Lithuania reintroduces one-time fee for niches in municipal columbariums

The Lithuanian parliament has reinstated a one-time fee for allocating niches in columbariums built with municipal funds, reversing a 2022 decision that had abolished the charge, LRT reports.

Supporters of the amendment argue the fee will encourage municipalities to expand columbarium facilities, which have stalled due to lack of funding. Democrat MP Domas Griškevičius stated that several municipalities currently lack the financial means to construct new columbariums, despite demand. “To this day, some municipalities simply cannot afford to do this because it costs money,” he said.

Fellow Democrat Tomas Tomilinas acknowledged the fee was not ideal but necessary. “I’d prefer everything in Lithuania to be free, but the reality is that people no longer have this service at all. Columbariums are no longer being built. When faced with choosing between a symbolic fee—even just one euro—or no service, I choose the service,” he argued.

Under the new rules, municipalities will set the fee amount locally. The change will take effect in July if signed by President Gitanas Nausėda.

Opponents, including Social Democrat Saulius Luščikas, condemned the fee as a “tax on the deceased,” warning it could make burials a privilege for the wealthy. “Let’s not introduce new taxes for the dead. Funerals should not become an exclusive right of the rich,” he urged before the vote. Luščikas argued the state should support grieving families rather than impose additional costs, noting most columbariums were already funded by taxpayers.

Conservative MP Jurgis Razma dismissed municipal claims of financial constraints, stating that columbarium construction requires relatively modest funds. He framed the debate as ensuring equal access to burial options, whether in traditional graves or columbariums.

Farmer Party MP Valius Ąžuolas called the fee a “cynical” move by municipalities, pointing to unused budgets—such as Akmenė District’s 10 million euros in unspent funds last year—as evidence that funding exists. “All Lithuanian municipalities combined had 600 million euros in unused funds. Are we to believe they can’t allocate a few hundred thousand for a columbarium?” he asked.

Current law guarantees perpetual use of traditional grave plots in cemeteries, but columbarium niches had been allocated free of charge since 2022.