Poland extends temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania until March 2027

The Minister Spraw Wewnętrznych i Administracji has extended temporary border controls on Poland’s internal borders from 2 October 2026 to 30 March 2027, under a regulation published in Dziennik Ustaw on 25 September 2026 as Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1253. The amendment also replaces the annex that lists the border crossings where checks are carried out, the traffic allowed through them, their opening hours and their territorial range.

What the regulation changes

The regulation of 23 September 2026 amends the Minister Spraw Wewnętrznych i Administracji regulation of 3 July 2025 on the temporary reintroduction of border controls for persons crossing the state border that constitutes an internal border (Dz.U. poz. 876, 1060 and 1327, and 2026 poz. 413). A new paragraph 1d added to § 2 states that the control “is extended for the period from 2 October 2026 to 30 March 2027”. The regulation enters into force on 2 October 2026, the day the previous period expires.

Its legal basis is art. 17a of the Act of 12 October 1990 on the protection of the state border (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 919). The act was signed on behalf of the minister by C. Mroczek.

Where the checks apply

The new annex lists 63 crossings: 50 on the section of the state border with the Federal Republic of Germany and 13 on the section with the Republic of Lithuania.

• Road crossings (marked D) on the German border include Jędrzychowice on the A4 motorway, Olszyna–Forst on the A18, Świecko–Frankfurt on national road 2, Kołbaskowo–Pomellen on the A6, Gubinek–Guben, Gubin–Guben, Kostrzyn nad Odrą–Kietz, Słubice–Frankfurt nad Odrą, Łęknica–Krauschwitz, Rosówek–Rosow, Lubieszyn–Linken and Świnoujście–Ahlbeck.
• Rail crossings (marked K) include Zgorzelec–Goerlitz, Węgliniec–Horka, Zasieki–Forst, Gubin–Guben, Kunowice–Frankfurt, Kostrzyn nad Odrą–Kietz, Szczecin–Gumieńce and Świnoujście, plus Trakiszki on the Lithuanian border.
• On the Lithuanian section, road checks cover Grzybina, Sudawskie, Krejwiany, Poszeszupie, Budzisko on the S61 expressway, Trompole, Burbiszki, Dusznica, Ogrodniki, Podlaski and Berżniki.

Traffic, hours and territorial scope

Most road crossings operate around the clock (“całodobowo”), while rail checks are carried out during the opening hours of the relevant station. Permitted traffic ranges from passenger and goods traffic to pedestrian and bicycle crossings, such as Krzewina Zgorzelecka, Zgorzelec (Most Staromiejski), Pieńsk, Bielawa Dolna, Łęknica (Park Mużakowski), Siedlec–Zelz, Nowe Warpno–Rieth and the Świnoujście promenada.

The annex also fixes the exact territorial range of each check, specifying roads, plots and border markers. Examples include the A4 section up to 2.5 km towards Wrocław at Jędrzychowice, the 1,100 m stretch towards Kołbaskowo on the A6, the 400 m section of national road 16 at Ogrodniki, and the 100 m stretch of national road 29 at Słubice.

Impact

The extension keeps controls in place for nearly six more months, affecting cross-border commuters, hauliers and tourists on the German and Lithuanian borders. It also confirms the definitive list of crossings, telling travellers exactly where they must expect checks and which modes of transport are admitted.

Source: Dziennik Ustaw, 2026 poz. 1253, 25 September 2026, section I (official reference: Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1253).