The European Commission’s daily register of Schengen notifications, updated on 20 October 2026, confirms that Italy is keeping in place two separate regimes of temporary internal-border controls that affect business and leisure travellers. First, all air and sea borders with Spain remain subject to checks until 23 October 2026. The measure, initially introduced on 16 October in response to a spike in irregular movements via Ceuta, means that passengers on flights and ferries between the two countries must undergo passport and, in some cases, secondary security screening normally reserved for extra-Schengen arrivals. Airlines have advised travellers to arrive at least 30 minutes earlier than usual at boarding gates. Second, land crossings from Slovenia continue to be controlled under a longer-running regime that Italy activated on 19 June and has now prolonged through 18 December 2026. Freight operators report that waiting times at Trieste–Fernetti averaged 25 minutes on Monday, compared with the usual 5–10 minutes, although priority “green-lane” treatment is still granted to perishable cargo and EU-accredited ‘Authorised Economic Operators’. The Interior Ministry cites ongoing risks of terrorist infiltration along the Western Balkan route and organised migrant-smuggling as justification for the extensions. Brussels has so far refrained from issuing a negative opinion, noting Italy’s commitment to phase out the Spanish controls next week. For multinational firms routing staff through Milan, Rome, Madrid or Barcelona, the practical advice is straightforward: ensure passports – not just national ID cards – are carried, and budget extra time for connections. Logistics managers moving just-in-time components between Emilia-Romagna and Slovenia should monitor the Customs agency’s ‘border time’ dashboard and consider night-time slots, when traffic volumes are lower.
