In Lithuania, there are plans to limit the ability of Russian citizens and holders of residence permits in the country to purchase real estate near strategic facilities, as reported by LRT.
This initiative has been put forward by opposition conservatives in the Seimas. The leader of the "Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats" party faction, Mindaugas Linge, stated that the draft law on additional restrictive measures includes a ban on property purchases specifically for Russians.
He clarified that the only exception would be obtaining special permission from the authorized state body. This permission would be required if a Russian citizen wants to purchase property near strategically important facilities. According to Linge, the same institution currently responsible for checking legal entities could conduct the checks on these individuals. However, the final decision on choosing the responsible authority should be made by the government.
Linge also noted that during the consideration of the draft law, the restrictions could be extended to Chinese citizens. In the future, the restrictions may also affect other foreigners if Lithuania develops institutional capabilities to check potential real estate buyers, regardless of their citizenship. According to the politician, the initiative is based on the Finnish model: Russians will only be able to purchase property if they have a residence permit and special permission.
He emphasized that the new restrictions will not apply to real estate already purchased, as the volume of such purchases is not large-scale. Currently, the Law on Restrictive Measures prohibits Russians from acquiring real estate in Lithuania, but this restriction does not apply to those with permanent or temporary residence permits. Moreover, according to Linge, real estate transactions by such individuals do not undergo checks by the State Security Department because there is no such requirement in the law, and checks are not carried out even at the institution's initiative.
According to the Registry Center, since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Russians with residence permits in Lithuania have acquired 3,038 properties in the country, while Belarusian citizens have purchased 1,963 properties. Linge emphasized that regulation for Belarusians should differ from the restrictions for Russians, as Belarusians, in his view, do not justify or support aggression against Ukraine and therefore should retain the ability to legally enter Lithuania for work.
The Law on Restrictive Measures was passed in Lithuania in 2023. It aims to demonstrate support for Ukraine and impose restrictions on citizens of aggressor countries – Russia and Belarus. In mid-April, the Seimas extended the sanctions against these citizens for another year – until May 2, 2026. The parliament also considered proposals for additional tightening of the rules, including rejecting applications for residence permits from Belarusians without visas. However, most of these measures were rejected.
