Toll roads in Poland: where you actually pay, and why there's no vignette

A driver arriving from Czechia, Austria or Slovakia looks for somewhere to buy a windscreen vignette first thing. In Poland you don’t need to buy one — a separate legal instrument called a “vignette for a passenger car” simply doesn’t exist here. The system works differently, and it’s worth understanding once before the trip, not at the first toll section.

In short. Poland has no vignettes for passenger cars at all. Most motorways, including sections run by the state operator GDDKiA, have been free for passenger cars since 1 July 2023. Payment only applies on three concession sections — A1, A2 and A4 — as a one-off charge at a classic toll booth. The electronic e-TOLL system applies exclusively to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and to buses; it doesn’t touch passenger cars.

Poland has no vignettes for passenger cars — and that’s fundamental

Road usage payment in Poland doesn’t work through a prepaid sticker or an electronic tag valid for a set period — it runs on three different principles at once: on roads managed directly by GDDKiA, passenger cars drive free; on the three concession sections, there’s a one-off charge for a specific trip at a booth; for heavy transport, a per-kilometre electronic charge applies through e-TOLL. It follows directly from the law on public roads that a toll regime on national roads only applies to vehicles with a total weight over 3.5 tonnes, including buses regardless of weight. Polish law has no separate provision for a passenger-car vignette — unlike neighbouring Czechia, Austria and Slovakia.

Until 1 July 2023, passenger cars still paid on two GDDKiA-managed sections — A2 Konin–Stryków and A4 Wrocław–Sośnica — under a one-off ticket system, closer to a classic toll entry than to a prepaid vignette for a period. From that date, the charge for light vehicles on these sections was scrapped entirely.

Three toll sections: A1, A2, A4

GDDKiA names three concession (privately operated) motorway sections as the only places where a passenger car pays to drive at a classic barrier-controlled toll point. The rest of the motorways and expressways managed directly by GDDKiA are free for passenger cars.

A1 — Rusocin–Nowa Wieś, in the north of the country, between Gdansk and Torun. The operator is a private concession, known commercially as AmberOne. Payment method: a classic collection point — cash, bank cards, dedicated transponders and apps. This section matters most for routes out of Warsaw toward the Tri-City (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot) — a popular weekend destination on the Baltic coast.

A2 — Konin–Świecko, in the west, toward the German border. The operator is Autostrada Wielkopolska S.A. The Poznan bypass (Poznań Zachód – Poznań Wschód) is explicitly excluded from the toll regime. The eastern section, A2 Konin–Stryków, managed directly by GDDKiA, has been free for passenger cars since July 2023.

A4 — Kraków–Katowice, operated by Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. This section isn’t part of the e-TOLL system and doesn’t need any electronic device — collection happens at classic toll points in Mysłowice and Bielice. The operator accepts cash (złoty, plus euro and dollar banknotes, with change given in złoty), VISA, Mastercard and Maestro cards, fleet cards, and mobile apps for video tolling. A separate A4 section, Wrocław–Sośnica, managed by GDDKiA, has also been free for passenger cars since the same date.

The e-TOLL system: doesn’t concern you

e-TOLL is a state electronic system that replaced the viaTOLL system on 1 October 2021. Mandatory registration applies to owners of vehicles and vehicle combinations with a total weight over 3.5 tonnes, and to buses regardless of weight. Passenger cars and motorcycles aren’t explicitly listed among the categories obligated — consistent with the underlying road law, which limits the national-road toll regime to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.

The road network covered by e-TOLL is around 5,870 km, including motorways, expressways and part of the national roads managed by GDDKiA. For a customer renting a passenger car, all of this infrastructure stays in the background: the OBU device, registration and per-kilometre charge are obligations for freight carriers, not for someone renting a sports coupé or an SUV.

The one nuance worth keeping in mind is a passenger car towing a trailer. Until recently, some such combinations formally fell under e-TOLL requirements at a certain weight — that historical obligation for light combinations with a trailer is now being removed entirely. For a standard rental without a trailer, the question doesn’t arise at all, but if a trip with a trailer is planned (for example, to carry a motorcycle or a caravan), this point is worth confirming separately before setting off.

What happens if you drive through without paying

On the concession sections, an unpaid passage that gets detected triggers an additional control charge. In the period before the charge for light vehicles on GDDKiA sections was scrapped, such penalties ran to around 500 złoty per unpaid passage — the controlling body sent them out after the fact, based on system data. For heavy transport obligated to pay through e-TOLL, there’s a separate penalty for missing electronic payment — but that subject concerns freight and bus transport again, not passenger-car rental.

Common misconceptions

“Poland needs a windscreen vignette, like Czechia.” No. There’s no single vignette for passenger cars in Poland; the toll regime applies only at specific points, on three concession sections, and payment there is one-off at the booth, not prepaid for a period.

“e-TOLL applies to every driver.” No. e-TOLL is mandatory only for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and for buses. It’s not required for passenger-car rental.

“If a section belongs to GDDKiA, you still have to pay there like before.” Outdated since 1 July 2023: on A2 Konin–Stryków and A4 Wrocław–Sośnica, the charge for passenger cars has been scrapped entirely. Some forums and old articles still describe the earlier one-off-ticket scheme — that’s no longer accurate.

“If a section is tolled for passenger cars, you need a transponder.” All three concession sections accept cash and bank cards with no prior registration — a transponder or app only speeds up the crossing, it isn’t mandatory.

What changes, and how to check

Rates on the concession sections and e-TOLL rules get revised from time to time — another round of e-TOLL rate changes was announced for early 2026. For passenger-car rental this isn’t critical: the architecture of the system itself (free GDDKiA roads, three tolled concession sections, e-TOLL only for heavy transport) has been stable for several years and is unlikely to change sharply. It’s worth checking current payment methods on the specific operator’s website if a trip actually runs through A1, A2 or A4.

Speed, alcohol and mandatory-equipment rules are a separate subject, covered in the article on Polish driving rules. The full fleet and rental terms are in the catalogue section: the Mercedes-AMG GT 53, for example, is a frequent choice for routes through the toll sections in the south of the country, where clear payment logic matters as much as performance.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to buy a vignette to drive a rental car in Poland? No. There’s no separate legal instrument called a “passenger-car vignette” in Poland — the toll system works differently than in Czechia or Austria.

Where exactly does a passenger car pay to drive in Poland? Only on three concession motorway sections — A1 Rusocin–Nowa Wieś, A2 Konin–Świecko and A4 Kraków–Katowice. The rest of the motorways managed by GDDKiA are free for passenger cars.

Does the e-TOLL system apply to a passenger car? No. e-TOLL is mandatory for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and for buses regardless of weight. Passenger cars and motorcycles aren’t among the obligated categories.

How do I pay on a toll section — do I need a transponder in advance? No, all three concession sections accept cash and bank cards right at the collection point. A transponder or mobile app is an extra option to speed things up, not a requirement.

Is it true that passenger cars used to pay on A2 and A4 as well? Yes, until 1 July 2023, passenger cars paid on the A2 Konin–Stryków and A4 Wrocław–Sośnica sections managed by GDDKiA, under a one-off ticket system. Since that date, the charge for light vehicles on these sections has been scrapped.

What happens if you drive a concession section without paying? An additional control charge is levied — under the previous scheme for light vehicles, such penalties ran to around 500 złoty per unpaid passage.