The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issued an upgraded travel advisory on December 24, 2025, placing Poland on the list of countries where British nationals should exercise increased caution. The notice highlights the December 23 Russian missile strikes on western Ukraine and the resulting scramble of Polish and allied fighter jets to protect Polish airspace. While the FCDO stops short of advising against travel to Poland as a whole, it urges travellers to avoid non-essential trips within 20 km of the Ukrainian and Belarusian borders, monitor local media, carry identification at all times and be prepared for possible spot checks and temporary road closures.
Background: Poland has been a frontline state in supporting Ukraine since the 2022 invasion and routinely elevates its air-defence posture when Russian missiles approach its frontier. Tuesday’s alert saw Warsaw place radar and SAM batteries on high readiness and temporarily restrict flight corridors in the country’s south-east. British, EU and U.S. carriers continued to operate, but the Civil Aviation Authority warned that short-notice re-routing could lengthen flight times.
![UK Updates Travel Advisory for Poland, Citing Russian Strikes Near Border]()
Business-mobility impact: • Corporate travel managers should re-validate duty-of-care protocols for assignees posted in Lublin, Rzeszów and other eastern hubs. • Companies operating commuter shuttles between Polish and Ukrainian plants must build in extra buffer time at border crossings and carry contingency fuel. • Employees travelling on U.K. passports should register with the FCDO’s LOCATE service and download the Polish government’s SMS alert app (ALERT RCB) to receive air-raid and civil-protection warnings in English.
For travellers trying to confirm whether they need a visa or simply want to double-check document validity before departure, VisaHQ’s dedicated Poland page (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) provides fast, up-to-date guidance and application support—helping both tourists and business guests streamline their paperwork so they can focus on staying safe and productive once on the ground.
Practical advice: Travellers arriving at Warsaw-Chopin or Kraków-Balice should allow additional time for possible ID inspections, and those planning road trips to the Bieszczady or Podlasie regions are advised to keep vehicle tanks at least half-full and carry reflective vests and paper maps in case GPS is disrupted.
Background: Poland has been a frontline state in supporting Ukraine since the 2022 invasion and routinely elevates its air-defence posture when Russian missiles approach its frontier. Tuesday’s alert saw Warsaw place radar and SAM batteries on high readiness and temporarily restrict flight corridors in the country’s south-east. British, EU and U.S. carriers continued to operate, but the Civil Aviation Authority warned that short-notice re-routing could lengthen flight times.
Business-mobility impact: • Corporate travel managers should re-validate duty-of-care protocols for assignees posted in Lublin, Rzeszów and other eastern hubs. • Companies operating commuter shuttles between Polish and Ukrainian plants must build in extra buffer time at border crossings and carry contingency fuel. • Employees travelling on U.K. passports should register with the FCDO’s LOCATE service and download the Polish government’s SMS alert app (ALERT RCB) to receive air-raid and civil-protection warnings in English.
For travellers trying to confirm whether they need a visa or simply want to double-check document validity before departure, VisaHQ’s dedicated Poland page (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) provides fast, up-to-date guidance and application support—helping both tourists and business guests streamline their paperwork so they can focus on staying safe and productive once on the ground.
Practical advice: Travellers arriving at Warsaw-Chopin or Kraków-Balice should allow additional time for possible ID inspections, and those planning road trips to the Bieszczady or Podlasie regions are advised to keep vehicle tanks at least half-full and carry reflective vests and paper maps in case GPS is disrupted.
