Ukrainian hauliers advised to pay Romanian road tolls before reaching the border

Ukraine’s State Customs Service recommends that hauliers traveling to Romania via Moldova arrange and pay road tolls in advance. The recommendation comes amid long queues at the Moldova–Romania border, which are disrupting freight traffic. Advance payment will help drivers avoid additional stops at customs checkpoints, reduce waiting times and speed up border crossing procedures.

Since October 1, 2026, Romania has introduced new road toll rules for trucks with a maximum authorized weight exceeding 3.5 tons. For these vehicles, the traditional vignette has been replaced by the TollRo system, which charges fees based on the distance traveled. Toll rates depend on mileage, vehicle weight, EURO emission standards and road category. Euro VI trucks pay the base rate, while Euro V–IV vehicles are charged 15% more and Euro III or lower vehicles pay 30% more.

Passenger cars, passenger transport vehicles and trucks weighing up to 3.5 tons remain subject to the electronic vignette system, known as rovinieta. Vignettes purchased before October 1, 2026, remain valid until their expiration date. Payments can be made through the etoll.ro portal, the TollRo mobile application, SMS, authorized distributors or sales outlets operated by Romania’s road infrastructure company CNAIR. For heavy trucks, the TollRo system allows payment through route tickets or mobile sessions linked to electronic wallets. From January 15, 2027, payments through the European SETRE system using onboard equipment are also expected to become available.

Ukrainian hauliers are advised to create an account on the etoll.ro portal to manage vehicle information, check document validity and monitor toll payments. Particular attention should be paid to the accuracy of vehicle emission class data. If the vehicle registration certificate does not specify an environmental classification, the system will automatically assign EURO 0, resulting in the highest applicable toll rate.

Failure to pay Romanian road tolls may result in the recovery of the outstanding amount. If the actual distance traveled cannot be determined, a fixed charge of 2,000 Romanian lei applies, but no more than once within a 12-hour period. The Customs Service emphasizes that checking documents and paying tolls in advance is particularly important for Ukrainian hauliers using transit routes through Moldova to Romania and other European Union countries.

Tags: Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, freight transportation