Poland and Vietnam weigh easier visas and new Warsaw–Hanoi flights

Poland and Vietnam have raised their bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership during a visit by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to Vietnam. Visa rules and travel links were among the topics discussed by the two leaders, alongside defence, security and trade.

Key facts

• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk held talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung during a visit to Vietnam that began on Friday.
• Vietnam said it would consider introducing visa-free travel for Polish citizens.
• The two sides discussed further easing of visa requirements for Polish travellers and business visa arrangements for Vietnamese citizens travelling to Poland.
• LOT Polish Airlines is preparing direct flights between Warsaw and Hanoi, scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2027.
• An education agreement will raise mutual scholarships from 20 to 50, and a tourism agreement sets a framework for cooperation between travel organisations and agencies in both countries.

What is changing for travellers?

Nothing has changed yet in visa rules. Tusk said he had discussed further easing of visa requirements for Polish citizens, after Vietnam had lifted visa requirements for Polish tourists a year earlier. Hung said Vietnam would consider introducing visa-free travel for Polish citizens, but no start date, duration of stay or other details were announced.

On the other side, Hung welcomed discussions on business visa arrangements for Vietnamese citizens travelling to Poland. Again, no timetable or application details were given.

What travel links are planned?

LOT Polish Airlines is preparing to launch direct flights between Warsaw and Hanoi, with services scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The two delegations also signed a tourism agreement establishing a framework for collaboration between organisations and travel agencies in both countries.

A separate agreement on educational cooperation will increase the number of mutual scholarships from 20 to 50, open to both Polish and Vietnamese students and researchers.

What this means for travellers

Polish travellers to Vietnam can already enter without a visa, following the removal of visa requirements for Polish tourists a year ago; any further easing would depend on a decision by Vietnam, which has not yet been taken. Vietnamese citizens planning business travel to Poland should watch for news on the business visa arrangements under discussion.

Travellers considering the new route can look out for the launch of LOT Polish Airlines services between Warsaw and Hanoi in the first quarter of 2027. No firm dates or schedules have been announced.

The visit was the first by a Polish prime minister to Vietnam in 16 years and followed Tusk's trip to India. Talks also covered defence, cybersecurity and wider economic cooperation, and no further decisions on travel rules were announced.