From June 13, all German border crossings will be checked again – even on hiking trails! The German federal police want to ensure more security before the G7 summit with border controls throughout Germany. So if you plan on hiking near Austria, carry your passport!
Border controls throughout Germany: Due to the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau, the border crossings to Germany will be checked again with immediate effect.
- Border controls throughout Germany – for 2 weeks!
- How many countries share a border with Germany?
- Border controls throughout Germany: also on trains and on hiking trails because of the G7 summit
- How many border crossings does Germany have? (for cars)
- International connections to and from Germany where you should expect border police to pop up!
Border controls throughout Germany – for 2 weeks!
Almost two weeks before the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria, temporary controls have begun on all German borders with neighboring countries.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the reason is increased security requirements around the summit. Officials tried to keep the restrictions as low as possible, a federal police spokesman said on Monday (June 13, 2022).
The measures should contribute to the safety of the population, but also to the peaceful course of the planned demonstrations. The arrival of possible violent criminals from abroad should be prevented, said the spokesman.
▶︎ The border controls would be carried out flexibly in terms of time and location until July 3, depending on the situation. Checks are not only made on the roads, but also in trains and on hiking trails . “We ask travelers to have their documents ready to hand for quick processing.”
How many countries share a border with Germany?
Germany shares borders with nine countries: Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Switzerland (its only non-EU neighbor) and Austria in the south, France in the southwest and Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the west.
Border controls throughout Germany: also on trains and on hiking trails because of the G7 summit
The heads of state and government of the G7 countries will meet at Schloss Elmau from June 26th to 28th. Several demonstrations with thousands of participants are expected in the area. The G7 includes Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, the USA, Canada and Japan.
There have been controls at the German-Austrian border since autumn 2015 . As a reaction to the arrival of numerous refugees, the decision was made to temporarily suspend the Schengen Agreement and reintroduce controls at the southern borders. Since then, this regulation has been repeatedly extended or rearranged.
Germany-wide border controls had already proved their worth at the 2015 G7 summit, said Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) on Saturday. The global political situation has worsened compared to that time. ”
▶︎ We have to do everything we can to get rioters and chaotic people out of business from the start .”
How many border crossings does Germany have? (for cars)
Germany has over 143 border crossings with its neighboring countries
| Border | Border crossings |
|---|---|
| Austria–Germany border crossings | • Ammer Saddle • Großgmain • Jungholz • Kleinwalsertal • Oberau (Berchtesgaden) • Schrofen Pass • Ursprung Pass |
| Belgium–Germany border crossings | • Aachen • Eynatten • Hauset • Vaalserberg |
| Czech Republic–Germany border crossings | • Bad Neualbenreuth • Bayerisch Eisenstein • Český Jiřetín • Deutschneudorf • Großschönau, Saxony • Hrádek nad Nisou • Hřensko • Jöhstadt • Loučná pod Klínovcem • Mníšek (Nová Ves v Horách) • Nová Ves v Horách • Oberwiesenthal • Plesná (Cheb District) • Rozvadov • Rumburk • Seifhennersdorf • Varnsdorf • Waidhaus • Železná Ruda • Zittau |
| Denmark–Germany border crossings | • Gedser • Harrislee • List auf Sylt • Padborg • Puttgarden • Rødby • Rodenäs • Rostock |
| France–Germany border crossings | • Forbach station • Kehl • Perl, Saarland • Pierre Pflimlin Bridge • Rhine Bridge, Kehl • Three Countries Bridge • Weil am Rhein |
| Germany–Luxembourg border crossings | • Bollendorf • Bollendorf-Pont • Echternach • Echternacherbrück • Mertert • Minden, Rhineland-Palatinate • Perl, Saarland • Remich • Übereisenbach • Untereisenbach • Wallendorf (Eifel) • Wallendorf-Pont • Wasserbillig |
| Germany–Netherlands border crossings | • Bad Nieuweschans • Barnflair • Bellingwolde • Borkum • Echt-Susteren • Eemshaven • Kerkrade • Nordhorn • Rhede, Lower Saxony • Rhederbrug • Sittard-Geleen • Spijk, Zevenaar • Vaals • Vaalserberg |
| Germany–Poland border crossings | • Bad Muskau • Blankensee, Uecker-Randow • Buk, Police County • Forst (Lausitz) • Frankfurt (Oder) • Görlitz • Gryfino • Guben • Gubin, Poland • Hohenwutzen • Kołbaskowo • Kostrzyn nad Odrą • Krajnik Dolny • Kunowice • Küstrin-Kietz • Łęknica • Ludwigsdorf (Görlitz) • Mescherin • Osinów Dolny • Polish rail border crossings • Porajów • Schwedt • Słubice • Świecko • Zasieki • Zgorzelec • Zittau |
| Germany–Switzerland border crossings | • Albbruck • Bad Säckingen • Bad Zurzach • Basel • Basel Badischer Bahnhof • Büsingen am Hochrhein • Dettighofen, Baden-Württemberg • Dogern • Eggingen • Hallau • Hohentengen am Hochrhein • Holzbrücke Bad Säckingen • Inzlingen • Jestetten • Kaiserstuhl, Aargau • Klettgau • Koblenz, Switzerland • Konstanz • Kreuzlingen • Laufenburg, Aargau • Laufenburg, Germany • Leibstadt • Lörrach • Lottstetten • Neuhausen am Rheinfall • Rafz • Rekingen • Rheinau, Switzerland • Rheinfelden (Aargau) • Rheinfelden (Baden) • Riehen • Rüdlingen • Schleitheim • Stein, Aargau • Stühlingen • Tägermoos • Trasadingen • Waldshut-Tiengen • Wasterkingen • Weil am Rhein • Wil, Zürich • Wilchingen |
International connections to and from Germany where you should expect border police to pop up!
The following are routes that people use to travel between Germany and other European countries. Traveller should expect border police for the next 2 weeks!
- Austria – Germany
Travel by day from Munich to Innsbruck (1hr 50min) on EuroCity (EC) trains or to Vienna (4hr 15min) on Austrian RailJet trains. - Belgium – Germany
Travel by day to Brussels from Frankfurt (3hr 15min) with ICE trains. - Czech Republic – Germany
Travel with EuroCity (EC) trains from Berlin to Prague (4hr 40min), or the DB Express Bus from Nuremberg or Munich (3hr 35min). - France – Germany
Travel by ICE from Frankfurt to Paris (4hr), by TGV from Munich (6hr) to Paris. - Italy – Germany
Travel from Munich to Venice (9hr) or Rome (12hr) on the ÖBB Nightjet night train, or travel by day on EuroCity (EC) between Munich and Venice. - Netherlands – Germany
Go by day from Frankfurt (4hr) or Düsseldorf (2hr 10min) with an ICE train. - Poland – Germany
Get to Warsaw (5hr 35min) from Berlin with the Berlin-Warsaw Express.
- Switzerland – Germany
Go by night with ÖBB Nightjet to Zurich from Hamburg (11hr 50min) via Berlin. There are various ICE and InterCity (IC) trains crossing the Swiss border into Germany. - Denmark – Germany
Travel by ICE and IC to Copenhagen (4hr 45min) or Aarhus (4hr 30min) from Hamburg.
International ferry connections to and from Germany
You can also travel to and from Germany by ferry. Get a discount on specific routes with a Eurail pass.
- Finland – Germany
Sail with Finnlines from Rostock or Travemünde to Helsinki (Finland). - Poland – Germany
Sail from Rostock to Gdynia with Finnlines - Sweden – Germany
Travel from Travemünde to Malmö (Sweden) with Finnlines.
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