Information
Information
15/10/2026
Across vehicles

Hire Cars, New Cars and Second Cars: Using Your Toll Tag Across Vehicles

A new car on the drive, a hire car at the airport, or a motorhome for the summer: life doesn't always involve the same vehicle. The good news is that an Emovis toll tag can usually move with you.

Here's how the liber-t tag for France and the VIA-T tag for Spain and Portugal work when you change vehicles, and the few things to watch out for.

1. The liber-t Tag Belongs to You, Not the Car

The liber-t tag for France isn't tied to a vehicle. It's linked to you as the account holder, so:

  • No registration needed: you don't add a number plate to your account.

  • No need to tell Emovis when you change car.

  • Any suitable vehicle: you can use it in any vehicle up to 3 metres high and under 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight.

Best For: households that swap between cars, or anyone who changes vehicle regularly.

2. The VIA-T Tag: Spain vs Portugal

The VIA-T tag works slightly differently in its two countries:

  • Spain: no link to a particular vehicle. Move the tag between cars freely.

  • Portugal: on some motorways, including barrier-free roads such as the A22 in the Algarve, the gantries read your number plate together with the tag. If you move the tag to another vehicle, update the registration against your VIA-T tag in My Account under My Tags. Allow up to 3 days for the change.

Top Tip: If you're heading to Portugal in a different vehicle, update the registration a few days before you go, not on the morning you leave.

3. Taking Your Tag in a Hire Car

  • France: you can use your liber-t tag in a hire car. Check first that the hire company hasn't already fitted a tag, and remember to take yours with you when you return the car.

  • Spain: the same applies to the VIA-T tag. Check with the hire company and don't leave the tag behind.

  • Portugal: don't use your VIA-T tag in a Portuguese hire car. Most are already registered with Via Verde, so tolls are charged to the hire company's account, and using your own tag could lead to an admin fee from the hire company.

Top Tip: Add "take the tag off the windscreen" to your car return checklist. A tag left in a hire car must be reported to Emovis so it can be blocked.

4. Moving the Tag to a New Car

Changing your car for good? Moving the tag is simple:

1. Remove the tag from the old car, especially if you're selling or part-exchanging it.

2. Order a new windscreen clip in My Account, because clips are single use.

3. Fit the tag centre-top of the windscreen, behind the rear-view mirror, in the shaded area if there is one.

4. If you have a VIA-T tag and drive in Portugal, update the registration.

New cars often have heat-reflective (athermic) windscreens or sensors behind the mirror. The Emovis first-trip guide explains where to place the tag.

5. Motorhomes, Caravans and Roof Boxes

The vehicle class is detected automatically by equipment in the tag lane, so there's nothing to register:

  • Roof box or bikes: a car with a roof load is still charged as Class 1 in France, even if the load takes it over 2 metres.

  • Car and caravan: with the liber-t tag, the combined height must be under 3 metres and the towing vehicle under 3.5 tonnes.

  • Motorhomes: in France, motorhomes under 3 metres and 3.5 tonnes use the liber-t tag as Class 2. In Spain and Portugal, motorhomes up to 6 tonnes can use VIA-T lanes.

Toll Tip: If a toll is ever charged in the wrong class, raise a toll adjustment request in My Account.

6. Two Cars in the Family?

If two vehicles travel at the same time, each needs its own tag. Order an additional tag from Order Tag in My Account. Only one tag should be active in a vehicle at a time, so if you carry both a liber-t and a VIA-T tag, keep the one you're not using in its foil pouch.

Remember: the account holder is responsible for the tolls on their tags, so lend a tag only to people you trust to use it.

7. When the Car Travels Without You

If your vehicle is being transported (on a recovery truck, for example), put the tag in its foil pouch or a metal tin, so it isn't read at tolls along the way.

Why Use Your Emovis Tag

  • One tag for every suitable car you drive in France

  • Automatic class detection: no forms for roof boxes or caravans

  • Easy to move between vehicles with a new clip

  • All your tolls in one place in My Account

Ready to Hit the Road?

Whether it's a new car, a hire car or a motorhome, your toll tag can usually come along. Remember the Portugal registration and the hire car return check, and the rest is easy.

Order your Emovis Tag here: https://www.emovis-tag.co.uk/subscription