The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued a new alert for Brits travelling to the Czech Republic, as an extension of a previous alert regarding Germany. The FCDO frequently updates travel advice for destinations worldwide, with health, entry and safety information for some 226 countries and territories.
On Wednesday, a new alert was issued for the Czech Republic as a post on X said: “Read our latest travel advice update for #CzechRepublic about new information on travelling from the Czech Republic to Germany”. Amended travel guidance on Gov.uk now reads: “A temporary reintroduction of border controls are currently in place at Germany’s land borders.”
Germany enforced the temporary return of border checks earlier this month, as called for by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, with Minister Nancy Faeser asserting: “We are taking concrete action to reinforce our internal security, and we are taking a hard line against irregular migration. We are continuing to pursue this course.
“Until the new Common European Asylum System and other measures ensure strong protection for the EU’s external borders, we must also do more to control our national borders. These border control measures include effective refusals of entry at the border.”
The minister revealed that “more than 30,000 people have been denied entry at the land borders with Poland, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic since October 2023”. Germany has extended its border checks with Austria until November 11, while similar measures at the borders with Switzerland, Poland, and the Czech Republic will remain in place until December 15.
Anyone travelling on a UK passport to the Czech Republic, Germany, or any other Schengen Area country from November will be subject to the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which mandates fingerprinting and a photograph upon entry into the Schengen zone. For those entering through Dover, the Eurotunnel at Folkestone, or St Pancras International, these biometric details will be collected before departure from the UK.
Furthermore, the Gov.uk website advises: “You will also need to provide either your fingerprint or photo on exit. You may experience longer queues at borders when the new system starts.”