Seimas supplements restrictive measures to ensure the national security interests

Press release, 25 April 2024  

The Seimas approved the tightened Law on Imposing Restrictive Measures Regarding the Military Aggression Ukraine and expanded the draft law with additional proposals.

In view of the intelligence from the Lithuanian special services on increased activity of the Belarusian special services, including the engagement of Belarusian nationals, the Law provides for certain additional measures regarding the passage of Belarusian nationals to Lithuania across the European Union border.

At Lithuanian visa services abroad, applications for Schengen visas by citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus will be suspended, except for the cases where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania facilitates the submission of a visa application.

Applications by Russian citizens for a temporary residence permit in Lithuania through an external service provider abroad and in Lithuania shall be suspended, with the exception of Russian citizens holding a valid Schengen visa, national visa, or residence permit issued by the Lithuanian Visa Service in Lithuania or abroad, or a residence permit issued by another Member State of the European Union.

When crossing the border, Belarusian nationals will be subject to an additional risk assessment due to the threat posed by their entry and, if necessary, to a more thorough check.

The Law was supplemented by a proposal to ban the import into Lithuania of agricultural products and animal feed originating in Russia and/or Belarus from 3 June 2024. If the amendment is adopted the lists of prohibited agricultural products and animal feed will be approved by the Government.

In the interests of legal clarity and more effective implementation of the restrictive measures, Article 3(6) of the current Law concerning the prohibition on the acquisition of real estate by Russian nationals has been clarified by the new amendments. Upon the entry into force of the amendments, the right to acquire immovable property in the territory of Lithuania by way of ownership shall be suspended for Russian citizens without a temporary or permanent residence permit in Lithuania and legal persons whose beneficiaries, as defined in Article 2(14) of the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, are citizens of Russia. This restrictive measure will not apply to Russian citizens who acquire the right of ownership of real estate by inheritance.

Amendments to the Law on Imposing Restrictive Measures Regarding the Military Aggression Against Ukraine (No. XIV-2581) were approved by 109 MPs, with 2 votes against and 8 abstentions. The Law, with the exception of the provisions on imports of agricultural products and animal feed, shall enter into force on 3 May 2024.

In response to the military aggression in Ukraine and in order to protect Lithuania’s national security and foreign policy interests, the Seimas approved the Law on Imposing Restrictive Measures Regarding the Military Aggression Against Ukraine on 20 April 2023. The Law defines the content of the restrictive measures, the entities subject to the restrictive measures and the criteria defining them, the period of application of the restrictive measures, their review, exceptions to the implementation of the restrictive measures, and other provisions. 

The adopted legislation was intended to be valid for one year, from 3 May 2023 to 2 May 2024.

Press Office, Information and Communication Department, e-mail: [email protected]