Restrictive measures extended for one year as the military aggression against Ukraine continues

Press release, 17 April 2025 (News ● Photos ● Broadcasts and videos)

The Seimas adopted amendments to the Law on Imposing Restrictive Measures Regarding the Military Aggression Against Ukraine, extending the national sanctions currently imposed on Russian and Belarusian nationals until 2 May 2026.

While the Seimas decided against new tighter restrictions for Belarusian nationals, additional restrictions for Russian nationals will enter into force on 3 May 2025. The amendments (draft No XVP-112) were adopted by 115 votes in favour and 1 abstention. 

The amended Law now includes a provision stating that a temporary residence permit in Lithuania issued to a Russian national will be withdrawn if it is established that he/she has travelled to Russia or Belarus more than once over the past 3 months. This will not apply if the travel to the aforementioned countries was for objective reasons outside the control of the Russian national, or if the Russian national is a crew member employed in a company engaged in international carriage of goods and passengers, or engaged in international carriage of goods and passengers to/from EU Member States or in transit through Lithuania.

During the presentation of the draft, Kęstutis Budrys, Minister of Foreign Affairs, pointed out that the reasons for the adoption of the Law were still at play. ‘In the context of existing threats, the following measures are necessary and appropriate, and are to be applied only in response to the existing threats,’ the authors of the draft state in the explanatory notes.

The Law on Imposing Restrictive Measures Regarding the Military Aggression Against Ukraine suspends the acceptance of Schengen visa applications from Russian and Belarusian nationals, except where this is mediated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. The acceptance of applications of Russian nationals for the issue of temporary residence permits in the Republic of Lithuania is also suspended, unless they hold a valid Schengen or national visa, or a residence permit in Lithuania, or a residence permit issued by another EU Member State.

Russian nationals crossing the external border of the EU into the territory of Lithuania are subject to additional detailed individual screening for any threat their entry may pose to Lithuania’s national security, public order, public policy, domestic security, public health or international relations. In cases of Belarusian nationals crossing the EU external border into the territory of Lithuania, an additional risk assessment is carried out of a potential threat their entry may pose to the public order, domestic security, public health or international relations of any country in the Schengen area, followed by a decision on the second line check provided for in the Schengen Borders Code.

The Seimas has already imposed a ban on imports of agricultural products and animal feed of Russian and Belarusian origin into Lithuania. Furthermore, Russians with no residence permits in Lithuania are prohibited from purchasing real estate in the country.

These restrictive measures regarding the aggression against Ukraine were imposed on 3 May 2023.

Rimas Rudaitis, Adviser to the Press Office, Information and Communication Department, Tel. +370 5 209 6132, e-mail: [email protected]