A few days after the government announced the removal of the circulation tax from the price of diesel and gasoline starting on January 1, 2027, the majority has submitted another road-charging scheme to Parliament. This time, the focus is on vehicles with foreign license plates, which under the draft law would have to buy a vignette to enter and travel on the national road network.
What the initiative submitted to Parliament предусматривает
The draft law “On some amendments and additions to Law No. 8308, dated 18.3.1998, ‘On road transport’,” proposed by Socialist MP Andi Qose, aims to create a vignette system for the use of road infrastructure.
According to the draft, vehicles registered outside Albania would be issued a vignette when entering the country, at border crossing points or through electronic channels. Payment could also be made in advance, before entering Albanian territory.
For vehicles registered in Albania, the annual vignette would not be purchased through a separate procedure, but would be integrated into the annual tax on used vehicles. In other words, the administrative burden for residents is presented as hidden within the existing tax, while for foreigners it would be a direct payment upon entry.
Validity periods and rates that are still unknown
For light vehicles with foreign plates, the draft law provides for a vignette valid for one day, 10 days, 30 days and one year. The logic of the draft is that the driver chooses the period of road use, without being necessarily required to pay an annual fee.
However, the exact amount in lek has not been determined. The draft sets only maximum limits in relation to the annual fee: 9% for the daily vignette, 12% for the 10-day vignette, 19% for 30 days and 30% for 60 days. It also mentions an 11% limit for a 7-day vignette, although the validity periods listed for light vehicles do not fully match this format.
This means that the most sensitive part of the scheme — how much will actually be paid — is left for a later decision by the Council of Ministers, together with the vehicle categories and the calculation methodology.
Who sells it, who checks it, and how fines are foreseen
According to the draft law, the sale of the vignette would be carried out by the joint-stock company “National Road Operation Entity” (EKORR), at border crossing points and online. Meanwhile, the General Directorate of Road Transport Services would be the institution responsible for issuing and administering the electronic system.
Payment control is also foreseen to be carried out through cameras and automatic license-plate reading systems. This means the implementation of the scheme would not rely only on border counters, but also on electronic monitoring in traffic.
For use of the road network without a vignette, the draft provides for a fine equal to the monthly or 30-day fee for the respective vehicle category, as well as the obligation for the driver to immediately obtain the vignette. Administrative measures are also foreseen for EKORR, from 100,000 to 500,000 lek, in case of violations of the specified obligations.
Exemptions, heavy vehicles and the space left to the government
The draft law excludes from the vignette network concession infrastructure, bridges, tunnels and mountain roads for which there is a separate usage fee. On paper, this is presented as an effort to avoid double payment for the same segment.
The draft also gives the government the right to approve exemptions or reductions for certain categories, such as electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, low-emission vehicles, motorcycles and vehicles registered in neighboring states. But here too, the specific details are not in the law and would depend on later decisions by the Council of Ministers.
For heavy goods transport vehicles, a temporary regime is foreseen until December 31, 2029. From January 1, 2030, according to the draft, their charging would move to another model, aligned with EU legislation, including payments based on distance traveled.
The official argument and what remains unresolved
According to the accompanying explanatory report, the changes are linked to the revision of fiscal policy in transport after the removal of the circulation tax from fuels and its transfer to the annual vehicle tax scheme. The proponents claim that in this way a mechanism is created that also requires foreign vehicles to contribute for the use of Albanian roads.
According to the same argument, vehicles with Albanian plates contribute through existing taxes, while foreign vehicles are not included in the same scheme. The vignette, according to the official version, aims to fill this gap while also moving closer to European practices.
However, the draft law is still in the parliamentary stage and has no immediate effect. Even if approved, the vignette payment would begin only on the date set by the Council of Ministers, after the secondary legislation, the exact rates and implementation procedures are approved.
In essence, the draft provides the framework, but not the final bill. Precisely the part that affects drivers’ pockets and the actual method of implementation remains in the hands of government decisions.
This makes the initiative more of a broad authorization for charging than a closed and clear scheme at this stage.