Germany’s Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) quietly updated its country page for Czechia on 7 October 2026, confirming that temporary police controls remain in force along the German-Czech land border. The advisory is part of Berlin’s broader internal-border regime, first re-introduced in 2023 to curb irregular migration and smuggling networks operating across Central Europe. Under the current measure, German Federal Police can stop vehicles and individuals anywhere within 30 kilometres of the frontier, check identity documents, and deny onward travel. Although the advisory stresses that the controls are “situationsabhängig räumlich und zeitlich flexibel” (applied flexibly in time and place), business travellers report spot-checks on the A17 (Dresden–Prague) and A6 (Nuremberg–Plzeň) corridors as well as on regional trains between Hof and Cheb. For Czech companies that routinely send technicians, lorry drivers, and sales teams into Bavaria and Saxony, the controls translate into longer journey times and an obligation to carry either a passport or national ID card at all times. Failure to do so can result in fines of up to €100 or short-term detention while identity is verified. Employers are therefore urging staff to budget an extra 30–45 minutes for cross-border trips and to keep copies of work contracts or service orders on hand to justify the purpose of travel. The German government says the measure is necessary to manage “continued serious threats to public security and order” linked to migrant smuggling. Prague has so far refrained from imposing reciprocal checks, but the Czech Interior Ministry has increased joint patrols with German officers on the Czech side to minimise bottlenecks and reassure local communities. Logistics associations on both sides warn that a prolonged regime could raise transport costs and undermine the advantages of the Schengen single-market if not rolled back before the peak Christmas shipping season. Practical tip: Czech business travellers should enter Germany with a passport or občanský průkaz valid for at least three months beyond the intended stay, ensure vehicle registration and insurance documents are in the glove box, and allow extra time when using minor border crossings, which are increasingly targeted for spot checks.
