Poland’s Council of Ministers has extended the re-introduced land-border controls on crossings with Germany and Lithuania for another 90 days, pushing the expiry date to 4 April 2026. Warsaw first brought the controls back in July 2025 after a sharp rise in secondary migrant movements along the so-called ‘Belarus route’.
Under the regulation signed on 16 January, Border Guard officers—backed by police and Territorial Defence units—can stop vehicles at 65 road and rail points, request passports or residence cards, and search cargo. Commuters living in German border towns but working in Wrocław report ID checks adding 5-15 minutes to daily journeys, while automotive suppliers moving parts between Silesia and Saxony have logged half-hour truck delays.
To keep pace with these shifting entry formalities, travellers can lean on VisaHQ’s digital concierge service. Through its Germany page (https://www.visahq.com/germany/), the platform summarises the latest Polish-German border rules, checks passport validity, and even expedites any required visas or residence proofs—useful for cross-border commuters and logistics managers suddenly facing new document inspections.
![Poland prolongs temporary border checks with Germany until 4 April 2026]()
The Polish Interior Ministry says the move is also a live test of new e-gates that connect to the EU’s forthcoming Entry/Exit System and of blockchain-sealed freight containers. If the pilot is deemed successful, officials hint that some hardware may remain even after legal checks lapse—signalling a step towards ‘smart borders’ inside Schengen.
For German companies, the extension means updating travel-risk dashboards, circulating lists of open crossings and reminding foreign assignees to carry both a biometric passport and proof of residence. HR teams moving staff between Berlin and Warsaw should budget extra transfer time and consider overnight stays for cross-border technicians.
EU rules cap internal checks at two years; with more than half of that allowance now used, corporate lobbyists expect pressure on Warsaw either to normalise the technology or fully restore freedom of movement by next summer. (visahq.com)
Under the regulation signed on 16 January, Border Guard officers—backed by police and Territorial Defence units—can stop vehicles at 65 road and rail points, request passports or residence cards, and search cargo. Commuters living in German border towns but working in Wrocław report ID checks adding 5-15 minutes to daily journeys, while automotive suppliers moving parts between Silesia and Saxony have logged half-hour truck delays.
To keep pace with these shifting entry formalities, travellers can lean on VisaHQ’s digital concierge service. Through its Germany page (https://www.visahq.com/germany/), the platform summarises the latest Polish-German border rules, checks passport validity, and even expedites any required visas or residence proofs—useful for cross-border commuters and logistics managers suddenly facing new document inspections.
The Polish Interior Ministry says the move is also a live test of new e-gates that connect to the EU’s forthcoming Entry/Exit System and of blockchain-sealed freight containers. If the pilot is deemed successful, officials hint that some hardware may remain even after legal checks lapse—signalling a step towards ‘smart borders’ inside Schengen.
For German companies, the extension means updating travel-risk dashboards, circulating lists of open crossings and reminding foreign assignees to carry both a biometric passport and proof of residence. HR teams moving staff between Berlin and Warsaw should budget extra transfer time and consider overnight stays for cross-border technicians.
EU rules cap internal checks at two years; with more than half of that allowance now used, corporate lobbyists expect pressure on Warsaw either to normalise the technology or fully restore freedom of movement by next summer. (visahq.com)
