How do vignettes and tolls work in Bulgaria? Just drove in and I am confused

You did the right thing at the petrol station. Here is the system in plain terms. Bulgaria uses electronic vignettes for cars - a time-based road charge linked to your number plate. No sticker, no toll booths: cameras on the road network read plates and check the database. What you bought is almost certainly an e-vignette; you can verify it anytime by entering your plate on the official bgtoll.bg website, which is also the easiest place to buy future ones (there is an app too, plus petrol stations and border kiosks). When you need it: on national roads and motorways outside towns and cities - so essentially any intercity driving. Driving within a city needs nothing. Prices went up 30 percent on 1 August 2026, so the current menu for cars is: weekend vignette 6.60 euro, weekly 10 euro, monthly 19.90 euro, quarterly 35.90 euro, and annual 64.50 euro. Since you are staying long term, the annual is the obvious buy - it is one of the cheaper annual road charges in Europe even after the increase. Set a calendar reminder for renewal, because there is no physical sticker to remind you. Per-kilometer tolls exist but only for trucks and buses over 3.5 tonnes - private cars never pay per distance, which is why you saw no booths. If cameras catch you without a valid vignette, you can settle quickly with a compensatory fee of roughly 100 euro for a car, or face a larger fine if it goes to a penalty notice - so a 64.50 euro annual pass is cheap insurance. More driving practicalities in our guide at /guides/driving-in-bulgaria-license-car-import.