The European Commission’s daily-updated register of internal Schengen border controls, published on 24 July, confirms that both Austria and Germany will maintain land-border checks with Czechia through 15 September 2026. Vienna first reintroduced controls along its frontier with the Czech Republic and other neighbours in December 2025, citing ‘continuous threats to internal security posed by irregular migration along the Balkan routes’. Berlin followed suit in March 2026 amid record asylum applications and pressure on reception facilities. In practice, the measures mean that travellers – including EU citizens – must carry passports or national ID cards and be prepared for spot checks on the main E55 (Mikulov – Drasenhofen), D3/A7 (Dolní Dvořiště – Wullowitz) and D5/A6 (Rozvadov – Waidhaus) corridors, as well as on cross-border trains. Commercial drivers report average waiting times of 15–30 minutes in the morning peak, although random intensive operations (Schleierfahndung) can extend queues to more than an hour. For Czech exporters the extension is more than an inconvenience: Austria and Germany are the country’s first- and third-largest trading partners, accounting for 38 % of all road freight volumes. Logistics association ČESMAD Bohemia says the checks add roughly CZK 1,800 (€73) to the cost of an average international haulage run, mainly through driver overtime and missed time-window penalties. Multinational manufacturers have begun rescheduling just-in-time deliveries and re-routing some loads via Poland. Travel-risk providers advise corporate mobility managers to brief assignees on possible delays, ensure they carry proof of accommodation or onward travel, and budget extra time when connecting to flights in Munich or Vienna. Czech authorities note that Schengen rules limit internal border controls to situations of ‘last resort’, and Prague continues to press Berlin and Vienna to return to a fully passport-free regime as soon as security conditions permit. The current notification can still be withdrawn earlier; a review is expected at the next Justice and Home Affairs Council in late August. Companies with frequent cross-border staff movements may therefore wish to monitor developments closely and keep alternative travel plans at hand.
