The ruling majority has submitted a bill to Parliament to change how use of the national road network is charged. The initiative comes just days after the government decided to remove the road tax from the price of diesel and petrol starting January 1, 2027.
The proposal was submitted by Socialist Party MP Andi Qose and is titled “On some amendments and additions to Law No. 8308, dated March 18, 1998, ‘On Road Transport.’” It provides for a vignette system under which payment for road infrastructure is tied to a specified period of use.
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The payment method differs according to where the vehicle is registered. For vehicles with foreign plates, the vignette will be purchased at the border or through electronic channels; for those with Albanian plates, the annual vignette is expected to be included in the annual tax on used vehicles.
Vehicles registered outside the Republic of Albania must obtain a vignette when they enter the country. The joint-stock company National Road Operations Authority (EKORR) will sell it at border crossings and electronically. Payment may also be made before entering Albanian territory.
For light vehicles, the bill provides for vignettes valid for one day, ten days, thirty days or one year, or 365 days. A tourist or foreign national entering in their own vehicle can therefore choose how long to use the roads without having to pay the annual fee. The price will depend on the vehicle category and the vignette’s validity period.
The bill does not specify amounts in lek. For light vehicles, it sets only maximum limits calculated against the annual fee: up to 9% for a daily vignette, 11% for a seven-day vignette, 12% for a ten-day vignette, 19% for a 30-day vignette and 30% for a 60-day vignette. The final fees, vehicle categories and calculation method will be approved later by a decision of the Council of Ministers.
Daily, weekly, monthly and annual periods are also provided for buses. Relative to the annual fee, the daily charge may not exceed 2%, the weekly charge 5% and the monthly charge 10%.
No separate procedure is envisaged for vehicles registered in Albania to pay for the annual vignette, as it will be integrated into the annual tax on used vehicles. According to the explanatory report, this avoids a second administrative obligation for Albanian drivers. Purchasing at the border and choosing a period based on the length of stay apply to vehicles registered abroad.
The bill aims to prevent double payment for the same road section. For this reason, the vignette system will not cover concession roads, bridges, tunnels or mountain roads for which there is a separate user fee.
The Council of Ministers may grant exemptions or reduced fees for electric and hydrogen vehicles, low-emission vehicles, motorcycles and vehicles registered in neighboring countries. The eligible categories and the amount of any reduction will be determined by a government decision.
Vignette administration will be supported by an electronic system. The General Directorate of Road Transport Services (DPSHTRR) will be responsible for issuing and administering it, while EKORR will handle distribution, sales and revenue collection.
Payment is also expected to be verified using cameras and systems that automatically read license plates to check whether a vignette is valid. Using the road network without a vignette will be punished with a fine equal to the monthly or 30-day fee for the relevant category. The driver will also have to obtain a vignette immediately. If EKORR breaches its obligations under the bill, it faces administrative penalties ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 lek.
A temporary arrangement is proposed for heavy goods vehicles: they will use vignettes for the national road network until December 31, 2029. Fees will vary according to the number of axles, maximum permitted laden weight and EURO or CO₂ emissions class.
This temporary arrangement is expected to end on January 1, 2030. Charges for heavy vehicles will then be governed by provisions aligned with European Union legislation, including payments based on distance traveled, external costs and traffic congestion.
In the accompanying explanatory report, the sponsors link the initiative to a review of transport tax policy. They say removing the road tax from fuel and transferring it to the annual vehicle tax system creates a need for a mechanism to ensure that vehicles registered outside Albania also pay to use the roads.
The report notes that vehicles with Albanian plates currently contribute through the road tax on fuel and the annual tax on used vehicles, while foreign vehicles traveling on national roads do not contribute in the same way under this system. According to the sponsors, the vignette is intended to bring foreign users into the financing of Albanian road infrastructure and align charges with European practices.
If approved, the bill provides for the changes to take effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette. The obligation to pay for a vignette, however, will begin on a date set by the Council of Ministers. Before the system starts, implementing regulations must also be approved to establish the specific fees, purchasing methods, eligible categories and enforcement procedures. For now, the initiative is only a bill submitted to Parliament and must go through the parliamentary process to become law.
