Schengen Internal Border Controls 2026: What Employers Need to Know About Workforce Movement

Overview

If your organisation moves employees across European countries, temporary Schengen internal border controls are an additional consideration for travel and immigration planning.

Several Schengen countries currently have temporary controls at specific internal borders. Where they apply, travellers may be asked to present identification documents and may be subject to additional checks.

These measures do not mean that movement within the Schengen Area has stopped. Internal border controls can be temporarily reintroduced as national security measures, subject to the rules of the Schengen Borders Code. Such controls are intended to be exceptional, proportionate and limited to what is necessary.

For employers, the question is not simply whether an employee can travel. It is whether that movement is properly documented, compliant and planned in a way that supports business operations.

What Are the Key Changes? 

Temporary internal border controls are currently in effect across several Schengen countries, with the affected borders and duration varying by country.

The current measures include:

• Austria: Controls at its borders with Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary and Slovenia, with current measures extending through September 15, 2026.

• Denmark: Controls affecting its land and sea border with Germany, currently notified through November 11, 2026.

• France: Controls at its internal borders with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain and Italy through October 31, 2026.

• Germany: Controls at its land borders with France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Czechia and Poland through September 15, 2026.

• Italy: Controls at its land border with Slovenia through December 18, 2026, with separate temporary measures affecting travel involving Spain.

• The Netherlands: Controls affecting its borders with Belgium and Germany and certain intra-Schengen air borders through September 30, 2026.

• Norway: Controls at ports with ferry connections to other Schengen countries through November 11, 2026.

• Poland: Controls at its borders with Germany and Lithuania through October 1, 2026.

• Sweden: Temporary controls at its internal borders, including land, air and sea routes involving Denmark, with current measures extending through November 11, 2026.

Spain and Italy have also introduced temporary controls affecting travel between the two countries.

The practical point for employers is that there is no single change affecting every Schengen journey. The relevant border, route and date of travel need to be considered.

Because temporary controls can be extended or changed, employers should verify the current position before employees travel. The European Commission maintains the official notifications covering temporary internal border controls.

Who Will Be Affected?

The update is particularly relevant to Global Mobility, Immigration, HR and Travel teams managing employees who regularly cross European borders, as well as business leaders whose projects depend on employees being deployed across multiple locations.

The level of impact will depend on the employee's nationality, immigration status, travel route, destination and the activity they intend to undertake.

For organisations managing international assignments or frequent cross-border travel, the key consideration is whether current travel arrangements still align with the employee's immigration position and planned activities.

Salary Threshold

Not applicable to this update.

Temporary internal Schengen border controls do not introduce or change salary thresholds. Country-specific salary and work-authorisation requirements should be assessed separately.

Compliance Updates

The most important distinction for employers is:

Permission to travel is not the same as permission to work.

A temporary internal border check does not itself provide an employee with work authorisation in another country. Similarly, the absence of a routine border check does not mean that an employee is automatically authorised to work in another Schengen country.

Before cross-border travel, employers should consider:

• Whether the employee has valid identification and relevant immigration documentation.

• Whether the employee's visa or residence status covers the planned travel.

• Whether the activity they intend to undertake is permitted.

• Whether a separate work permit, notification or local authorisation is required.

• Whether applicable stay limits need to be monitored.

• Whether the employee's route crosses a border currently subject to temporary controls.

For employees travelling on a short-stay Schengen visa, the general framework permits a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period. The same limit applies to visa-exempt nationals undertaking short stays, subject to the applicable immigration rules. Employers should consider the employee's individual immigration circumstances when assessing applicable stay limits.

The key compliance question is therefore not only:

“Can this employee enter or travel through the country?”

It is also:

“Is the employee authorised to undertake the planned activity there?”

What This Means for Employers

The practical impact becomes clearer when employee travel is connected to business delivery.

Consider an Indian technology consultant based in Germany who regularly travels to a client location in the Netherlands.

The employee may have valid German immigration status and be able to travel within the Schengen Area. However, the employer still needs to consider the employee's route, documentation, purpose of travel and whether the planned activity in the Netherlands is permitted under the applicable rules.

For the business, the relevant questions are:

Is the employee's documentation valid?

Does the planned activity match the employee's immigration status?

Does the route pass through a border where temporary controls are operating?

Are applicable stay limits being monitored?

Could the travel requirements affect a time-sensitive client commitment or deployment?

This is where an immigration development becomes an operational consideration rather than a standalone travel update.

The objective is not to treat every border control as a disruption. It is to identify whether a particular employee, journey or assignment is affected before travel becomes time-critical.

Implementation and Next Steps

Employers managing cross-border workforce movement should focus on four practical steps:

1. Review affected routes

Identify upcoming business trips, assignments and project deployments where the employee's route passes through a country or border where temporary internal border controls are currently in place.

Prioritise employees who regularly move between multiple European locations or whose travel is connected to time-sensitive work.

2. Check immigration status and documentation

Confirm that employees have the relevant passport, visa, residence documentation and other required authorisations for their circumstances.

The assessment should reflect the employee's actual itinerary and planned activities, not just their country of residence.

3. Confirm the planned activity

Check whether the work or business activity the employee will undertake is permitted under the applicable immigration framework.

Where travel is connected to a client commitment or critical deployment, treat immigration and travel requirements as part of the project plan rather than as a separate administrative check. The higher the operational dependency, the earlier these requirements need to be confirmed not resolved at the last minute.

4. Monitor changes

Temporary border controls can be extended, modified or withdrawn. Employers should therefore review current requirements before time-sensitive travel and reassess longer-term assignments when relevant measures change.

The European Commission provides the official reference point for current notifications.

Key Takeaway

Temporary Schengen internal border controls do not mean that cross-border movement in Europe has stopped.

For Global Mobility, Immigration, HR and Travel teams, the priority is to understand which employees and routes may be affected, whether their documentation and work authorisation remain appropriate, and whether the journey could affect a time-sensitive business requirement.

The most effective approach is not to wait for an employee to encounter an issue during travel. It is to incorporate current immigration and travel requirements into workforce planning before the journey becomes time-critical.

Anywr India supports businesses with Immigration, Relocation and Employer of Record requirements across international markets. If your organisation is managing cross-border employee movement in Europe and needs support assessing the immigration and operational considerations, speak with our team.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Immigration requirements and applicability may vary depending on permit category, local regulations, and individual case circumstances. For tailored guidance specific to your organisation’s needs, please reach out to Anywr’s immigration experts for a consultation. 

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About Anywr

Anywr is a French international group specializing in global mobility solutions.
Founded in 2012, Anywr operates in 12 countries across 4 continents. Our mission is to support companies in addressing their Human Resources challenges. We respond to your needs in terms of international mobility, particularly in terms of immigration policies, relocation, the implementation of mobility policies and EOR.

Do you have a mobility project for your teams? Contact us!