van etc. — for commercial vehicles, weight and axle count matter)
- A bank card for online payment
Costs
| What you pay | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Car rovinieta — 1 day | ≈ 18 lei | Tariffs are set in euro and converted to lei at the daily rate |
| Car rovinieta — 10 days | ≈ 31 lei | — |
| Car rovinieta — 30 days | ≈ 48 lei | — |
| Car rovinieta — 12 months | ≈ 255 lei | The best value if you drive regularly |
| Fine for missing rovinieta (cars) | 500 – 1,000 lei | Detected automatically by camera; much higher for heavy vehicles |
Fees change over time. Always check the current amounts on the official websites listed under “Official sources”.
How long it takes
Buying online takes a few minutes, and the rovinieta becomes valid from the date and time you choose. You can verify validity any time, for free, on erovinieta.ro, by plate number.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check whether I have a valid rovinieta?
The official portal erovinieta.ro has a verification section where you enter the plate number and instantly see whether the vehicle has a valid vignette and until when. Verification is free.
On which roads is the rovinieta mandatory?
On the national road and motorway network managed by CNAIR. County roads, communal roads and streets inside localities do not require it — but beware: many everyday routes include stretches of national road.
What happens to the rovinieta when I sell the car?
The rovinieta is tied to the vehicle's plate number, not the owner. If the vehicle keeps its number on ownership transfer, the vignette stays valid for the new owner; the seller is not refunded for the remaining period.
How do I find out I have been fined?
The offence is detected automatically by CNAIR's plate-reading cameras, and the report is posted to the owner's address from the registration certificate — one more reason to complete the ownership transfer promptly when buying a car.
Is the Giurgiu–Ruse bridge part of the CNAIR toll?
No. The Friendship Bridge to Bulgaria at Giurgiu–Ruse has its own separate crossing fee, collected at the border point, distinct from the CNAIR toll for the internal Danube bridges (Fetești–Cernavodă and Giurgeni–Vadu Oii).