Business travellers entering or leaving Italy by land should expect continued ID inspections after the Ministry of the Interior confirmed that the country will keep its temporary Schengen internal-border controls in place until at least June 2026. The measure, adopted under Article 25 of the Schengen Borders Code, was introduced in late-2023 amid heightened security alerts linked to regional instability and large sporting events.
According to the latest immigration alert published on 17 February 2026, Italy joins Austria, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden in prolonging checks; Germany has opted for an even longer extension that runs to September 2026. Travellers can be asked to show passports or national ID cards and—if they are visa-exempt—may have their remaining “90/180-day” allowance calculated at the border. (fragomen.com)
For travellers who need help deciphering these evolving entry requirements, VisaHQ offers up-to-date guidance and fast document processing through its dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), allowing companies and their employees to secure the correct visas or travel authorisations with minimal hassle.
![Schengen Border Checks Extended: Italy Keeps Temporary Controls Until June 2026]()
While the controls resemble pre-Schengen passport stamping, they remain selective and risk-based. Road freight and cross-border rail lines near Brenner, Ventimiglia and Tarvisio have seen the heaviest police presence, with random plate scans and trunk searches causing delays of 10–20 minutes per vehicle at peak times. Airlines operating from France and Slovenia into northern Italian airports report that spot checks are taking place at arrival gates rather than before boarding, limiting schedule disruption but creating queues in the baggage halls.
The continuation underscores how EU governments are using the revised Schengen Borders Code, which entered into force in 2024, to justify longer domestically-managed controls on counter-terrorism or migration grounds. Companies should warn mobile employees that an Italian identity card is no longer sufficient proof of status if the traveller has exhausted their Schengen allowance; overstays detected at an internal border can still trigger fines or entry bans.
Practical tips:
• Carry your passport even on short business hops from neighbouring EU states.
• Keep boarding passes and hotel invoices to prove time spent in the area.
• Allow an extra 30 minutes for road border crossings when planning just-in-time deliveries.
According to the latest immigration alert published on 17 February 2026, Italy joins Austria, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden in prolonging checks; Germany has opted for an even longer extension that runs to September 2026. Travellers can be asked to show passports or national ID cards and—if they are visa-exempt—may have their remaining “90/180-day” allowance calculated at the border. (fragomen.com)
For travellers who need help deciphering these evolving entry requirements, VisaHQ offers up-to-date guidance and fast document processing through its dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), allowing companies and their employees to secure the correct visas or travel authorisations with minimal hassle.
While the controls resemble pre-Schengen passport stamping, they remain selective and risk-based. Road freight and cross-border rail lines near Brenner, Ventimiglia and Tarvisio have seen the heaviest police presence, with random plate scans and trunk searches causing delays of 10–20 minutes per vehicle at peak times. Airlines operating from France and Slovenia into northern Italian airports report that spot checks are taking place at arrival gates rather than before boarding, limiting schedule disruption but creating queues in the baggage halls.
The continuation underscores how EU governments are using the revised Schengen Borders Code, which entered into force in 2024, to justify longer domestically-managed controls on counter-terrorism or migration grounds. Companies should warn mobile employees that an Italian identity card is no longer sufficient proof of status if the traveller has exhausted their Schengen allowance; overstays detected at an internal border can still trigger fines or entry bans.
Practical tips:
• Carry your passport even on short business hops from neighbouring EU states.
• Keep boarding passes and hotel invoices to prove time spent in the area.
• Allow an extra 30 minutes for road border crossings when planning just-in-time deliveries.
