Are you planning a trip to Slovakia by car or are you planning a longer journey which will include crossing Slovakia and are wondering what the most important regulations and restrictions are? In the following article you will find the answer to these and many other questions.
💡 If you are interested in Toll roads and motorways in Europe - Take a look at the linked article. In it, we describe all the tolls in force in 2025 in each European country.
Slovakia - Traffic regulations
Slovakia is the country with which Poland borders to the south. The length of the Polish-Slovak border is 541 kilometres and is located in three provinces: Podkarpackie, Małopolskie and Śląskie. If you are wondering, whether you need a passport to go to Slovakia, the answer is no. Both Poland and Slovakia are in the Schengen area, so there is no passport control at border crossings.
As for the traffic regulations in Slovakia, we discuss them below. The important thing is that in Slovakia, traffic drives on the right and tolls are accepted in euro.
Slovakia - permitted road speed
As far as speed limits in Slovakia are concerned, they depend (as in Poland) on the type of road and the type of village through which it passes:
- in built-up areas - 50 km/h
- outside built-up areas - 90 km/h
- on motorways - 130 km/h
Mandates Slovakia
Now that we know what speed limits apply, it is time to check how much you will pay for exceeding the speed limit in Slovakia.
Tariff of fines for exceeding the speed limit in Slovakia in built-up areas for passenger cars (as of January 2025):
- Up to 10 km/h: approx. EUR 40
- 10-20 km/h: approx. EUR 67
- 20-30 km/h: approx. EUR 132
- 30-50 km/h: from approximately EUR 400 to EUR 930
- Above 50 km/h: from approximately €1,300 to €2,600 or deprivation of driving licence
Important: Slovakia has zero tolerance for drink-driving. The permitted blood alcohol level is 0.0 ‰.
As far as car lighting is concerned, daytime running lights (DRLs) are mandatory all year round.
Slovakia - transport of children
As far as the rules for transporting children in the car are concerned, they are exactly the same as in Poland. Children under 150 cm in height must be transported in suitable child seats or booster seats.
Important: Seat belts are compulsory for all passengers, both front and rear. The use of a telephone while driving without a hands-free kit is prohibited.
Compulsory car equipment Slovakia
When planning a trip to or through Slovakia, keep in mind that the mandatory car equipment is: warning triangle, reflective waistcoat, first aid kit and fire extinguisher. In addition, during the winter period (15 November to 15 March) it is compulsory to have a winter tyres in the event of snow or ice cover.
Toll roads Slovakia
The current network of designated motorway and expressway sections in Slovakia, which can be used after purchasing a vignette, includes approximately 622 km of the D1, D2, D3 and D4 motorways and the R1, R2, R4 and R6 expressways. All tolled sections are marked with road signs (white car on blue background).
Tolls apply on the following sections:
| D1 Bratislava-Východ - Žilina | 173 km |
| D1 Dubná Skala - Turany | 17 km |
| D1 Ivachnová - Poprad-Západ | 64 km |
| D1 Poprad-Východ - Prešov-Západ | 71 km |
| D1 Prešov-Juh- Košice-Sever | 20 km |
| D1 Rozhanovce - Bidovce | 8 km |
| D2 Brodské (SK/CZ) - Stupava | 50 km |
| D2 Bratislava-Jarovce - Čunovo (SK/HU) | 9 km |
| D3 Čadca, Bukov - Skalité (SK/PL) | 21 km |
| D4 Jarovce (SK/AT) - Bratislava-Jarovce | 2 km |
| R1 Trnava - Sládkovičovo | 13 km |
| R1 Sládkovičovo - Dolná Streda | 2 km |
| R1 Dolná Streda - Nitra-Západ | 23 km |
| R1 Nitra-Východ - Hronská Breznica | 86 km |
| R1 Hronská Dúbrava - Banská Bystrica-Kremnička | 20 km |
| R2 Lovčica, Trubín - Žiar nad Hronom | 6 km |
| R2 Zvolen-centre - Zvolen-Pustý hrad | 3 km |
| R2 Zvolen-východ - Kriváň | 18 km |
| R2 Mýtna - Lovinobaňa, Tomášovce | 13 km |
| R3 Martin - Martin-Sever | 2 km |
| R6 Púchov - Beluša-Sever | 2 km |
| R7 Bratislava, Juh - Holice | 25 km |
The good news is that electronic vignettes are valid for Slovakia, so you can buy them online. Vignettes for Slovakia for 1, 10 and 30 days are also available from Autopay - you can buy them directly from the app (Download from AppStore, Download from GooglePlay) or via website.
Example prices for motor vehicles up to 3.5 t gross vehicle weight (as at January 2025):
- vignette for 1 day - EUR 8.10
- vignette for 10 days - EUR 10.80
- vignette for 30 days - EUR 17.10
- Vignette for 365 days - 90 EUR
Distance from Poland to Bratislava
The capital of Slovakia is Bratislava, which is right on the border with Austria. This means that it is quite far to get there from most Polish cities, and some routes also go through the Czech Republic, so be aware of the tolls there as well. E.g.:
- route Rzeszów-Bratislava: 620 km (if you choose the route via Krakow and Katowice - on the A4 fees apply)
- route Kraków-Bratislava: 454 km (toll on A4 also applies)
- route Wroclaw-Bratislava: 526 km (toll on A4 also applies)
- Poznań-Bratislava route: 713 km (includes toll road)
- route Lodz-Bratislava: 570 km (journey A1 is free, but fees apply on the A4)
- route between Warsaw and Bratislava: 662 km (includes toll road)
- route between Gdansk and Bratislava: 887 km (includes toll sections on the Ai and A4)
- route Szczecin-Bratislava: 756 km (includes toll road)