The Schaanwald border crossing is the primary road checkpoint between northern Liechtenstein (Schaanwald) and Austria (Tisis/Feldkirch). Both Austria and Liechtenstein are part of the Schengen Area, which means there are generally no permanent passport controls for people crossing the border. Liechtenstein has been part of the Swiss customs union since 1924, following a treaty signed in 1923 which means that the Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) manages Liechtenstein’s border with Austria. As this is a major crossing point there were modern customs facilities.
Travellers must declare all goods carried if their total value exceeds CHF 150 or if they exceed duty-free allowances for items like alcohol and tobacco. As with most western European border crossings, there were local and national signs and in this instance markers delineating the border. We visited this point as part of the IBRG LIVCO-25 expedition. On the day of our visit the weather was awful with heavy rain, which impacted on us exploring as much as we would have liked.
The railway line through Schaanwald, operated by ÖBB, is scheduled for a full closure between Feldkirch and Buchs SG from June 14, 2026, to October 14, 2026, for engineering works, affecting cross-border travel to Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Some services will be diverted via St. Margrethen, while others will be cancelled.
Liechtenstein Control
Border markers and signs
Austrian Control
Border Maps
A moment of reflection…
After my visit, I reflected on an earlier visit I had made to Liechtenstein nearly 50 years ago. Checking an old passport I realised I had been to this control point. At that time I was 20 years old, an undergraduate, driving a German registered VW Beetle with a German girlfriend. The same world, the same place but a different life. Sadly she passed away after a short illness in 2025.
Date of Visit: 28 August 2025
Barry's Borderpoints 