The Schengen Borders Code (SBC) provides Member States with the capability of temporarily reintroducing border control at the internal borders in the event of a serious threat to public policy or internal security.
The reintroduction of border control at the internal borders must be applied as a last resort measure, in exceptional situations, and must respect the principle of proportionality.
The duration of such a temporary reintroduction of border control at the internal borders is limited in time, depending on the legal basis invoked by the Member State introducing such border control.
The scope and duration of reintroduced border control should be restricted to the bare minimum needed to respond to the threat in question. Reintroducing border control at the internal border should only be used as a measure of last resort.
The reintroduction of border control is a prerogative of the Member States. The Commission may issue an opinion regarding the necessity of the measure and its proportionality but cannot veto a Member State’s decision to reintroduce border control.
Notifications of the Temporary Reintroduction of Border Control
Current Temporarily Reintroduced Border Controls
Country | Duration | Reasons/Scope |
---|---|---|
Germany | 16/12/2024 – 15/03/2025 | Serious threats to public security and order posed by continued high levels of irregular migration and migrant smuggling, as well as the strain on the asylum reception system. The impact of the global security situation (including Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East) on security and migration; borders with the Republic of Poland, Switzerland, and Czechia. |
Slovenia | 22/12/2024 – 21/06/2025 | Serious threats to public policy and internal security posed by continuous terrorism-related events and organised crime, including smuggling and arms trafficking, the risk of terrorist infiltrations into migratory flows via the Western Balkans, and radicalised Islamists potentially entering European cities during the holiday season, as well as hybrid threats from the Russian Federation, Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine, Russian nationals attempting to illegally enter Slovenia; land borders with the Republic of Croatia and Hungary. |
Italy | 19/12/2024 – 18/06/2025 | Continued threat of terrorist infiltrations into migratory flows along the Mediterranean route and the Balkan route, ongoing crises in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, increasing migratory pressures and the risk of terrorist infiltration, risk of violent actions against Israeli citizens and terrorist activity, and heightened security risks associated with the Universal Jubilee of the Catholic Church; land borders with the Republic of Slovenia. |
Austria | 12/11/2024 –11/05/2025 | Continued high levels of irregular migration and an increase in smuggling activities across Austria’s southern borders, disproportionate pressure on Austria’s asylum reception system, security risks resulting from the global security policy developments in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the threat of terrorism throughout the European Union; land borders with Hungary and the Republic of Slovenia. |
The Netherlands | 09/12/2024 –08/06/2025 | High level of irregular migration, migrant smuggling, and substantial secondary migration flows. High and cumulative pressure on the migration system, in particular for asylum reception. Increase of criminal incidents at reception centres; land and air borders with Belgium and Germany. |
Austria | 16/10/2024 –15/04/2025 | Risks associated with irregular migration, such as via the Balkan routes, migratory pressure in the pre-frontier area, as well as the strain on the asylum reception system and basic services, Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, and the security situation in the Middle East aggravated by terrorist groups; land and sea borders with Slovakia, and all internal borders with Czechia. |
Germany | 12/11/2024 – 15/03/2025 | Security risks associated with irregular migration that increase serious threats to public order and security posed by the already tense reception situation for refugees, and the potential increasing migratory pressure at the EU's external borders because of developments in Afghanistan, Turkey, and Syria, as well as smuggling activities, Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, and the security situation in the Middle East exacerbated by terrorist groups; borders with Austria. |
Norway | 12/11/2024 – 11/05/2025 | General threat aimed at the energy sector, threats of sabotage posed by the Russian intelligence service, as well as to increase infrastructure protection; ports with ferry connections to the Schengen area: all internal borders (land, air, and sea). |
Denmark | 12/11/2024 – 11/05/2025 | Serious threats to public policy and internal security posed by continuous terrorism-related events and organised crime, as well as Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine, Russian attempts of espionage, and acts of physical sabotage by individuals linked to Russia, along with the impact of Middle Eastern armed conflicts and conflicts in Africa increase migratory pressure, irregular entries, and risk infiltration by radicalised individuals; all internal borders (land, air, and sea), and land and sea borders with Germany. |
France | 01/11/2024 – 30/04/2025 | Serious threats to public policy, public order, and internal security posed by high-level terrorist activities, the growing presence of criminal networks facilitating irregular migration and smuggling, and migration flows that risk infiltration by radicalised individuals, as well as the irregular crossings on the Channel and North Sea borders, along with rising violence among migrants, particularly in northern coastal areas such as Dunkirk and Calais, leading to tense and dangerous situations involving both migrants and law enforcement; borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the Swiss Confederation, Italy, and Spain (land, air, and sea). |
Sweden | 12/11/2024 – 11/05/2025 | Serious threats to public policy and internal security posed by recent terrorism-related events and serious crime associated with an ongoing armed conflict in the organised and gang-related crime environment; all internal borders (land, air, and sea). |
Germany | 16/09/2024-15/03/2025 | Security risks related to irregular migration, including smuggling, at the EU's external borders, continue to lead to increased levels of irregular entries, exacerbating already tense accommodation situation for refugees, especially in the context of the admission of Ukrainian nationals; borders with France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Denmark. |
Germany | 16/06/2024 – 15/12/2024 | The irregular migration and migrant smuggling activities linked to the developing situation and living conditions in migrants' countries of origin, as well as the strain on the asylum reception system, Russia's aggression in Ukraine, and the security situation exacerbated by terrorist groups, particularly in the Middle East; borders with the Republic of Poland, Switzerland, and Czechia. |
Slovenia | 22/06/2024 – 21/12/2024 | Risks associated with the global security situation (increased instability in the Middle East, Russia's aggression in Ukraine, organised crime, and general terrorist threats), as well as UEFA EURO 2024 and the Olympic Games; internal borders with the Republic of Croatia and Hungary. |
Italy | 19/06/2024 – 18/12/2024 | Risk of terrorist activity, connected to the turmoil in the Middle East and the possible risk of terrorist infiltration in irregular migration flows, as well as the risk of violence connected to the continuation of the war in Ukraine and Italy’s G7 Presidency; land borders with Slovenia. |
Foreseeable cases (Article 25 and 26 of the codified SBC)
For foreseeable events (e.g. sports events), the duration of the border control is limited to 30 days or for the foreseeable duration of the threat, if it exceeds 30 days.
If required, the reintroduction of border control can be prolonged for renewable periods of up to 30 days. The total period shall not exceed 6 months.
The Member State shall notify the Commission and other Member States at least 4 weeks before the planned reintroduction of border control. An exception of this notification period is made, if the circumstances giving rise to reintroduced border control become known at a shorter notice.
Cases requiring immediate action (Article 28 of the codified SBC)
Where immediate action needs to be taken to adequately respond to a threat, a Member State may reintroduce border control for 10 days without prior notification.
The Commission and the Member States must be informed of such decisions immediately.
While the reintroduction can be prolonged for periods of up to 20 days, the overall period of border control shall not exceed 2 months.
Cases where exceptional circumstances put the overall functioning of the Schengen area at risk (Article 29 of the codified SBC)
In exceptional circumstances, where the overall functioning of the Schengen Area is put at risk as a result of persistent serious deficiencies relating to external border control, and insofar as those circumstances constitute a serious threat to public policy or internal security, the Council may, based on a proposal from the Commission, recommend that one or more Member States decide to reintroduce border control at all or at specific parts of their internal borders.
Such a recommendation shall only be made as a last resort and as a measure to protect the common interests within the Schengen Area, where all other measures, in particular those referred to in Article 21 of the Schengen Borders Code, are ineffective in mitigating the serious threat identified.
Related documents
- Full list of Member States' notifications of the temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders pursuant to Article 25 et seq. of the Schengen Borders Code
- List of authorised border crossing points notified to the Commission after reintroduction of internal border control