How to pay road tolls in Scandinavia
There are road tolls throughout Scandinavia, but Norway, Sweden, and Denmark rely on different systems. As a carrier or freight forwarder, you need to ensure you are aware of any road tolls before you travel to maximise your profitability.
From 1st January 2025, there will be changes to road tolls in Denmark which you need to know about if you travel in Denmark, or you could face a fine.
If you are planning to transport goods to Scandinavia by road, we recommend you to sign up for a free trial with TIMOCOM. We can help with finding freight and vehicles and you can test after registration our TIMOCOM Road Freight Marketplace. It goes without saying that TIMOCOM has helped many customers to reduce empty runs.
For example, the Danish haulage company Sejer & Sonnichsen has stated:
‘’TIMOCOM offers a good overview of available loads in each country. The system helps us optimising our own vehicles and thus reduces empty kilometres’’.
They currently have more than 50 trucks going between Denmark and Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Poland.
Read more about our customer stories yourself to find out how TIMOCOM can help you grow.
Road tolls for HGVs in Europe
Many countries throughout Europe have road tolls including the UK, Germany, and France, along with many others.
Road tolls in Europe and elsewhere are implemented for several reasons including maintaining the infrastructure, to reduce congestion, and to reduce pollution.
Road tolls Scandinavia
Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, known collectively as Scandinavia, also require road tolls to be paid. However, to pay road tolls in Scandinavia, you need to use different payment systems.The Eurovignette system was introduced to allow vehicles to pay one toll but have access to several countries. These countries included Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
However, from 1st January Denmark will be changing from this system.
Norway also uses a different system called AutoPASS. This means commercial vehicles above 3.5 tonnes need to be equipped with an electronic toll tag. You need to register online and then attach the toll tag to the lower inside of your front windshield before driving on toll roads in Norway.
Road tolls Norway
How do road tolls work in Norway?
Norway has an open system which means when the driver passes through the toll station, the toll is calculated by distance travelled and the type of vehicle.
How much are tolls in Norway?
Norway road tolls vary throughout Norway for HGVs. To calculate the cost of the road toll you need to pay, you need to enter where you are travelling from and to, the type of vehicle you have, the weight, height, length, axles, and emissions class and your departure time.
How do you pay for road tolls in Norway?
Paying road tolls in Norway is invoiced by the AutoPASS system.
The system in Norway means that if you don’t have an AutoPASS tag, also known as the on-board unit (OBU), video cameras will capture your vehicle details when you pass through a toll gate. You will then be invoiced at your address.
For vehicles that are over 3.5 tonnes, an on-board unit is mandatory. You register your vehicle at the EPC for environmental differentiation. The toll invoice will then be sent via EPC plc or to your address.
Can you avoid toll roads in Norway?
With route planner software, you can plan your routes and costs before you travel.
Sometimes avoiding toll roads can be quicker because of congestion or the roads can be closed to freight vehicles during certain times. For instance, in Sweden, trucks are banned at night from major cities.
Road tolls Sweden
Are there road tolls in Sweden?
Yes. In Sweden there are two road toll schemes: the infrastructure charge and congestion tax. The infrastructure charges are for the bridges and each bridge has different tolls.
Congestion tax applies to lorries of 14 tonnes or more and is only in effect in Stockholm and Gothenburg.
There are toll roads in Sweden spread across the country, including:
- The E10 between Töre and the Norwegian border
- The E12 between Holmsund and the Norwegian border
- The E14 between Sundsvall and the Norwegian border.
How to pay for road tolls Sweden
Sweden uses the Eurovignette system and vehicles over 12 tonnes must use this to pay for road tolls. The Eurovignette is calculated by the vehicle's Euro Engine value (emissions class), the validity, and the number of axles on the vehicle.
Payment for Eurovignettes can be made at specific fuel stations, forwarding agents, or online at AGES. Payment is accepted by fuel and fleet cards and credit cards. When purchasing online, it is a fully electronic system, so you don’t need any documentation.
The congestion charge for Gothenburg and Stockholm can be paid by direct debit, invoice, or by sending a payment slip to the Swedish Transport Agency.
Bridge tolls Sweden
There are four bridge tolls in Sweden, the Sundsvall, Motala, Skuru and Öresund Bridge (E20). At bridges you can pay at the toll stations along the bridge by card, cash, or by using an online payment system such as EasyGo.
For the Motala Bridge the vehicle details are taken by camera, known as the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and an invoice is sent to you.
How much are road tolls Sweden
The road toll tariff depends on the EURO class of the truck, the number of axles or the truck/trailer combination. The prices vary depending on the time of day the vehicle uses the road and ranges from 9 KR (€0.78) to 30 KR (€2.60).
The bridge tolls can vary depending on the type of vehicle and the bridge you are travelling on. The prices range from 11 kr (€0.95) to 20 kr (€1.74).
In July 2019, road tolls were increased to take into account new European legislation to reduce carbon emissions. This legislation charges more for vehicles with higher carbon emissions. It also considers noise and air pollution.
What happens if you don’t pay a road toll in Sweden?
Like any country that applies road tolls, if you do not pay or are late with the payment, then you can be fined or receive a penalty. In Sweden you can face a fine of around €27.60 but this can be a lot more if the toll debt is higher and it can also mean your vehicle is prohibited.
Road tolls Denmark
Changes to toll roads in Denmark
From 1st January 2025, Denmark will change from the Eurovignette system to a KM-based and CO2 differentiated system.
The change is to better cover the costs of infrastructure wear, accidents, congestion, and pollution. It will apply to vehicles that are 12 tons or more and registered for freight transport.
From January 2027, this toll will also apply to vehicles of 3.5 tonnes or more.
How do you pay tolls in Demark?
For the new KM-based system, you can pay the HGV rates through a provider offering satellite-based GNSS equipment or by buying a KmToll ticket prior to driving on the road.
How much are the tolls in Demark?
The new tolls will be calculated based on your truck’s weight and carbon emissions class and the road toll will depend on where you drive.
How TIMOCOM can help with road tolls
Road tolls may seem like an added expense, but they can be good for the road freight industry as they can help to increase efficiency and reduce congestion. Truck tolls can help to reduce empty runs which helps you to increase efficiency and profitability.
TIMOCOM can help you benefit from road tolls by allowing you to plan your route and costs. You can use the route planner to find the most efficient way for your travel through Scandinavia, Europe, and the UK.
By using the freight exchange, you can also find vetted partners to avoid empty runs and increase your profitability and build relationships with other businesses. At TIMOCOM, we are happy to offer you a free trial of the TIMOCOM Road Freight Marketplace to explore yourself and find out more about how we can help you.
Tram Trinh Thanh
Marketing Manager Northern Europe
