Lithuania intends to ban property purchases for Belarusian citizens
Lithuania is once again discussing stricter rules for real estate purchases by Belarusian citizens. The parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs has supported an appeal to the government requesting the preparation of relevant amendments, LRT reports. A similar ban was previously introduced for Russian citizens who do not hold Lithuanian residence permits.
Restrictions on transactions without Lithuanian permanent residence
The initiative was put forward by conservatives and approved by the Seimas on Wednesday, April 22. The parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs intends to ask the government to restrict real estate transactions for Belarusian citizens. The Cabinet of Ministers has been tasked with preparing the relevant draft legislation by October 1.
The proposed amendments may include a requirement to hold permanent residence in Lithuania in order to purchase property. Another option under consideration is a ban on owning properties near strategically important infrastructure. The Seimas cannot introduce such measures independently — legislative initiative in this area belongs to the government under the law on international sanctions.
Real estate purchases in Lithuania: Russians and Belarusians
Property purchases are already prohibited for Russian citizens without Lithuanian residence permits. The restrictive law has been in force since 2023 and is linked to sanctions imposed due to the war in Ukraine. The Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) had previously proposed banning transactions for citizens of these countries even for holders of Lithuanian residence permits.
As of early February 2026, 45,877 Belarusians and 5,069 Russians held Lithuanian residence permits. Between 2022 and 2024, Russian citizens acquired 2,814 properties in the country. Of these, 1,845 were located within 10 kilometers of critical infrastructure sites. In 364 cases, buyers held Lithuanian residence permits.
Belarusian citizens carried out 1,834 real estate transactions over the same period. More than half (1,152) were located near potentially sensitive zones. In 556 transactions, buyers also held residence permits.
New measures against Belarusian and Russian citizens
The Lithuanian parliament has already approved a law suspending the issuance of visas for Russians and Belarusians, except in cases where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs acts as an intermediary. Rules for issuing residence permits to Russian citizens are also being tightened if they do not hold a valid visa or residence permit in another EU country.
Lithuanian residence permits may be revoked if, within the past three months, a foreigner has visited Russia or Belarus more than once. Exceptions are made for transport workers and individuals who traveled for reasons beyond their control. Some Russian citizens have already lost their residence permits due to trips back home.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė stated that the country does not intend to seek closer ties with Belarus. She emphasized that even in the event of normalization, a return to previous levels of friendly relations between the countries is not expected, while expressing openness to dialogue if Minsk demonstrates goodwill.
Conservative MP Audronius Ažubalis believes that the approach toward citizens of both countries should be reassessed in light of the current geopolitical situation. He argues that risks to Lithuania require a more unified strategy.
Conclusion
Analysts at International Investment note that a clear regional trend toward stricter control of real estate transactions for foreign citizens has emerged. Finland and Latvia have already introduced tighter regulations, while Estonia is considering additional restrictions. The expansion of such measures across Northern and Eastern Europe continues, and under the current geopolitical conditions, no easing of regulations is expected.
For investors from Belarus and Russia, the Baltic states, Finland, and Poland have for several years remained high-risk jurisdictions for real estate investment and business activity. In this context, alternative jurisdictions with more predictable rules and stable investment policies are increasingly being considered.