Lithuania to strip residence permits of Russian, Belarusian citizens who frequently travel back home

Russian and Belarusian citizens who reside in Lithuania will have their residence permits revoked if they travel to Russia or Belarus more than once within a three month period, Lithuanian media outlet LRT reported on May 3.

According to the country's Interior Ministry, a total of 14,652 Russian citizens hold a valid residence permits in Lithuania.

As of May 3, citizens travelling back to Russia and Belarus must have documented a valid reason for additional trips within the three month timeframe. Exceptions also apply for employees engaged in international freight and passenger transport.

Lithuania's parliament first adopted measures on restricting residence permits on Russian citizens shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Viewed as one of the most likely targets for a future Russian attack on NATO or the European Union, Lithuania has grown increasingly concerned around Russian aggression, sabotage efforts, as well as domestic interference by Russian citizens.

Lithuania borders both Belarus and Russia, including a 227-kilometer stretch along Kaliningrad, a heavily militarized exclave wedged between Lithuania and Poland.

On April 18, Politico reported that Lithuania will upgrade and fortify a second route through the Suwałki Gap, a strategically critical stretch of land along the Polish border, in response to threats from Russia.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Lithuania has been one of Ukraine's most vocal backers.

The Baltic state ranks among Europe's top defense spenders, allocating 2.85% of GDP to defense in 2024, according to NATO estimates. Vilnius plans to increase that figure to between 5% and 6% from 2026 to 2030.