Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that the ‘temporary’ controls it re-introduced on almost all land borders in mid-September will remain in place until at least 15 March 2026, the maximum period currently authorised by the European Commission. The extension, published in the Federal Gazette on 22 December, affects road and rail crossings from Austria, Czechia, Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland.
Under the measure Bundespolizei officers may stop motorists, train passengers and coach travellers at random to verify identity documents, travel purpose, accommodation details or proof of funds. Although passports are not stamped, officers can refuse entry to anyone suspected of irregular migration or security threats. For Czech commuters and businesses the checks translate into longer and less predictable journey times when travelling to German client sites or transiting German airports.
Travel-management companies recommend adding 30–45 minutes to road itineraries and advising employees to carry work contracts or invitation letters. Exporters relying on just-in-time deliveries should expect sporadic lorry queues at key crossings such as Rozvadov and Cínovec. HR teams coordinating short-term assignments into Germany need to double-check that posted-worker notifications and A1 certificates are on hand in case officers ask for proof of social-security coverage.
![Germany Extends Land-Border Checks with Czechia to 15 March 2026]()
Businesses and individual travellers who need assistance navigating documentation requirements—from ensuring passports meet validity rules to securing any ancillary permits—can streamline the process through VisaHQ. The platform’s Czech Republic portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) offers step-by-step guidance, live support and digital submission tools that help reduce the risk of being turned back at border checks, making it easier to stay compliant even as regulations evolve.
The German move follows similar extensions by Austria and Poland and reflects political pressure to curb ‘secondary movements’ along Central-European migration routes. EU interior ministers are expected to debate a coordinated approach early in 2026, but for now Czech mobility managers must build the delays into project timelines and budgets.
Best practices: 1) Brief travellers to carry original passports and residence cards, not photocopies; 2) include extra buffer time in itineraries; 3) keep digital scans of support documents for quick access; and 4) consider shifting urgent meetings to video until the situation stabilises.
Under the measure Bundespolizei officers may stop motorists, train passengers and coach travellers at random to verify identity documents, travel purpose, accommodation details or proof of funds. Although passports are not stamped, officers can refuse entry to anyone suspected of irregular migration or security threats. For Czech commuters and businesses the checks translate into longer and less predictable journey times when travelling to German client sites or transiting German airports.
Travel-management companies recommend adding 30–45 minutes to road itineraries and advising employees to carry work contracts or invitation letters. Exporters relying on just-in-time deliveries should expect sporadic lorry queues at key crossings such as Rozvadov and Cínovec. HR teams coordinating short-term assignments into Germany need to double-check that posted-worker notifications and A1 certificates are on hand in case officers ask for proof of social-security coverage.
Businesses and individual travellers who need assistance navigating documentation requirements—from ensuring passports meet validity rules to securing any ancillary permits—can streamline the process through VisaHQ. The platform’s Czech Republic portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) offers step-by-step guidance, live support and digital submission tools that help reduce the risk of being turned back at border checks, making it easier to stay compliant even as regulations evolve.
The German move follows similar extensions by Austria and Poland and reflects political pressure to curb ‘secondary movements’ along Central-European migration routes. EU interior ministers are expected to debate a coordinated approach early in 2026, but for now Czech mobility managers must build the delays into project timelines and budgets.
Best practices: 1) Brief travellers to carry original passports and residence cards, not photocopies; 2) include extra buffer time in itineraries; 3) keep digital scans of support documents for quick access; and 4) consider shifting urgent meetings to video until the situation stabilises.
