Germany, Poland, And Lithuania Tighten Border Security – What Uk Tourists Need To Know Before Traveling

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Amid expanding migration fears, nan Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has altered its recreation proposal for UK holidaymakers heading to Germany, Poland and Lithuania. The caller guidance follows a tightening of nan screws, arsenic Poland introduced impermanent separator checks pinch some Germany and Lithuania to stymie forbidden migration. As you say, not only is this bad news, it could beryllium bad news for British holidaymakers, pinch nan ramping up of information successful these cardinal European countries perchance causing a hassle-free recreation acquisition for Brits.

Stricter separator checks activated by Germany, Poland and Lithuania person been a consequence of an summation successful numbers of forbidden migrants entering nan continent. Poland announced a 30-day crackdown, and much intensive separator checks astatine 52 points crossed it beforehand pinch Germany and 13 further ones on nan separator pinch Lithuania. It followed nan crackdown launched connected July 7,2025, pinch British holidaymakers now astatine consequence of being delayed while they look conveyance stops and paperwork checks upon entering these countries.

Why nan Crackdown?

The renewed scrutiny of nan separator is being fueled by fears of forbidden migration and divisions wrong nan European Union. Germany has besides been condemned by far-right groups for supposedly organizing migration to Poland and stoking nan emergency. This governmental unit has led to Poland strengthening its information to antagonistic nan migration issue. The Polish authorities has stressed nan necessity of these impermanent separator controls to alteration irregular migration and protect nan country’s information from nan inside.

The FCO’s caller guidance stresses that nan separator checks could past longer, and beryllium introduced pinch small notice. Travelers bound for Germany, Poland aliases Lithuania are meantime advised to get fresh for higher levels of scrutiny, particularly astatine nan onshore borders. British nationals should person their passports connected them astatine each times, arsenic checks could increase.

Business and Leisure Travel Effects

The reductions successful separator information could disrupt some businesses and nan vacation recreation season. These enhanced separator measures will mean unexpected delays particularly for business travelers attending meetings, conferences aliases events crossed nan countries. Travellers done Germany, which welcomes astir 5.3 cardinal UK visitors each year, will beryllium astir deed by nan reintroduction of separator controls, pinch nan threat of agelong lines astatine crossings. The FCO has besides cautioned that separator checkpoints whitethorn adjacent pinch small warning, starring to terrible recreation disruption.

And for travelers who sojourn these areas, nan acquisition will besides beryllium affected. Travellers heading to Germany’s taste centres aliases Poland’s humanities towns, aliases to bask Lithuania’s earthy beauty, will request to facet successful other clip for separator inspections.” About 83,000 British visitors sojourn Lithuania each twelvemonth and 600,000 make an yearly travel to Poland. These figures could temporarily autumn arsenic travelers look for alternatives successful consequence to nan information measures.

New Border Banning Rules: What Travelers Need to Know

The enhanced separator checks are now successful spot on Poland’s onshore borders pinch Germany and Lithuania, according to nan updated recreation guidance connected nan FCO website. The checks will see conveyance stops and whitethorn see archive reviews. A akin connection appears connected nan Lithuanian recreation page pinch a informing for travelers connected imaginable conveyance stops astatine nan Lithuania-Poland border.

Germany’s impermanent separator controls successful effect since 14 September 2024, were re-established connected grounds of migratory pursuing nan irregular flows of refugees betwixt 2015-2016 and Germany’s request to header pinch durable housing, acquisition and integration request posed by nan asylum seekers. As nan EU searches for a solution to nan migration crisis, specified measures are apt to persist until much broad measures are reached.

The FCO has warned each UK holidaymakers who are group to recreation to Germany, Poland and Lithuania to cheque nan government’s updates regularly and hole for immoderate imaginable recreation delays. Delays are ongoing arsenic Poland and Germany purpose to unafraid their borders. For travelers, that could besides mean greater scrutiny connected buses, trains and moreover planes, arsenic separator enforcement gets ratcheted up crossed each modes of transportation.

Fast Travel Tips For those of you from UK visiting.

Check Your Passport: Make judge your passport is valid and disposable for inspection astatine separator controls. Make it easy disposable truthful location are nary delays astatine checkpoints.

Give Yourself More Time to Travel: Consider allowing for longer recreation times for processes astatine borders aliases airports. Add successful nan truth hold times tin beryllium long.

Keep Up With: This is simply a processing situation, and things could alteration rapidly. Stay up to day pinch nan FCO’s latest proposal and nan proposal of your nationalist government, to guarantee you don’t miss immoderate important announcements.

Be Ready for Interruptions: Be prepared for interruptions, specified arsenic nan impermanent closing of borders, aliases for delays retired of nan blue. If you are a business traveler, deliberation astir nan other clip buffer you mightiness request betwixt appointments and getting to places.

Carry Local Currency: You ne'er cognize if separator power delays will effect integer payments, truthful it mightiness not wounded to transportation immoderate rate successful euros for mini purchases while you wait.

What This Means for Your Travel Plans and Future Travel:

The FCO recreation proposal sets retired nan request to stay elastic and adaptable. British nationals should find whether recreation to Germany, Poland aliases Lithuania is perfectly basal during a play of accrued separator security. Travelers whitethorn person to see different routes aliases moreover reschedule their travel to walk little clip astatine separator posts.

As agelong arsenic nan contention complete irregular migration is ongoing, overmuch whitethorn change. If you person yet to visit, you whitethorn want to cheque pinch your airline, train aliases recreation usability astir introduction to nan separator for separator delays.

Conclusion: Moving Across Europe’s Shifting Frontiers

The strengthened separator checks introduced by Poland, Germany and Lithuania whitethorn beryllium inconvenient for some, but are justified successful position of nan information of each travellers and nan caller migratory challenge. By keeping themselves informed and ready, UK visitors tin person nosy successful their travels, albeit pinch an other knowledge astir recreation precautions. Watching nan FCO’s website for recreation accusation is arsenic cardinal arsenic ever.