Federal Police officers at the Lindau–Hörbranz road frontier (A96) apprehended a 58-year-old Romanian on 23–24 September who tried to re-enter Germany using only a mobile-phone photo of someone else’s ID card. Checks revealed a four-year entry ban dating back to the man’s 2021 removal and an outstanding €1,600 fine for violating Germany’s Freedom of Movement Act. The officers located the genuine passport during a search of the suspect’s wallet and served the outstanding penal order on the spot. After fast-track processing, the man was returned to Austria the same day; his companion, the 52-year-old driver, was charged with aiding unlawful entry but allowed to continue. The incident is one of several recent cases along Bavaria’s roads where offenders rely on digital photos rather than physical documents—an emerging trend the police attribute to heightened document checks at rail terminals and airports. For mobility teams relocating staff via Munich or Memmingen, the case is a reminder that entry bans remain valid throughout the Schengen area even when borders are normally open. Employers should vet subcontractors and drivers who may hold EU passports but face national exclusions. Bundespolizei Munich said it will install additional optical-character-recognition readers at the Lindau checkpoint before the Allgäu winter tourism season, expecting traffic volumes to climb by 12 %.
