The National Revenue Administration and the Polish Border Guard announced on 9 October that all passenger and cargo movements at the Połowce and Sławatycze road crossings on the Belarusian frontier are suspended until further notice. The decision, published on the official granica.gov.pl portal at 17:05, cites “operational and security reasons” linked to irregular migration pressure and Belarusian authorities’ refusal to cooperate on customs inspections. Truck drivers are being re-routed to Koroszczyn–Kozlovichi and Terespol–Brest, where freight traffic continues 24/7 but is already facing significant backlogs. As of the 18:00 update, the estimated wait for heavy-goods vehicles exiting Poland via Koroszczyn was three hours, compared with one hour at Kuźnica. Private motorists are advised to divert to the fully-staffed Bobrowniki or Kuźnica checkpoints; both recorded zero car queues at the same time stamp. The shutdown follows Warsaw’s earlier closure of the Bobrowniki crossing in February 2026 and brings the total number of active Polish road gates to Belarus down to three. Logistics providers with time-critical flows between the EU and Eurasian Economic Union markets must recalculate lead times and factor in potential demurrage at the remaining open posts. Customs brokers note that veterinary and phytosanitary inspections at Koroszczyn are already operating at maximum capacity, so perishable consignments may require temperature-controlled holding or diversion through Lithuania. Employers relocating staff or equipment to the Grodno and Brest regions should verify that work-permit holders can lawfully re-enter Poland through alternative Schengen points, as the suspension also affects pedestrian traffic. The Ministry of the Interior has not specified a review date, but government sources indicate the restrictions will remain at least through the end of Q4 2026. Global mobility managers should therefore adjust Belarus rotation schedules and consider using air links via Vilnius or Minsk National Airport, taking into account EU sanctions and insurance restrictions on Belarus-based carriers.
Source: granica.gov.pl
