Travellers entering Poland by road or rail from Germany or Lithuania should continue to carry passports or national ID cards: Warsaw has prolonged its temporary internal-border controls for a further six months, until 30 March 2027. The extension, dated 2 October but confirmed publicly on 15 October by travel portal The Poland Guide, keeps spot checks in place along the full land frontiers with both neighbours. Poland first reinstated selective controls in July 2025 under Schengen rules that allow temporary measures when public order is threatened. Officials cite persistent migration pressure emanating from the Belarus route and secondary movements of asylum seekers within the EU as justification. Germany is itself running parallel checks on the Polish border, creating a two-way inspection regime. In practice, officers do not stop every vehicle; instead, mobile patrols wave cars into lay-bys or board trains for document verification. EU/EEA citizens and visa-free nationals face minimal delay if they hold valid ID, but third-country nationals may be asked for residence cards or proof of onward travel. For businesses the key impact is on cross-border commuters, logistics drivers and corporate shuttle services connecting Berlin, Frankfurt (Oder) or Vilnius with Warsaw and Kraków. Companies should brief staff to allocate extra transit time and carry appropriate documentation. Bus and rail operators report average delays of 5–15 minutes, but spot operations can add up to an hour on busy weekends. Air travel remains unaffected. The Interior Ministry says the measure will be reviewed quarterly; however, with Belarus-EU tensions unresolved, mobility teams should plan for controls throughout the winter timetable and update travel policies accordingly.
Source: The Poland Guide
