Germany Re-Introduces Border Checks with Belgium from 16 September

The European Commission’s latest Schengen update confirms that Germany will reintroduce temporary internal-border controls from 16 September 2026 until 15 March 2027. The measure, which covers land frontiers with Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and several other neighbours, is justified by Berlin as a response to “continued high levels of irregular migration and migrant-smuggling networks” that are straining reception capacity. While systematic checks will not take place at every crossing, German federal police will set up mobile inspection points on major arteries such as the E40/A3 (Liège – Aachen – Cologne) and the A27 linking Eupen to the Ruhr region. Belgian haulage associations anticipate delays of 15–45 minutes for trucks, potentially longer during peak freight flows ahead of the year-end retail season. Belgian companies that routinely post workers or technicians into Germany under the EU’s free-movement rules should brief personnel to carry passports or national ID cards, proof of accommodation and, where relevant, A1 social-security certificates. Third-country nationals holding Belgian residence permits are advised to travel with the physical card and, if applicable, a recent letter from their employer confirming the purpose of travel. Although the controls are framed as a temporary, last-resort measure under the Schengen Borders Code, Germany has renewed similar checks since 2015. Stakeholders therefore fear a de-facto semi-permanent regime that erodes the efficiency gains underpinning the Benelux-Germany supply chain. Belgian exporters in the chemicals and automotive sectors—highly dependent on just-in-sequence deliveries—may need to add buffer stock or switch time-critical consignments to rail freight via the Aachen-Liège corridor, where customs facilities are better equipped. The Commission will review Germany’s proportionality report within two months, but until then, travellers and logistics planners should factor in potential stoppages and maintain flexible scheduling.