The Polish foreign ministry confirmed on Monday, 2 March 2026, that it will not be sending military aircraft to extract Polish nationals caught up in the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel, the United States and Iran. Instead, officials in Warsaw have activated a dedicated helpline – +48 22 523 88 80 – that will operate every day from 08:00 to 22:00 CET and will supplement the 24-hour emergency numbers already run by individual Polish embassies in the region.
The decision follows Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s 19 February appeal urging all Poles to leave Iran and neighbouring states while commercial flights were still available. That window has now effectively closed: civilian airspace across much of the Gulf has been restricted since 28 February, forcing LOT and several European and Gulf carriers to cancel or re-route services. With no safe air corridor, Warsaw judged that dispatching military aircraft would expose crews and passengers to unacceptable risk and could be construed as direct involvement in hostilities.
Instead, the foreign ministry is focusing on consular assistance and information management. Travellers have been reminded to register their whereabouts in the government’s Odyseusz system so that they can receive real-time SMS alerts and so that consular staff can account for them in an emergency. The ministry has also issued detailed guidance on shelter-in-place procedures, documentation requirements and the limited commercial options that still remain via Amman and Cairo.
![Poland sets up 24-hour helpline for nationals stranded in Middle East as evacuation ruled out]()
Travellers who can still exit through third-country hubs such as Amman or Cairo may find it helpful to engage a specialist visa facilitator. VisaHQ, through its Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/), provides up-to-date information on changing entry rules and can arrange expedited transit or emergency visas—support that can prove invaluable when a scarce commercial seat becomes available at short notice.
For global mobility managers the message is clear: corporate travellers and expatriate assignees should not expect a state-organised air-bridge. Companies are being advised to audit their duty-of-care protocols, track the location of Polish employees in the wider Middle East, and ensure that they have independent security‐evacuation contracts in place. Employers whose staff ignore the official advice to leave while commercial routes are still open may face higher insurance premiums and potential liability if the situation deteriorates further.
Although the helpline is primarily aimed at Polish citizens, the ministry confirmed that it will also field calls from foreign spouses and dependants holding Polish residence permits. Multinational firms with mixed-nationality teams should therefore cascade the number to all eligible staff and include it in their emergency-contact cards.
The decision follows Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s 19 February appeal urging all Poles to leave Iran and neighbouring states while commercial flights were still available. That window has now effectively closed: civilian airspace across much of the Gulf has been restricted since 28 February, forcing LOT and several European and Gulf carriers to cancel or re-route services. With no safe air corridor, Warsaw judged that dispatching military aircraft would expose crews and passengers to unacceptable risk and could be construed as direct involvement in hostilities.
Instead, the foreign ministry is focusing on consular assistance and information management. Travellers have been reminded to register their whereabouts in the government’s Odyseusz system so that they can receive real-time SMS alerts and so that consular staff can account for them in an emergency. The ministry has also issued detailed guidance on shelter-in-place procedures, documentation requirements and the limited commercial options that still remain via Amman and Cairo.
Travellers who can still exit through third-country hubs such as Amman or Cairo may find it helpful to engage a specialist visa facilitator. VisaHQ, through its Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/), provides up-to-date information on changing entry rules and can arrange expedited transit or emergency visas—support that can prove invaluable when a scarce commercial seat becomes available at short notice.
For global mobility managers the message is clear: corporate travellers and expatriate assignees should not expect a state-organised air-bridge. Companies are being advised to audit their duty-of-care protocols, track the location of Polish employees in the wider Middle East, and ensure that they have independent security‐evacuation contracts in place. Employers whose staff ignore the official advice to leave while commercial routes are still open may face higher insurance premiums and potential liability if the situation deteriorates further.
Although the helpline is primarily aimed at Polish citizens, the ministry confirmed that it will also field calls from foreign spouses and dependants holding Polish residence permits. Multinational firms with mixed-nationality teams should therefore cascade the number to all eligible staff and include it in their emergency-contact cards.
