On 26 February 2026 the European Commission presented its ProtectEU Counter-Terrorism Agenda, proposing to extend mandatory Advance Passenger Information (API) collection beyond commercial aviation to private flights, ferries, rail and coach services. The initiative aims to close data gaps exploited by extremists crossing the Schengen Area. For Poland, the measure would require LOT, PKP Intercity international trains, Polferries and even charter-bus operators to start transmitting passenger manifests to the Polish Border Guard well before departure. The Interior Ministry in Warsaw welcomed the plan in principle but warned of “significant IT and staffing costs” and called for EU funding. Businesses chartering corporate jets from Warsaw-Modlin or Kraków-Balice will face new compliance steps: submitting full passport particulars, seat details and potentially purpose-of-travel declarations through a unified API gateway. Failure to do so could lead to fines or denied departure once the regulation is transposed—likely in late 2027.
![EU unveils ProtectEU counter-terror plan—new advance passenger data rules will hit Polish carriers]()
For companies overwhelmed by the coming layers of documentation, VisaHQ can streamline the process: the service already handles Polish travel document formalities and will integrate ProtectEU’s API requirements into its digital portal, letting operators submit compliant passenger data in one place (https://www.visahq.com/poland/).
Mobility managers should begin mapping which company travel modes (road shuttles to Germany, Baltic ferries, executive air) will fall within scope and ensure booking tools capture the extra data. Law firms note that Poland will need to amend its 2018 Anti-Terrorism Act to provide a legal basis for collecting information from non-air operators. Because ProtectEU also calls for enhanced use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) “travel-related alerts,” Polish border authorities expect a surge in hits when the country hosts major events such as the 2027 European Games, making pre-departure clearance vital to avoid last-minute off-loads. Source: European Commission press release, 26 Feb 2026
For companies overwhelmed by the coming layers of documentation, VisaHQ can streamline the process: the service already handles Polish travel document formalities and will integrate ProtectEU’s API requirements into its digital portal, letting operators submit compliant passenger data in one place (https://www.visahq.com/poland/).
Mobility managers should begin mapping which company travel modes (road shuttles to Germany, Baltic ferries, executive air) will fall within scope and ensure booking tools capture the extra data. Law firms note that Poland will need to amend its 2018 Anti-Terrorism Act to provide a legal basis for collecting information from non-air operators. Because ProtectEU also calls for enhanced use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) “travel-related alerts,” Polish border authorities expect a surge in hits when the country hosts major events such as the 2027 European Games, making pre-departure clearance vital to avoid last-minute off-loads. Source: European Commission press release, 26 Feb 2026
