The organisers of the World Border Security Congress (WBSC) have issued their first call for delegates and exhibitors for the 14-18 April 2026 edition, which will be hosted at Vienna’s Austria Center. The announcement, posted on 11 March, positions Austria at the centre of the global conversation on border management just months before the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) goes fully live. WBSC brings together senior officials from customs, immigration, police and defence agencies with technology vendors and academics. Previous editions—in Istanbul, Madrid and Athens—have attracted up to 400 delegates from 60 countries. The Vienna programme will feature closed agency workshops on biometric innovation, AI-enabled risk analysis and coordinated responses to irregular migration, as well as an industry exhibition showcasing e-gate hardware, document-verification tools and counter-UAV systems. Austria’s choice as host reflects its strategic role on the Schengen external flank and its experience in re-introducing internal border checks during high-migration periods. For Austrian companies the event is an opportunity to showcase security-technology exports, while travel-management teams should note that hotel blocks around the Vienna International Centre are expected to sell out quickly. Early-bird registration runs until 31 May and includes access to a site visit of the Brenner Base Tunnel’s border-security facilities. Mobility professionals interested in how upcoming EU systems—EES and ETIAS—will affect traveller processing are encouraged to attend.
