Implications of Temporary Internal Border Control in Schengen Countries

By the way, this has existed in the United States for quite some time. Border Patrol is allowed to set up checkpoints in a number of places, including anywhere within 100 miles of the US border, counting the shores of Lake Michigan as a US border, as well as Puget Sound. They can merrily check any traveler’s paperwork.

The difference being, they aren’t going to block you from entering Illinois and make you stay in Indiana, because it’s not Illinois border patrol, it’s Federal.

But yes, “internal to a union of states” immigration checks are nothing new.

Edited: The Schengen treaty was mostly for the benefit of EU citizens, and it lets them (and others) cross internal borders without systematic controls.

To make this feasible, it was necessary to create an unified system for short-stay visa and visa-free entry. This does not mean that everybody within the Schengen area is allowed to cross internal borders at will, or to cross them without any documents in all cases. But it was deemed that the potential for abuse was acceptable for the convenience of the citizens, who can now drive through the smaller countries without once halting their cars.

The reintroduction of internal controls means possible delays at the internal borders (for EU citizens and visitors alike), and increased administrative overhead for those EU citizens whose countries did not require IDs before. Internal controls don’t abolish the unified visa system, just the frequency of checks along the way.

I’ll give you an example of what these temporary checks mean.

On flights from Athens to Paris:

• you will undergo ID checks before boarding. These are undertaken by a private security company agents. They seem to be quite aggressive in terms of checks, so you can’t wave your passage through if there’s anything wrong with your paperwork. They will prevent you from boarding if they’re not happy with the ID you provide. But if your paperwork is OK you shouldn’t have any issues. If there is anything even vaguely borderline about your situation, get to your boarding area early to avoid any issue.

• you will undergo another ID check when you exit the plane. These are undertaken by the french PAF (Police aux frontières). In some situations, they come with portable terminals that allow them to scan your ID and check databases exactly like they would at a traditional passport control booth. Of course, it’ll take a bit of time (there are usually only 2 or 3 agents to check all passengers), so if you’re in a hurry, take into account the additional time (or be sure to be seated up front).

But as others have stated, those are just checks (like could actually happen nearly anywhere in the Schengen Area), and have no influence on your visa entry count.

In some other situations, you might be deplaned as a non-Schengen arrival and be sent to the regular immigration checks, though they should somehow be able to make the difference between actual non-Schengen arrivals and Schengen arrivals that are temporarily checked. Make sure you keep your boarding pass or stub just in case.

You have more chances of being faced with these temporary controls when travelling from South or Eastern Europe (especially Greece) towards North or Western Europe. I would be surprised if there were any regular immigration checks going from Brussels to Paris. Random customs checks are a different story though (mostly looking from drugs from the Netherlands).

There is no problem.

Your single-entry visa is valid for a single entry to the Schengen area. The temporary controls are checks, not actual entries and exits from the Schengen area. All the countries concerned are still in the Schengen area, and the unified visa policy and travel area still apply.

If you encounter controls, nobody will stamp you in/out of the Schengen area. They’ll just look at your passport, maybe check your visa, and send you on your way, sometimes at the jetway as you exit the plane. They’re generally looking for illegal migrants or security threats, and as a visitor with a valid tourist visa, you’re fine.

Note that the information on the EU website does not mean the checks are consistent or applied 100%. France’s “all internal borders” does not mean everyone is always checked entering France. If you are, that doesn’t count as another “entry” on your visa, and it likely won’t take a significant amount of time.

It’s not an issue. You just have to carry your passport when you’ll cross a border (which I assume you would have done anyway).

Due to the temporary internal borders, will there be immigration/passport controls at the departure airports and at the arrival airports?

You’ll most likely have to identify yourself before boarding the plane, but this has nothing to do with the internal border controls. It’s possible there will be a border check at the arrival airport, but actually unlikely.

Likewise, will there be passport controls at the train stations when leaving Brussels and arriving at Paris?

Possible, but unlikely. My passport has never been checked on that route (traveled there 3 or 4 times this past year).