LSVA 3 Switzerland 2026: Truck Toll Rates, Payment & Registration

Updated: October 2026

From 1 January 2026, all heavy vehicles over 3.5 tonnes operating in Switzerland must comply with LSVA III, the new GPS-based digital toll that replaces Emotach hardware and paper-based LSVA terminals. Key point for fleet planners: as before, rates depend directly on the Euro emission class. A Euro 0 to 5 truck pays 3.26 Rp./tkm; a Euro 6 truck pays 2.39 Rp./tkm: a 36 % gap on every Swiss kilometre. Three payment options are available: NETS (Switzerland-only digital service), EETS (existing pan-European OBU), or NMTS (manual online declaration for occasional use).

What is LSVA III?

LSVA stands for Leistungsabhängige Schwerverkehrsabgabe: Switzerland's performance-based heavy vehicle fee. LSVA III is the third generation of this system, replacing the hardware-based LSVA II (Emotach OBU) with a fully digital, satellite-tracked alternative administered by the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) via NATRAS AG.

Scope: all motorised vehicles and vehicle combinations with a total permissible weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes operating on Swiss public roads (including transit) and on the Liechtenstein road network. Foreign carriers are equally subject to LSVA as Swiss carriers. The fee is calculated from three inputs:

• Permissible total weight (tonnes)
• Euro emission class of the vehicle
• Kilometres driven on Swiss roads

Heavy passenger vehicles such as buses and motorhomes, as well as tractors and motor carriages, do not pay the LSVA. They pay the lump-sum heavy vehicle charge (PSVA), a flat charge that does not depend on kilometres driven or emission class (BAZG on the PSVA). Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes pay no heavy vehicle charge but need a vignette on Swiss motorways; since 1 August 2023 it has also been available as an e-vignette.

Emotach devices became invalid on 1 January 2026. No new Emotach units were issued after 1 January 2025, and all physical LSVA terminals closed on 31 May 2025. Carriers who have not yet switched to one of the three LSVA III options are non-compliant.

LSVA III Transition Timeline

LSVA Rates 2026 by Euro Emission Class

The LSVA III rate depends on the vehicle's Euro emission class. Rates are in Rappen per tonne-kilometre (Rp./tkm). To convert to CHF: multiply weight (t) × distance (km) × rate (Rp./tkm), then divide by 100.

Example calculation: 18-tonne truck, Euro 6, 100 km on Swiss roads:
18 t × 100 km × 2.390 Rp./tkm = 4,302 Rp. = CHF 43.02

The same truck as Euro 0 to 5 (Category I) would pay: 18 × 100 × 3.260 / 100 = CHF 58.68, CHF 15.66 more for the same trip. On a busy Swiss corridor (e.g. Basel to Chiasso, ~270 km), that difference is CHF 42 per crossing, per truck.

Which weight counts: the maximum permissible laden weight in the vehicle registration document. For a truck with a trailer, the weights of both vehicles are added. For an articulated vehicle registered as a unit, the unit's weight counts; if tractor and semi-trailer are registered separately, the unladen weight of the tractor is added to the maximum permissible laden weight of the semi-trailer. The charge is never assessed on more than the maximum permissible combined weight in the registration document, and never on more than 40 tonnes (BAZG on the HVC calculation).

A 40-tonne Euro 6 truck therefore pays CHF 95.60 per 100 kilometres. There is no discount for vehicles with a particle filter: Article 8 of the Heavy Vehicle Charge Ordinance (German text) sets only the three category rates, and reductions exist only for vehicles with a special purpose, for example vehicles used for the timber, milk and livestock transports listed further down.

LSVA III Payment Methods: NETS, EETS, NMTS

Registration via Swiss ePortal

All vehicle operators, Swiss and foreign, must register via the Swiss Customs ePortal to use LSVA III. Steps:

1. Create or log in to your ePortal account (UID-registered companies must use their UID)
2. Register vehicles with plate number, permissible total weight, and Euro emission class
3. Select your LSVA III payment method (NETS, EETS, or NMTS)
4. For EETS: confirm Switzerland is activated in your OBU provider account
5. Access toll invoices, file objections, and submit exemption requests through the same portal

Data submitted must match official vehicle documentation exactly. Mismatches (weight or emission class) result in the vehicle being assigned to the higher-cost category.

Exemptions and Refunds

Exempt vehicles

• Army, civil protection, police, customs, fire services, oil and chemical emergency services, and ambulances
• Agricultural and forestry equipment
• Electric vehicles and historic vehicles
• Vehicles of licensed passenger transport companies on trips covered by their licence
• Vehicles with a Swiss day permit or Swiss dealer plates
• Driving school vehicles used only for driving lessons
• Showmen's and circus caravans and goods trailers that carry only fairground or circus equipment
• Tracked vehicles and transport axles
• Humanitarian transport (approved on request)

The full list is in Article 2 of the Heavy Vehicle Charge Ordinance (German text). Exempt foreign vehicles must still be declared when they enter Switzerland.

For battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell trucks, an amendment to the Heavy Vehicle Charge Act passed by Parliament on 2 October 2026 provides for a reduced LSVA rate from 2029 to 2035: the discount is at least 100 % in 2029 and 2030, at least 70 % in 2031 and falls to at least 10 % in 2035. The amendment is subject to an optional referendum (deadline 21 January 2027), and the Federal Council decides when it takes effect (Federal Gazette, BBl 2026 2725, German text).

Refund-eligible transport types

• Timber transport (forest to sawmill)
• Raw milk collection
• Livestock delivery
• Unaccompanied combined transport (train/ferry leg)

Exemption and refund applications are submitted via the Swiss ePortal. Retain route and load documentation to support the claim.

FAQs: LSVA III Explained

Is LSVA III mandatory for foreign carriers?
Yes. Any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes crossing into Switzerland, regardless of country of registration, is subject to LSVA III from 1 January 2026.

Can I still use my Emotach device?
No. Emotach devices became invalid on 1 January 2026. Driving without a valid LSVA III method is a compliance violation.

Which payment option is right for my fleet?
EETS is the default recommendation for international fleets: your existing OBU already covers Switzerland if the domain is activated. NETS suits Swiss-based carriers with no EETS contract. NMTS is for occasional crossings only.

How do I find out my truck's Euro class?
Check the vehicle's CoC (Certificate of Conformity), the type approval, or the vehicle registration document. Euro class must be registered in the ePortal to avoid the default Category I rate.

Does IMPARGO handle LSVA III registration?
No, LSVA III registration is done directly on the Swiss ePortal. IMPARGO calculates the LSVA cost per route (including the correct category rate and weight) so dispatchers can price Swiss crossings accurately before accepting a load.