The Polish Border Guard has suspended civilian traffic at the Połowce and Sławatycze road checkpoints on the Belarus frontier, according to an update posted on its live granica.gov.pl portal at 20:16 on 24 April. The closure, which affects both passenger vehicles and trucks, is part of a broader “zero-tolerance” policy on irregular migration and comes as Warsaw accelerates work on the multibillion-zloty ‘East Shield’ fortifications along its eastern border. Freight forwarders say the sudden shutdown is forcing hauliers to re-route via Terespol, Kuźnica or the S19 expressway to Koroszczyn, adding up to 120 kilometres and creating bottlenecks at remaining entry points. Average wait times for trucks exiting Poland at Kuźnica jumped from one to three hours overnight, and logistics associations warn of knock-on delays for deliveries into Germany. For business travellers the immediate impact is on Polish- or EU-based staff who commute daily from Belarusian border towns to factories in Podlaskie and Lubelskie. Employers must verify whether affected staff hold multi-entry residence cards and should prepare contingency accommodation in Poland if daily commuting becomes impractical. Foreign nationals whose permits require a border exit to validate legal status (a so-called “stamp-out, stamp-in” trip) are advised to use the Terespol rail crossing or fly via Vilnius until further notice.
![Poland shuts Połowce and Sławatycze Belarus crossings, rerouting freight traffic]()
For travellers who need rapid guidance on alternative visas or transit solutions, VisaHQ offers an online concierge service that can check eligibility, prepare applications and schedule appointments on your behalf; its Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) also sends live alerts on border rule changes, making it easier for HR and logistics teams to keep staff compliant during disruptions.
The government has not provided a re-opening date. Officials say closures will be reviewed “when the security situation allows,” but point to recent sabotage warnings and increased Russian military activity in neighbouring Belarus. The Interior Ministry has legal authority to suspend specific crossings under Article 15 of the Border Guard Act when national security is at stake. Global supply-chain managers should instruct carriers to consult the Border Guard’s live queue portal before dispatch, budget for higher transport costs, and alert customers in Germany, Czechia and Slovakia to possible delivery slippage. Companies holding AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) status can request priority lanes at the Terespol–Brest rail terminal, but capacity is limited.
For travellers who need rapid guidance on alternative visas or transit solutions, VisaHQ offers an online concierge service that can check eligibility, prepare applications and schedule appointments on your behalf; its Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) also sends live alerts on border rule changes, making it easier for HR and logistics teams to keep staff compliant during disruptions.
The government has not provided a re-opening date. Officials say closures will be reviewed “when the security situation allows,” but point to recent sabotage warnings and increased Russian military activity in neighbouring Belarus. The Interior Ministry has legal authority to suspend specific crossings under Article 15 of the Border Guard Act when national security is at stake. Global supply-chain managers should instruct carriers to consult the Border Guard’s live queue portal before dispatch, budget for higher transport costs, and alert customers in Germany, Czechia and Slovakia to possible delivery slippage. Companies holding AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) status can request priority lanes at the Terespol–Brest rail terminal, but capacity is limited.
