Starting Monday, September 16, an order issued by the Federal Ministry of the Interior comes into force in Germany, deploying temporary border controls along all land frontiers of the country. Following existing inspections on borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland, police checkpoints are being established along the borders with France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
Over the weekend, the Federal Police (Bundespolizei) concluded the redeployment of personnel, set up mobile screening facilities on major autobahns, and finalized a unified operational standard for checking cross-border passenger traffic.
Following this high-level policy decision, Nodia’s editorial team examined the approved operational procedures of law enforcement agencies and published a practical handbook: how train and bus inspections will take place, who faces turnbacks at the border (Zurückweisung), and what mandatory set of documents every foreign national under § 24 AufenthG must carry.
Inspection Formats: Autobahns, Trains, and the 30-Kilometer Border Zone
Unlike typical queues at external borders with third countries, intra-Schengen controls combine two primary operational mechanisms: stationary checkpoints and mobile patrol squads.
| Control Format | Location and Scope | How the Check is Conducted |
|---|---|---|
| Stationary Checkpoints | Key cross-border autobahns (A3, A4, A6, A8, A61) | Lane narrowing, visual pre-selection of vehicles, targeted diversion into in-depth inspection zones |
| International Trains | ICE, Eurostar, TGV, Nightjet, and regional cross-border trains | Police units board train cars at border stations and inspect IDs while the train is in transit |
| Long-Distance Buses | Flixbus, Sindbad, RegioJet, and scheduled carriers | Mandatory stop at designated inspection areas, comprehensive check of passenger passports and tickets |
| Schleierfahndung (Mobile Patrols) | Border-adjacent strip extending up to 30 km inside German territory | Unmarked patrol cruisers (Zivilstreife) stopping vehicles on secondary and regional roads |
Entry Denial Procedure (Zurückweisung): Legal Boundaries
The Federal Government stresses that these expanded measures aim to deter unauthorized entries and disrupt cross-border human smuggling operations.
Refusal of entry directly at the national border is governed by Section 18 of the Asylum Act (Asylgesetz — AsylG):
- Who police may turn away: Individuals lacking a valid passport, valid Schengen visa, or recognized residence permit, as well as persons subject to an EU-wide entry ban (SIS-Sperre).
- Who cannot be turned away: Persons holding a legitimate legal right of residence in Germany. Ukrainian citizens holding temporary protection status under Section 24 AufenthG enjoy an explicit legal right to enter Germany without hindrance, provided they present valid supporting documentation.
Mandatory Travel Kit for Ukrainians
To avoid hours of delays at the border, interrogations at police stations, or mistaken entry denials, every Ukrainian traveling to neighboring EU states or returning to Germany must carry a complete set of physical documents:
Border Crossing Document Checklist (Travel Kit):
- Valid Biometric Foreign Passport: The passport validity must exceed the planned date of entry by at least 3 months.
- Original Electronic Residence Title (eAT Card): If the printed date on your plastic card has expired (e.g., showing
04.03.2024or04.03.2025), carry a printed copy of the Federal Ukraine Residence Transition Ordinance (UkraineAufenthÜV), which legally certifies automatic status extension without card replacement.- Provisional Residence Certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung):
- If issued under Section 81 (4) AufenthG — re-entry into Germany is fully permitted (the legal validity of the preceding title continues).
- If issued under Section 81 (3) AufenthG — travel outside Germany is strictly prohibited, as this certificate merely records an initial application and becomes void upon leaving the country!
- Registration Certificate (Meldebescheinigung): An up-to-date address certificate corroborates your lawful German domicile and dispels police suspicion of fictitious residence.
- Health Insurance Card and Tickets: Proof of uninterrupted coverage with a statutory German health insurance fund (Krankenkasse).
Practical Advice for Cross-Border Trips
- Plan for Travel Delays: Transport associations in Germany and adjacent nations (France, the Netherlands, Belgium) warn of coach delays and autobahn congestion ranging between 30 and 90 minutes during peak hours. When connecting to flights or high-speed rail, book itineraries with extended layovers.
- Never Carry Uninspected Packages for Strangers: Federal Police conduct random luggage searches using sniffer dogs. Agreeing to transport an unfamiliar parcel or sealed luggage from strangers can lead to criminal charges for smuggling excise goods, pharmaceuticals, or illicit substances.
- Keep All Documents in Hand Luggage: Never place passports, residence cards, or insurance paperwork into bus luggage compartments. At a border checkpoint, you are legally required to present original documents to inspecting officers without delay.
Information Sources
- Gesetze im Internet: Section 81 AufenthG — Legal Status of Fiktionsbescheinigung and Continued Effect
- Gesetze im Internet: Section 18 AsylG — Border Authority Powers and Zurückweisung Procedure
- Bundesregierung: Official German Federal Government Portal
- Bundespolizei: Official German Federal Police Web Portal
- Deutscher Bundestag: Official Parliamentary Documentation Archive on Border Policies
- Pro Asyl: Legal Analysis and Rights Risks at Internal Schengen Borders
- Visit Ukraine: Border Crossing Regulations and Travel Documentation for Ukrainian Citizens