Both countries are separated by the Baltic Sea and have had a very long historical contact and extensive history marked by periods of alliance and cooperation, as well as several conflicts.

[1] Initially often allies since the Middle Ages, relations turned into an intense rivalry for dominance in the Baltic Sea region and Northern and Central Europe with a series of wars in the early modern period, with rather sporadic rapprochements between wars.

After the war, both re-established relations and Sweden has become the largest economic contributor for Poland among the Nordic countries.

After 1000, the local tradition of making earthenware in southern Sweden was discontinued, and was taken over by Slavic immigrants from Pomerania in Poland.

Poland and Sweden were enemies in the Northern Seven Years' War since 1563, however, following a rapprochement a Polish-Swedish alliance was formed in 1568.

[8] In the 1570s, Poland and Sweden were in talks to form an alliance against expansionist Russia, however, the Swedish-controlled Duchy of Estonia (modern northern Estonia) with the city of Tallinn was also disputed by Poland, as a territory incorporated to Lithuania, thus the Polish–Lithuanian union, per the Treaty of Vilnius in 1561.

[9] Sweden refused to cede Tallinn to Poland, which offered financial compensation, and did not recognize the region's incorporation into Lithuania in 1561.

[13] The successful Polish defense of Jasna Góra against several times more numerous Swedish forces grew to become a symbol of resistance in Poland.

[17] In the 18th century, the partitions of Poland awoke Swedish fear of suffering a similar fate at the hands of Russia, but after the Russo-Swedish war ended in 1790, successful Swedish diplomatic missions prevented such an outcome, however, Sweden, similarly to Poland, lost large territories in the east to Russia in 1721 and 1809.

[18] During the Polish January Uprising of 1863–1864, various Swedish newspapers sympathized with the Poles, with some stating that Russia was a common enemy of Sweden and Poland.

[19] On March 2, 1863, a pro-Polish rally was organized in Stockholm, attended by a number of Swedish parliamentarians, and funds were collected for arms for the Polish insurgents.

[24] In the spring of 1863, armed Polish volunteers from Western Europe assisted by foreigners of various nationalities attempted to reach partitioned Poland by sea via Sweden.

This Lapinski expedition stopped on the island of Öland and in Malmö, where it was met with sympathy of the local Swedes.

[26] A notable advocate of close Polish-Swedish cooperation and alliance was Wawrzyniec Benzelstjerna Engeström, Polish poet and activist of partial Swedish ancestry.

On 22 July 2022, Polish President Andrzej Duda signed and approved the proposals for Finland and Sweden to apply to join NATO.