Czechia’s Foreign Ministry has tightened movement controls on staff of the Russian Embassy and consulates. From 23 September 2026, all Russian diplomatic personnel must give the Czech authorities at least one day’s notice of any plan to cross the country’s external Schengen border. The mandatory notification must include the purpose, route and duration of travel as well as intended accommodation address inside Czech territory. Foreign Minister Petr Macinka told Radio Prague on 24 September that the step responds to intelligence findings that Moscow systematically rotates undercover officers under diplomatic cover through Schengen capitals. The ministry says the stricter regime was drafted in cooperation with the Czech Security Information Service (BIS) and mirrors measures already adopted by several Baltic and Nordic states. Practically, the rule means that Russian diplomats transiting via Prague’s Václav Havel Airport or driving in from Germany, Austria or Poland must email an itinerary to the Protocol Department, which will share it with border police. Failure to comply could result in denial of entry for the traveller or, in serious cases, declaration as persona non grata. Family members with diplomatic IDs are also covered. Routine weekend shopping trips will therefore have to be pre-cleared, adding friction to daily life for embassy staff. For multinational companies, the change has limited direct impact, but it underscores Czechia’s more assertive stance on security vetting at external borders. Mobility managers moving non-EU assignees should expect heightened scrutiny of passports and vehicles near diplomatic convoys. The Foreign Ministry has signalled that similar pre-notification could be extended to other “high-risk” missions if warranted. The measure is the latest in a series of steps Prague has taken since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including a near-total freeze on Russian tourist visas and the expulsion of dozens of embassy staff in 2023. It is likely to further strain already frigid bilateral relations.
Source: Radio Prague International
