Starting form today (July, 4) Poland brings back controls on its EU borders, airports and harbours. Due to the upcoming NATO summit and the World Youth Day, the so called local border traffic with Russia and Ukraine is also suspended.
What’s the purpose of your stay, sir?
- How long will it last?
- What documents do you need to have on you?
- Strict controls on the airports
- Local border traffic
- What does this mean to those travelling?
The controls on Polish borders with Germany, Slovakia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic will be in force till August, 2 (the last day of the World Youth Day in Cracow). Same applies to airports and harbours. It’s worth mentioning that the controls won’t affect everyone, the right services will check people randomly and additionaly in every case of suspicious behaviour.
Nothing changes here. Citizens of Poland and the Schengen area will need to carry a valid document confirming their identity and nationality – an identity card or a passport will be enough.
Citizens of other countries will have to present a valid travel document (passport) and a document confirming their right to stay in Poland (e.g. visa) if obligatory.
Passengers have to bear in mind the fact that these imposed controls aim at everyone’s safety. The appropriate authorities assure that it won’t affect the check-in time significantly but they recommend arriving at the airport a bit earlier these days.
Starting from July, 4 Poland suspends the so called local border traffic with Russia and Ukraine. On that same day Russia suspends its local border traffic in Kaliningrad Oblast. The suspension will be valid until revoked (the precise date has not been set).
According to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs this situation does not breach the law of Polish citizens to go to Russia if they provide a documentation necessary to travel within the local border traffic.
Local border traffic suspended by both bordering countries means that all Polish citizens going to Russia and all Russian citizens going to Poland will need to give proof of their identity not only with a passport but also with a traditional visa. To get one, you will need to pay and wait for about a month.
Everything (apart from the suspension of the local border traffic) is going to come back to normal as soon as both events are over, which is on August, 2.
0
