Irish executives heading to mainland Europe this spring should expect spot checks at nine internal Schengen borders after a further extension of temporary controls was confirmed on 17 February. According to global immigration firm Fragomen, Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden will keep their ad-hoc passport inspections in place until at least June 2026, while Germany has prolonged its controls until mid-September.
The reinstated checks—first introduced amid the 2015 migration crisis and periodically renewed for security reasons—were once considered an exception. Under the amended 2024 Schengen Border Code, however, governments now have broader powers to reduce border-crossing points and ramp up surveillance if they cite public-health or security threats. Travellers from Ireland, although citizens of an EU member outside Schengen, normally rely on the 90/180-day visa-free rule for short business trips. With controls back, they must carry passports, track their days in the zone meticulously and allow extra time for road and rail journeys that previously felt like domestic travel.
![Extended Schengen border checks pose new hurdles for Irish business travellers]()
For Irish professionals unsure about how these evolving rules affect their upcoming itineraries, specialist platforms such as VisaHQ offer a quick way to check entry requirements, monitor remaining Schengen days and order any supporting documents that individual border guards might request. Their Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) consolidates the latest guidance and can even flag when a formal visa or posted-worker notification becomes necessary.
Corporates that rotate staff through continental sites will bear higher administrative costs. Mobility managers are being advised to add buffer days to project timelines, review posted-worker notifications—which can be triggered when delays push stays over local thresholds—and remind Irish passport-holders that overstays can attract fines or future entry bans. Logistics firms warn of potential supply-chain knock-ons if freight drivers are queued for ID screening at land crossings.
For now the European Commission shows little appetite to force member states to lift the checks, meaning the quasi-border may be a fact of life for at least another high-season travel cycle. Irish companies with pan-EU operations should update duty-of-care guidance accordingly.
The reinstated checks—first introduced amid the 2015 migration crisis and periodically renewed for security reasons—were once considered an exception. Under the amended 2024 Schengen Border Code, however, governments now have broader powers to reduce border-crossing points and ramp up surveillance if they cite public-health or security threats. Travellers from Ireland, although citizens of an EU member outside Schengen, normally rely on the 90/180-day visa-free rule for short business trips. With controls back, they must carry passports, track their days in the zone meticulously and allow extra time for road and rail journeys that previously felt like domestic travel.
For Irish professionals unsure about how these evolving rules affect their upcoming itineraries, specialist platforms such as VisaHQ offer a quick way to check entry requirements, monitor remaining Schengen days and order any supporting documents that individual border guards might request. Their Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) consolidates the latest guidance and can even flag when a formal visa or posted-worker notification becomes necessary.
Corporates that rotate staff through continental sites will bear higher administrative costs. Mobility managers are being advised to add buffer days to project timelines, review posted-worker notifications—which can be triggered when delays push stays over local thresholds—and remind Irish passport-holders that overstays can attract fines or future entry bans. Logistics firms warn of potential supply-chain knock-ons if freight drivers are queued for ID screening at land crossings.
For now the European Commission shows little appetite to force member states to lift the checks, meaning the quasi-border may be a fact of life for at least another high-season travel cycle. Irish companies with pan-EU operations should update duty-of-care guidance accordingly.
