The Lithuanian government has approved a draft law providing for additional restrictions on the acquisition of real estate by citizens of Russia and Belarus near strategically important facilities, Open4Business reports, citing data from the Lithuanian authorities.
According to a proposal by the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the restrictions should apply to real estate located near military training grounds and other facilities of importance to national security. The draft law materials refer to areas within a radius of up to 10 km from the relevant facilities.
A significant change is that the restrictions are proposed to be extended, among others, to citizens of Russia and Belarus who have a residence permit in Lithuania.
Currently, the country already restricts the right to acquire real estate for Russian citizens who do not have a temporary or permanent residence permit, as well as for legal entities whose beneficial owners are Russian citizens. An exception is provided for receiving real estate through inheritance.
The new draft law should expand the existing restrictions. Similar rules are proposed to be established for citizens of Belarus and legal entities associated with them, while Russians and Belarusians with a residence permit would additionally be restricted from acquiring real estate near facilities important to national security.
The Lithuanian authorities explain the initiative by the risks of hybrid threats, intelligence activities and possible surveillance of strategic infrastructure and military facilities.
The problem is of a fairly significant scale. According to data from Lithuania’s Centre of Registers published in February 2026, Russian citizens owned about 8.7 thousand real estate properties in which they controlled at least 50% of the ownership. Belarusian citizens owned another approximately 4 thousand properties.
Thus, taken together, citizens of the two countries own approximately 12.7 thousand real estate properties in Lithuania.
The highest concentration of such property is in major cities and their suburbs, as well as in border municipalities, including Visaginas and Šalčininkai.
The authorities are paying particular attention to real estate near strategic infrastructure. According to data cited by Lithuanian media with reference to the Centre of Registers, after the start of the full-scale war, 1,845 Russian citizens acquired real estate near airports, as well as within 10 km of military training grounds and power plants, of whom 364 had temporary residence permits.
At the same time, this does not mean a complete closure of the Lithuanian real estate market to all citizens of Russia and Belarus. The new additional restrictions are primarily tied to territories near facilities of interest to national security.
The draft law still has to be considered by the Seimas of Lithuania. If finally approved, the new rules are planned to apply from January 1, 2027.
