Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior has quietly prolonged the “temporary” controls that it re-introduced at all nine of the country’s land borders in mid-September. A notice published in the Bundesanzeiger late on 29 December confirms that spot ID checks by the Bundespolizei will now run until at least 15 March 2026 – the maximum period that the Schengen Borders Code allows without explicit approval from the European Commission.
Practically, this means that cars, coaches and trains entering Germany from Austria, Czechia, Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland can be stopped at random, with officers entitled to request passports, residence cards, proof of accommodation or funds and, in some cases, to refuse entry. Although the checks are nominally aimed at dismantling smuggling networks and stemming “secondary movements” of asylum-seekers along the Balkan route, business travellers and cross-border commuters will feel the immediate impact in the form of longer journey times and the need to carry additional documentation.
If you need help determining which travel documents are required—or simply want the peace of mind that all paperwork has been double-checked—VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline the process in minutes. From advising on passport validity to securing visas and residence permits, VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) offers both individuals and corporate mobility teams customised solutions tailored to German entry rules and the evolving Schengen landscape.
![Germany extends internal Schengen land-border checks until 15 March 2026]()
Corporate mobility teams are being urged to brief staff and assignees to keep passports (or national ID cards for EU citizens) on their person, even when making routine hops on regional trains or company vehicles. Non-EU employees who normally rely on electronic residence cards should carry a passport as well, as some frontline officers are asking for both documents. Logistics providers already report delays of 30-45 minutes per truck at key crossings, a cost that is beginning to flow through to shippers.
Politically, the extension pushes Berlin to the edge of what EU law permits. Any prolongation beyond mid-March would require Commission sign-off, setting up a likely debate in early spring. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser defended the decision, arguing that “smuggling networks adapt quickly and remain a serious threat to public order,” but critics – including Germany’s Chambers of Commerce – warn that rolling extensions risk normalising an emergency tool and undermining the principle of border-free travel inside Schengen.
For now, travel managers should add buffer time to itineraries, remind staff to travel with full ID, and monitor whether neighbouring states introduce reciprocal measures. Austria has already hinted that it could lengthen its own controls on the Slovenian frontier if Germany keeps its regime in place, a move that would further complicate Central-European road corridors.
Practically, this means that cars, coaches and trains entering Germany from Austria, Czechia, Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland can be stopped at random, with officers entitled to request passports, residence cards, proof of accommodation or funds and, in some cases, to refuse entry. Although the checks are nominally aimed at dismantling smuggling networks and stemming “secondary movements” of asylum-seekers along the Balkan route, business travellers and cross-border commuters will feel the immediate impact in the form of longer journey times and the need to carry additional documentation.
If you need help determining which travel documents are required—or simply want the peace of mind that all paperwork has been double-checked—VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline the process in minutes. From advising on passport validity to securing visas and residence permits, VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) offers both individuals and corporate mobility teams customised solutions tailored to German entry rules and the evolving Schengen landscape.
Corporate mobility teams are being urged to brief staff and assignees to keep passports (or national ID cards for EU citizens) on their person, even when making routine hops on regional trains or company vehicles. Non-EU employees who normally rely on electronic residence cards should carry a passport as well, as some frontline officers are asking for both documents. Logistics providers already report delays of 30-45 minutes per truck at key crossings, a cost that is beginning to flow through to shippers.
Politically, the extension pushes Berlin to the edge of what EU law permits. Any prolongation beyond mid-March would require Commission sign-off, setting up a likely debate in early spring. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser defended the decision, arguing that “smuggling networks adapt quickly and remain a serious threat to public order,” but critics – including Germany’s Chambers of Commerce – warn that rolling extensions risk normalising an emergency tool and undermining the principle of border-free travel inside Schengen.
For now, travel managers should add buffer time to itineraries, remind staff to travel with full ID, and monitor whether neighbouring states introduce reciprocal measures. Austria has already hinted that it could lengthen its own controls on the Slovenian frontier if Germany keeps its regime in place, a move that would further complicate Central-European road corridors.
