Poland extends internal border controls with Germany and Lithuania until March 30 2027

The Polish Ministry of the Interior confirmed on 1 October 2026 that temporary controls on the country’s land borders with Germany and Lithuania will be prolonged for another six-month period, running from 2 October 2026 to 30 March 2027. Warsaw originally re-introduced Schengen-area checks in July 2025 at the height of irregular crossings along the so-called Baltic route and has obtained successive extensions under Articles 25-27 of the Schengen Borders Code. Under the new decision passengers and drivers entering Poland at the 16 official crossings with the two neighbouring EU states will continue to face spot document inspections. Freight traffic is also subject to random controls, although trucks enrolled in the EU’s Smart Freight Corridor programme remain eligible for the fast-track ‘green lane’. According to the Interior Ministry, nearly 1 300 travellers were refused entry at the Lithuanian frontier and about 1 200 at the German frontier since the measures were first imposed. Business-travel stakeholders should plan for possible delays, especially around the Suwałki–Budzisko crossing with Lithuania and the Świecko–Frankfurt (Oder) crossing on the German A2 autobahn. Companies moving staff between Polish and German plants are advised to build extra buffer time into shuttle schedules and to ensure that non-EU employees carry both passports and valid Polish residence permits. The Interior Ministry stresses that the checks are “targeted and intelligence-led” and says that compliant travellers will see only minimal disruption. From a regulatory perspective, the extension underscores a broader EU trend: seven Schengen states now have some form of internal border control in place, complicating the legal environment for multinational mobility programmes. Global mobility managers should continue to monitor further Council or Commission opinions, as the cumulative 24-month limit for foreseeable controls will be reached in July 2027; any move beyond that date would require an exceptional Council recommendation.