Fresh figures released on 4 April 2026 by the Nadodrzański Border Guard District give the first comprehensive picture of Poland’s internal-Schengen controls on the western frontier since they were re-introduced nine months ago. Officers stationed along the Lubuskie and Dolnośląskie sections of the German border have examined 775,000 people and 360,000 vehicles, turning back 500 individuals and arresting 180 on criminal warrants. Seized contraband — mainly untaxed cigarettes and stolen auto parts — is valued at PLN 2.6 million (€610,000). The statistics demonstrate how seriously Warsaw is treating what it calls “secondary movements” — migrants who crossed into the EU through Belarus or the Balkans and try to reach Germany via Poland. While the absolute number of turn-backs is modest, officials argue that visible enforcement deters smugglers and reassures the public. The operation relies on a mix of mobile patrols, thermal-imaging vans and automatic licence-plate readers placed at motorway exits and rural back-roads alike. For corporate mobility teams the data underline that the ad-hoc checks are more than symbolic. Truck drivers have reported average crossing times rising from 2–3 minutes pre-July 2025 to 12–15 minutes now, eroding tight delivery windows for Poland’s booming e-commerce fulfilment centres. Some logistics providers have shifted high-value loads to rail, where advance passenger information (API) sharing allows most freight trains to clear the border without stopping. HR managers sending staff from German headquarters to Polish plants should remind employees to carry passports or national ID even on routine site visits; several EU nationals were among those temporarily denied entry after forgetting documents. Dual-citizen workers with non-EU passports should also have residence permits on hand, as officers cannot verify permit status through the EU’s Entry/Exit System until it goes live later this year.
![Nine Months of Checks on Polish–German Border: 775 000 Travellers Screened]()
For companies that need extra certainty before sending staff through these tightened checkpoints, VisaHQ’s Poland platform (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) lets mobility managers confirm visa rules, order passport renewals or residence-permit copies, and track multiple cases from one dashboard—helping to avoid surprises when officers pull vehicles aside.
Border Guard commanders say the controls will stay “as long as the threat persists,” dovetailing with Warsaw’s decision on 5 April to prolong the legal basis for checks until at least 1 October 2026. Businesses therefore need to treat the procedures as the new normal rather than a short-term disruption.
For companies that need extra certainty before sending staff through these tightened checkpoints, VisaHQ’s Poland platform (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) lets mobility managers confirm visa rules, order passport renewals or residence-permit copies, and track multiple cases from one dashboard—helping to avoid surprises when officers pull vehicles aside.
Border Guard commanders say the controls will stay “as long as the threat persists,” dovetailing with Warsaw’s decision on 5 April to prolong the legal basis for checks until at least 1 October 2026. Businesses therefore need to treat the procedures as the new normal rather than a short-term disruption.
