Poland’s foreign ministry moved quickly on 2 March to reassure thousands of Polish nationals stranded across the Middle East after the weekend’s dramatic US-Israeli strikes on Iran. In a televised briefing, spokesman Maciej Wewiór confirmed that Warsaw had **no plans to dispatch military aircraft for a mass evacuation**, arguing that flying into an active war zone would expose crews and passengers to unacceptable danger. Instead, consular teams are working around the clock to broker over-land transfers to Egypt and to secure seats on the handful of commercial services that are still operating.
![Poland sets up crisis helpline but rules out evacuation flights from Middle East]()
At moments like this, travelers often discover that their visas or transit permits for fallback routings—through Athens, Istanbul, or Cairo—are suddenly critical. VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) can expedite the paperwork, advise on entry requirements that change daily, and arrange courier collection of passports, giving companies one less variable to worry about when seats finally open up.
To keep pace with the fast-moving situation, the ministry activated an extra telephone hotline (+48 22 523 88 80) that operates 08:00-22:00 each day and urged citizens to register their whereabouts in the online “Odyseusz” tracker. The hotline complements 24-hour emergency numbers run by embassies in Israel, the Gulf and Jordan. Officials say that more than 200 tourists have already crossed from Israel into Egypt, while tour operators have been told to halt new departures to the region until further notice. From a business-mobility perspective, the announcement offers both clarity and a warning. Employers with assignees in the Gulf now know that **repatriation will depend on commercial lift**, so travel managers must monitor seat availability on partner airlines and check insurance cover for staff who choose to stay. Companies are also being reminded that failure to follow official travel advice may expose them to litigation if an employee is harmed. The ministry’s stance mirrors moves by other EU states, but the Polish decision is particularly significant given the country’s large diaspora in the United Arab Emirates (over 10,000 registered Poles) and its role as a hub for Polish firms operating in Africa and Asia. In the short term, expect higher ticket prices on the few routes that bypass Iranian airspace and longer transit times for cargo headed to or from Poland via the Gulf. For mobility managers, the practical priorities are clear: verify that all travellers have created an Odyseusz profile, refresh crisis-management playbooks, and brief employees on alternative routings through Istanbul, Athens or Rome should the Gulf hubs remain closed.
At moments like this, travelers often discover that their visas or transit permits for fallback routings—through Athens, Istanbul, or Cairo—are suddenly critical. VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) can expedite the paperwork, advise on entry requirements that change daily, and arrange courier collection of passports, giving companies one less variable to worry about when seats finally open up.
To keep pace with the fast-moving situation, the ministry activated an extra telephone hotline (+48 22 523 88 80) that operates 08:00-22:00 each day and urged citizens to register their whereabouts in the online “Odyseusz” tracker. The hotline complements 24-hour emergency numbers run by embassies in Israel, the Gulf and Jordan. Officials say that more than 200 tourists have already crossed from Israel into Egypt, while tour operators have been told to halt new departures to the region until further notice. From a business-mobility perspective, the announcement offers both clarity and a warning. Employers with assignees in the Gulf now know that **repatriation will depend on commercial lift**, so travel managers must monitor seat availability on partner airlines and check insurance cover for staff who choose to stay. Companies are also being reminded that failure to follow official travel advice may expose them to litigation if an employee is harmed. The ministry’s stance mirrors moves by other EU states, but the Polish decision is particularly significant given the country’s large diaspora in the United Arab Emirates (over 10,000 registered Poles) and its role as a hub for Polish firms operating in Africa and Asia. In the short term, expect higher ticket prices on the few routes that bypass Iranian airspace and longer transit times for cargo headed to or from Poland via the Gulf. For mobility managers, the practical priorities are clear: verify that all travellers have created an Odyseusz profile, refresh crisis-management playbooks, and brief employees on alternative routings through Istanbul, Athens or Rome should the Gulf hubs remain closed.
