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Border controls in Poland: What commuters urgently need to know now!
On July 7, 2025, Poland introduced stationary border controls to combat illegal migration at the German border.
Border controls in Poland: What commuters urgently need to know now!
Poland introduced its stationary border controls on the German-Polish border on July 7, 2025, a step that affects both commuters and tourist travelers despite the growing wave of travel. This measure is carried out by the Polish border police and other authorities and aims to combat illegal migration and border crossings. Vehicles and pedestrians have to undergo random checks, especially on the city bridge between Guben and Gubin. Commuters are required to carry a valid ID card or passport as well as proof of work or residence to facilitate the procedure. [LR Online].
The new regulation also brings challenges. Commuters should avoid peak times, especially between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Fridays and early afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays. Waiting times are not uncommon at the Polish border, and pedestrians and cyclists also have to expect controls. Children traveling alone are required to have their own passport and parental permission.
Controls as a response to migration
The reason for the tightened controls lies in the ongoing problem of illegal migration. There have been controls on the German side for travelers from Poland since October 2023 to curb such practices. In recent years, numerous inhumane entries and loopholes for smugglers have been discovered. By July 2023, over 7,900 unauthorized entries were registered at German land borders, meaning that the federal government has also put pressure on to tighten controls. According to [Tagesspiegel](https://www.tagesspiegel.de/potsdam/brandenburg/montag-soll-es-losgehen-polen-kontrolleiert-an-borne-border-zu-deutschland–die-mehrsten-fragen-und- Answeren-13977665.html), Saxony's economics minister is calling for rapid clarification in order to avoid economic losses caused by the border controls.
Meanwhile, there are also reports about the right-wing extremist vigilante group “Ruch Obrony Granic”, which patrols the border and therefore represents an additional source of danger. The members of this group carry out illegal checks, which is a punishable offense in Poland. Affected commuters should therefore insist on official ID cards and can contact a German-Polish team in Guben for support.
Cooperation between Germany and Poland
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt rated the Polish controls as a success and emphasized that Poland is ready to withdraw these measures if Germany also ends its border controls. Close cooperation between both countries is crucial to normalize the situation and ensure freedom of movement within the EU. The new controls are initially limited to August 5, 2024, but may be extended depending on future developments in the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), which is due to come into force in June 2026. Tagesschau emphasizes that temporary controls at the border not only serve to combat illegal migration, but also represent an important measure within the EU to reorganize migration.