On 1 July 2026, the Netherlands will introduce a satellite-based, distance-dependent truck toll, simultaneously abolishing the existing Eurovignette – including for fleets that have so far been billed via the joint vignette solution covering the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark and Sweden. The new toll system uses GPS data and records the kilometres driven on almost all motorways as well as a portion of provincial roads. According to the Dutch authority RDW, the on-board unit must remain switched on even on non-tollable routes, contrary to other European countries with tollroads. Following the launch, truck traffic in the Netherlands will be closely monitored by RDW to make sure truck drivers do not use secondary roads to avoid being carged.
For fleet operators, this is a big change: billing logic, cost structure and technical requirements are changing fundamentally. Vehicles without a valid toll solution – whether an EETS OBU or a national solution – risk fines and vehicle impoundment by the authorities.
Who is affected and to what extent
The toll obligation applies to all trucks in categories N2 and N3 with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3.5 tonnes, and applies also to foreign vehicles. Exemptions and exceptions are possible – for example for vehicles over 40 years old or for emergency vehicles – but must be applied for separately.
The new system’s rate structure is based on emissions and vehicle weight, and is rather complicated. A modern, light vehicle in CO₂ class 5 with a total weight between 3,500 and 12,000 kilograms pays around 2.5 cents per kilometre, whereas an older, heavy vehicle in CO₂ class 2 in the 18,000 to 32,000 kilogram range pays up to 16.5 cents. The tariffs can be found on vrachtwagenheffing.nl.
What fleet managers need to do now
From 1 July 2026, compliant toll billing in the Netherlands will be only possible with a certified on-board device. The authorities are entitled to detain vehicles, also for foreign vehicles.
Where a partnership with a service provider is already in place, the Netherlands should be activated as a new toll domain with the existing EETS provider. Providers such as Toll4Europe and 360Pay are preparing the Dutch service ahead of the official launch with a pilot fleet, allowing early use – with billing then starting in July as scheduled.
Companies that do not yet work with a service provider should take the next steps as quickly as possible:
- Select a suitable provider and put the contractual basis in place.
- Once the contract is signed, equip all vehicles with an OBU (on-board unit) and register them for the Dutch toll.
The new toll comes with a re-investment program. A large share of the revenue will be reinvested directly in decarbonising road freight transport. More than 253 million euros have been earmarked for this in 2026; once the system is in regular operation, the government expects this figure to rise to around 320 million euros per year. This recycling model, known as “Terugsluis”, includes purchase incentives for electric and hydrogen trucks (AanZET), funding for private charging infrastructure (SPriLa) and hydrogen refuelling stations (SWiM), as well as subsidies for logistics efficiency. Companies that invest in cleaner vehicles now therefore benefit both from lower toll rates and from public funding programmes.
The Netherlands is by no means an isolated case. New toll domains are being added across Europe and existing ones are becoming more complex – through CO₂ differentiation, new emission classes or updated road networks. EETS providers handle the entire integration effort, from country-specific certification procedures and over-the-air updates to OBUs through to forwarding the relevant vehicle data to the national toll charger. The principle behind it: one contract, one on-board unit, one bill, no matter how many toll domains a vehicle passes through on its route. With the launch of the Dutch toll, this network will be extended to one of the most heavily used transit corridors in Western Europe.
