Switzerland introduces HVF III truck tolls

From 2025, payment for industrial vehicles will only be handled via Set/Eets electronic toll collection, eliminating terminals and manual declarations

Truck on the road Image by Andreas Lischka on Pixabay

The HVF is a tax calculated on the basis of the total weight of the vehicle, the level of emissions and the number of kilometres driven in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.

The tax is levied on all motor vehicles and trailers with a total authorised weight of more than 3.5 tonnes, which are used to transport goods and which are registered in Switzerland or abroad and drive on the Swiss public road network.

As of January 2025, Switzerland will introduce a new toll collection system for commercial vehicles, putting an end to the current model with the complete switch to the telematics system Set/Eets (European Electronic Toll Service). This change will lead to the elimination of payment terminals at the borders and will require hauliers to have specific on-board equipment provided by an authorised Set operator, with whom they will need to sign a contract.

The new HVF III system is already compatible with the electronic toll infrastructure in place in many European countries and aims at more automated and efficient handling, reducing waiting times and minimising human error in manual toll declarations. The Swiss authorities recommend that companies extend their contract with the Set service if it is already in use in other countries, or uninstall the old system with a view to decommissioning it.

The currently authorised providers are Telepass, Toll4Europe and Axxès, with further operators in the process of authorisation. The transition to HVF III, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025, marks a major modernisation of road toll management in Switzerland and is part of the efforts to digitise mobility services on a European scale.

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Gradual migration of the toll system in Switzerland

As of 2025, Swiss vehicles will no longer have a single system for collecting toll data, as was previously the case with Emotach. Hauliers will be able to choose between different providers, including NATRAS AG, which has been commissioned by the Federal Roads Office (FHRO) for the national basic service, provided free of charge and without customisation. The switch to NATRAS AG will be available for new vehicles or those with non-functional Emotach from 1 January 2025, and for all others from 1 June 2025.

The Federal Customs and Border Security Service (FCAB) has provided new information for owners of commercial vehicles. The following dates are now relevant for those wishing to register with NATRAS AG:

December 2024 to 31 May 2025: Registration with NATRAS AG is reserved for owners who put new vehicles on the road from January 2025. The first delivery of the vehicle detection system (SRV) is scheduled for January 2025.
January 2025 to 31 May 2025: Registration and delivery of the SRV system is restricted to owners of vehicles with defective Emotach devices. Working Emotach devices must continue to be used until they are replaced.
From March 2025: Ordinary registration open for all owners wishing to change to NATRAS AG.
From June 2025 to 31 December 2025: Start of migration for all registered owners and handover of the SRV system.
From 1 January 2026: Start of ordinary operation of HVF III.