Sweden reintroduces border checks from 12 November for six months, citing hybrid threats

The decision

Sweden's government announced on Thursday, 5 November 2026, that it will reintroduce checks at its internal borders for six months. The controls start on 12 November 2026 and run until 11 May 2027. The decision rests on an assessment that a serious threat to public order and internal security exists. The checks will apply at land, air and sea crossings, and the government has notified the European Commission of the measure. Officials framed the step as a response to risks that have grown since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Hybrid threats in focus

The government's assessment rests mainly on the security situation created by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That situation has produced hybrid threats and the presence and actions of hostile actors inside the Schengen area, the zone where people can move freely across borders. Hybrid threats can include cyberattacks, sabotage against essential infrastructure, disinformation campaigns and other actions meant to destabilise institutions and society without amounting to a conventional military conflict. Sweden's stated aim is to gain a clearer picture of who enters the country and who might pose a threat. The government's assessment therefore links the border measure directly to activity by foreign actors rather than to a single incident.

Baltic Sea infrastructure

Sweden has repeatedly drawn attention to the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region. In recent years, several incidents involving damaged submarine communications and energy transport cables have pushed states in the region to deepen their security cooperation. In November 2024, the defence ministers of Sweden and Lithuania condemned the damage to a submarine communications cable linking the two countries. Officials at the time connected that incident to the growing threat from Russia and the rising level of hybrid activity in Europe. Both governments stressed that protecting critical infrastructure is essential for the security and resilience of European societies.

Earlier border controls

This is not the first time Sweden has turned to such measures. Border controls were reintroduced periodically in recent years, first in connection with the 2015 migration crisis, then during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the fight against organised crime. The government notes that other European countries have taken similar steps, naming France, Germany, Norway and Denmark. Denmark, Germany, France and Norway have all previously reintroduced their own border controls, according to the government's press release.

Practical effect for travellers

Swedish border police will carry out the checks and decide on the exact locations and methods, according to RMF24. In practice, that means more document checks at border crossings, ports, airports and rail routes linking Sweden with neighbouring countries. Delays could be most noticeable on the rail link between Copenhagen and Malmö, where earlier checks already lengthened journeys, according to RMF24. The notified period covers 12 November 2026 to 11 May 2027, and the government has framed the measure as temporary.