The organisers of the 2026 World Border Security Congress (WBSC) opened delegate registration on 2 March, formally kicking off the countdown to the event that will bring more than 400 border-management officials, technology vendors and international-organisation representatives to Vienna on 14-16 April.
This year’s agenda zeroes in on traveller verification under the EU Entry/Exit System, counter-drone measures at airports and the use of artificial intelligence to combat document fraud—topics of direct relevance to Austrian authorities as they scale biometric controls at Vienna and Salzburg airports.
![World Border Security Congress opens delegate registration for April Vienna summit]()
For delegates travelling to Vienna from outside the EU or Schengen Area, navigating visa requirements can be daunting. VisaHQ’s Austrian portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) streamlines the process by detailing the precise documents, photo standards and appointment slots required for each nationality; its concierge team can even fast-track applications so that attendees arrive with the correct travel authorisations in hand, freeing up valuable time for networking and preparation.
Workshops will be led by the European Association of Airport & Seaport Police (EAASP) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), headquartered in Vienna. The congress offers multinational companies a rare opportunity to preview cutting-edge border-technology pilots and to engage with policymakers shaping Schengen external-border rules that ultimately filter down to corporate travel programmes. Past editions have produced early-adopter partnerships—for example, the 2024 Istanbul congress paved the way for Austria’s deployment of automated risk-profiling for air-cargo manifests. Early-bird passes are available until 18 March, with special rates for academia and NGOs. Organisers expect the trade show floor to sell out by the end of the month, reflecting surging demand for biometric, blockchain and open-source-intelligence solutions across the mobility sector.
This year’s agenda zeroes in on traveller verification under the EU Entry/Exit System, counter-drone measures at airports and the use of artificial intelligence to combat document fraud—topics of direct relevance to Austrian authorities as they scale biometric controls at Vienna and Salzburg airports.
For delegates travelling to Vienna from outside the EU or Schengen Area, navigating visa requirements can be daunting. VisaHQ’s Austrian portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) streamlines the process by detailing the precise documents, photo standards and appointment slots required for each nationality; its concierge team can even fast-track applications so that attendees arrive with the correct travel authorisations in hand, freeing up valuable time for networking and preparation.
Workshops will be led by the European Association of Airport & Seaport Police (EAASP) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), headquartered in Vienna. The congress offers multinational companies a rare opportunity to preview cutting-edge border-technology pilots and to engage with policymakers shaping Schengen external-border rules that ultimately filter down to corporate travel programmes. Past editions have produced early-adopter partnerships—for example, the 2024 Istanbul congress paved the way for Austria’s deployment of automated risk-profiling for air-cargo manifests. Early-bird passes are available until 18 March, with special rates for academia and NGOs. Organisers expect the trade show floor to sell out by the end of the month, reflecting surging demand for biometric, blockchain and open-source-intelligence solutions across the mobility sector.
