Internationalization of higher education (IHE) has become one of the most prominent strategies in national policies and universities’ agendas during the past three decades. IHE provides numerous benefits to nations, institutions, and higher education stakeholders and plays a vital role in improving the quality of education and research. However, it is difficult to argue that all countries equally benefit from IHE; that is, power inequalities between countries in the world are reflected in universities’ efforts and outcomes regarding internationalization. To analyse the effects of national boundaries on IHE, this article presents qualitative research conducted in two European countries: Poland and Turkey. Thirty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with international office professionals. The results revealed that IHE in Poland and Turkey, as examples of peripheral countries in terms of IHE, is restricted by political instability, economic impotency and socio-cultural legacies. These factors lead to a nation-bounded internationalization experience for higher education institutions and individual stakeholders in both countries. The results also revealed some differences between the two countries and it is argued that decentralized internationalization strategies designed based on nations’ unique characteristics are needed to drive the progressive values of IHE forward.