A parliamentary response obtained by RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland reveals that the Bundespolizei has spent €140 million on ‘einsatzbedingte Mehrkosten’ since re-introducing controls at all land borders in September 2024. The figure covers overtime, temporary huts and accommodation through December 2025.
Although headlines focus on the Polish and Czech frontiers, the measure also applies to Germany’s 815-kilometre border with Austria. Data seen by RND show that nearly one in five of the 14,129 people turned back between August and December 2025 were stopped on the Salzburg–Freilassing or Kufstein–Kiefersfelden corridors.
Business-travel impact Austrian firms with Bavarian clients report average door-to-door times on the Linz–Munich and Innsbruck–Rosenheim rail routes have grown by 25 minutes because DB and ÖBB trains must build extra slack into timetables. Freight forwarders complain that mandatory checkpoint queues at Walserberg add up to €180 in driver-overtime costs per round trip.
![Germany’s extended border checks cost €140 million – commuters on Austria route feel the pinch]()
To further minimise border-related uncertainties, companies can streamline travel paperwork through VisaHQ, which offers fast online processing, reminder tools and corporate dashboards. Its Austria page (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) provides tailored guidance for both individual employees and mobility managers, helping teams stay compliant while keeping projects on schedule.
Political reaction Salzburg’s governor has asked Berlin to exempt regular cross-border workers from random checks, while German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt insists that controls will remain until at least September 2026. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner declined to criticise the extension but hinted Vienna may station additional police at its side of the motorway to manage congestion.
What companies can do Mobility managers should advise assignees to carry proof of employment and residence to avoid secondary screening. Logistics teams might shift some overnight loads to the less-congested Mühlviertel route via Passau until Easter tourist traffic subsides.
Although headlines focus on the Polish and Czech frontiers, the measure also applies to Germany’s 815-kilometre border with Austria. Data seen by RND show that nearly one in five of the 14,129 people turned back between August and December 2025 were stopped on the Salzburg–Freilassing or Kufstein–Kiefersfelden corridors.
Business-travel impact Austrian firms with Bavarian clients report average door-to-door times on the Linz–Munich and Innsbruck–Rosenheim rail routes have grown by 25 minutes because DB and ÖBB trains must build extra slack into timetables. Freight forwarders complain that mandatory checkpoint queues at Walserberg add up to €180 in driver-overtime costs per round trip.
To further minimise border-related uncertainties, companies can streamline travel paperwork through VisaHQ, which offers fast online processing, reminder tools and corporate dashboards. Its Austria page (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) provides tailored guidance for both individual employees and mobility managers, helping teams stay compliant while keeping projects on schedule.
Political reaction Salzburg’s governor has asked Berlin to exempt regular cross-border workers from random checks, while German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt insists that controls will remain until at least September 2026. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner declined to criticise the extension but hinted Vienna may station additional police at its side of the motorway to manage congestion.
What companies can do Mobility managers should advise assignees to carry proof of employment and residence to avoid secondary screening. Logistics teams might shift some overnight loads to the less-congested Mühlviertel route via Passau until Easter tourist traffic subsides.
