By Order no. 543/2026, published in the Official Gazette no. 473 of June 5, 2026, the fees for crossing the Giurgiu-Ruse bridge are updated and an electronic payment system is introduced.
What does it stipulate?
The order updates the tariffs for using the bridge over the Danube in the Giurgiu-Ruse direction, establishing new values in lei and euro for all vehicle categories. For example, the fee for a car is 15 lei (3 euro), for a commercial vehicle under 3.5 tons it is 30 lei (6 euro), and for a truck over 12 tons with a minimum of 4 axles, the fee reaches 188 lei (37 euro). For companies with frequent traffic, the option to purchase prepaid packages of 20 crossings, valid for 12 months, which offer a reduced cost per crossing, is introduced.
The most important operational change is the introduction, starting from June 15, 2026, of the electronic payment system eTarifGiurgiuPod (eTGP). Initially, this system is only available for cars (vehicles with a maximum of 8+1 seats). Payment can be made online through the web portal www.e-tarifgiurgiu.ro or through dedicated mobile applications (iOS and Android). Special lanes will be set up at the crossing point for eTGP users, where payment verification will be done automatically based on the license plate number, streamlining traffic.
The normative act maintains and details an extensive list of vehicles exempt from paying the fee, including those belonging to defense and public order structures, emergency services, NATO, as well as vehicles carrying out humanitarian transport. Also, specific conditions are regulated for obtaining free passage by “residents” (persons who live on one side of the Danube and work on the other) and by persons with severe or profound disabilities, through free passage permits.
To whom does it apply?
The measures apply to all natural persons and legal entities who transit the Giurgiu-Ruse border crossing point with road vehicles. Specifically, the following are targeted:
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- Road freight transport companies, national and international.
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- Passenger transport companies (coaches, minibuses).
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- Any company whose vehicle fleet (cars, light commercial vehicles) uses this route for business travel.
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- Employers whose employees commute between Romania and Bulgaria through this crossing point.
What should you do?
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- Update transport budgets to reflect the new Giurgiu-Ruse bridge crossing tariffs.
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- Inform drivers and logistics departments about the new eTGP electronic payment system (available from June 15, 2026, for cars) and about the existence of dedicated lanes to shorten waiting times.
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- Evaluate the opportunity to purchase prepaid subscriptions for 20 crossings if company vehicles frequently transit the bridge, to optimize operational costs.
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- Check if employees who commute across the bridge fall into the “residents” category and initiate the procedure for obtaining free passage permits to reduce their costs.
Source: Official Gazette, Part I, no. 473 of June 5, 2026.
Note: This material is strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute legal, fiscal, or business advice. As the interpretation and application of legal provisions may vary significantly depending on the specific circumstances of each entity, we recommend seeking specialized legal assistance before adopting any operational decisions based on these changes.