CNAIR Separates Two Key Dates
Romania’s National Road Infrastructure Administration Company has clarified the implementation schedule for the country’s new electronic road charging system. According to the official CNAIR statement, the STRR and TollRo infrastructure must be implemented by August 31, 2026, while the actual application of the new charges will begin on October 1, 2026.
The clarification was issued because the deadline for technical implementation differs from the date on which carriers will become liable for the new road charges.
“August 31, 2026, represents the deadline for implementing the STRR and TollRo infrastructure and systems in Romania, while the application of rovinieta and TollRo charges will begin on October 1, 2026,” CNAIR said
The technology required to record journeys, process vehicle data and calculate charges must therefore be ready by the end of August. Payment obligations under the new system will begin one month later.
Which Vehicles Will Be Covered
TollRo will apply to registered vehicles designed and constructed for carrying goods with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes.
Mixed-use vehicles will be treated as goods vehicles for TollRo purposes. The charge will apply across the Romanian national road, expressway and motorway network included in the country’s electronic tolling domain.
Unlike the current time-based vignette, TollRo will be calculated according to the distance actually travelled.
Under the consolidated version of Law No. 226/2023, the amount payable will be calculated by multiplying the applicable unit rate by the number of kilometres travelled. The unit rate will include infrastructure costs and external costs associated with traffic-related air pollution.
Passenger vehicles, buses and goods vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of up to 3.5 tonnes will remain within the rovinieta system.
Why August 31 Appears in the Legislation
The technical implementation deadline was introduced by Law No. 170/2026, which amended the schedule for deploying Romania’s electronic road charging infrastructure.
At the same time, Article 29 of Law No. 226/2023 retains October 1, 2026, as the date from which CNAIR will apply the new rovinieta and TollRo charging rules.
The period between August 31 and October 1 is therefore intended for completing, integrating and testing the system. Carriers should not interpret August 31 as the date on which distance-based charges begin.
Available Payment Methods
Romanian legislation provides several ways to pay TollRo:
- a contract with an authorized electronic toll service provider;
- a single-use route ticket purchased before the journey;
- CNAIR’s mobile application for vehicles registered in Romania.
Operators using onboard equipment will be responsible for ensuring that the device remains operational and that vehicle data, including maximum permissible weight and emissions class, are entered correctly.
The final charge will depend on the distance travelled, vehicle category and environmental characteristics.
EU Interoperability Starts in January
Full interoperability with electronic tolling systems in other EU member states through the European Electronic Toll Service — known as SETRE in Romania and EETS across the EU — is scheduled to become operational on January 15, 2027.
Until then, international carriers should closely monitor instructions from CNAIR and their toll service providers. Possession of a European onboard unit should not automatically be treated as confirmation that it will function fully in Romania before cross-border interoperability is officially activated.
Transport companies should review vehicle classifications, update emissions information, select a payment method and include future distance-based charges in freight rates for Romanian routes.
Read also: Netherlands Introduces Distance-Based Road Tax for Trucks Above 3.5 Tonnes
