A new fiscal move is being quietly prepared in the Albanian Parliament. Through a draft law filed on the initiative of a deputy, the majority prepares the ground for the abolition of the circulation tax on gasoline and diesel, but at the same time establishes a new user fee for the national road network: the vignette.
The legal initiative is provided exclusively by VNA.
Details of the legal initiative
According to official documents recorded in the Parliament, the draft law "On some amendments and additions to law no. 8308, dated 18.3.1998 'On road transport'" was proposed by MP Andi Qose.
The draft law aims to transform the road charging scheme, justifying it by abolishing the circulation tax of 27 lek/liter (as of January 1, 2027) and its redistribution.
* Object of taxation: The vignette will be applied as a fee for using the national road network for light vehicles, buses and, temporarily until December 31, 2029, also for heavy goods vehicles.
* Performance for domestic vehicles: For all vehicles registered in Albania, the annual vignette fee will be included directly within the annual tax on used vehicles.
* Foreign vehicles: Vehicles registered outside of Albania will be required to purchase vignettes at border crossing points or online.
Other important elements in this initiative
* Building an "agent fee" scheme and hiding real costs.
The revenues from the vignette will not go entirely to the budget. The draft law provides that two institutions — the General Directorate of Road Transport Services (DPSHTRR) as the issuer and the "National Road Operation Authority" sh.a. (EKORR) as the distributor/seller — will keep in advance an "agent fee" from the collected revenues to cover their operational, maintenance and systems costs. Only the remaining (net) part will be paid into the State Budget.
* Maximum charging limits (Validity periods)
For light vehicles, the vignette will be offered daily, 10-day, 30-day and annual (365 days). The draft law defines the ceilings as a percentage of the annual fee:
* Daily: up to 9% of the annual fee.
* Weekly: up to 11% of the annual fee.
* 10-day: up to 12% of the annual fee.
* Monthly (30-day): up to 19% of the annual fee.
* 2-monthly (60-day): up to 30% of the annual fee.
* Exemptions and concession roads
Road segments that are under concession or PPP (such as Rruga e Kombit), as well as bridges or tunnels with special fees, are excluded from the vignette network to avoid double payment. Meanwhile, the Council of Ministers will determine reductions or exemptions for zero-emission vehicles (electric/hydrogen), low-emission vehicles, motor vehicles, and vehicles registered in border states.
Cameras and monitoring by the State Police.
The e-vignette check will be carried out automatically without stopping traffic through State Police license plate reading cameras connected to the electronic registers of the DPSHTRR.
Fines and sanctions
Using the road network without a valid vignette is punishable by a fine equal to the monthly vignette fee for the respective vehicle category, as well as the obligation to immediately equip it with a vignette. Whereas for EKORR sh.a., violating sanitary or collection obligations is punishable by a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 lek.
