Allgemeines
The German Federal Police are carrying out border controls throughout Germany by order of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
There are passport inspections on all international ICE, EC, ECE, IC, RJ, TGV and NJ trains operated by Deutsche Bahn when they enter Germany.
How this will affect your journey
Deutsche Bahn and the German Federal Police are working together closely to minimise the impact of border controls on our passengers.
- On most international long-distance services, passport inspections can be conducted while the train is moving between two stops at the border crossing. The Federal Police and DB have agreed on this. The inspections are carried out during the journey and do not affect train operations.
- At the border stations in Frankfurt (Oder) and Kehl, the passport inspections are currently being carried out at the station when the trains stop there. This can lead to delays of between 5 and 15 minutes approximately.
- On nighttime services, border controls are always carried out while the train stops at the nearest border station. These passport inspection times are already accounted for in the timetable.
Tips for passengers
Please follow the instructions of the Federal Police so that the inspections can be carried out quickly:
- Have your passport or identity card ready as soon as you have boarded your train for Germany. Show it to the Federal Police when instructed to do so.
- Stay on the train while the passport inspections are taking place.
- When planning your journey, be aware that these inspections may lead to delays.
You will find up-to-date information on the border controls you can expect to experience in the journey information on bahn.de and in DB Navigator.