19-09-2022
Russian citizens travelling to the European Union via Lithuania will be subject to stricter controls
Starting Monday from the 19th of September, Russian citizens entering Lithuania through the EU's external border will be subject to stricter controls.
In view of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine and the resulting threats to national security, Lithuania, together with Latvia, Estonia and Poland, has decided to tighten controls on the entry of Russian citizens.
During such checks, when deciding on the admission of Russian citizens to Lithuania, State Border Guard fficers will have to make sure that the travellers meet the criteria approved by the Government and do not pose a threat to Lithuania's national security, public order, public policy, internal security, public health or international relations, as provided for by the Schengen Borders Code.
The Government has established that Russian citizens will be admitted to Lithuania through the external border without the application of enhanced screening for humanitarian reasons if they are members of crews carrying out international transportortation, diplomats in transit through Lithuania, persons holding a residence permit issued by an EU Member State, a long-stay Schengen national visa or a simplified transit document, as well as those who are members of the families of EU citizens.
This year, until mid-September, border guards prevented 861 Russian citizens from entering Lithuania via the EU's external border for various reasons.