Poland Travel Guide
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247 passport nationalities researched for entry into Poland.
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Guide
Poland's borders come in two kinds, and they are treated very differently. To the west, south, and north, they are Schengen borders, but Poland has run temporary checks on its German and Lithuanian frontiers since July 2025, and they have been extended to 1 October 2026, with the next notification running from 2 October 2026 to 30 March 2027. Government data has put the checks at 52 locations on the German border and 13 on the Lithuanian one.
To the east, the border is a real external one, with Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia's Kaliningrad region, and it is the most volatile in this series. The Kuźnica and Bobrowniki crossings with Belarus reopened on 17 November 2025 after being shut for four years and more than two and a half years respectively, yet Poland has kept suspending and reopening crossing points as security judgments change, including at the start of 2026 and again in April 2026 at Połowce and Sławatycze. Treat any eastern crossing as something to verify on the day.
Border crossings
- The German border, with checks on the way in
It is the border most visitors use, on the A2 and A4 corridors and the rail lines from Berlin and Dresden. Officials say the checks are aimed at secondary movements of migrants heading west, so a passport, not just an ID card, is the safer habit.
- Lithuania, the smallest controlled border
Around 13 check locations along a frontier that matters mainly for the Baltic route north. The Suwałki area is on the usual overland route between Poland and the Baltic states.
- Belarus: some crossings open, some shut, and rules on who can use them
Reported operating crossings include Bobrowniki to Berestovitsa, Koroszczyn to Kozlovichi (open around the clock), and Kuźnica to Bruzgi, while others such as Połowce to Peschatka and Sławatycze have been closed. Buses are excluded at Kuźnica, and freight at Bobrowniki is restricted. Check current status before making any plan that depends on one.
- Ukraine: Medyka is being rebuilt
Medyka to Shehyni is the most popular crossing, handling both pedestrians and vehicles. Repairs on the Polish side were reported to start on 20 September 2026 and to last until about November 2027, with buses redirected to alternatives. Korczowa to Krakovets and Hrebenne to Rava-Ruska remain in regular use.
Transit routes
- Poland to Ukraine, by bus or on foot
During the Medyka works, buses are being sent to other crossings. If you are on foot at Medyka itself, expect the layout to have changed from older descriptions.
- Driving in from Germany
With checks at dozens of locations, allow time on any of the main routes, particularly at busy periods and on weekends.
Entry point notes
- Internal checks do not add a second visa
The reintroduced controls with Germany and Lithuania are document checks. Schengen entry rules, including the 90 days in any 180 day limit, do not change because of them.
- Extensions keep coming, so read the date on whatever you find
Any article that says the checks end on a particular day is likely out of date within months. The most recent reporting runs into March 2027.