Lithuanian ministry backs shorter transit time for Russian citizens

Lithuania’s Interior Ministry broadly supports shortening the time Russian citizens may spend transiting the country, LRT reported. However, it said a proposed six-hour limit should first be assessed for legal and practical feasibility.

The current maximum period set by European Union law is 24 hours. The ministry said the limit could reasonably be reviewed in light of the significantly changed security and geopolitical situation.

Conservative lawmaker Arvydas Anušauskas proposed the six-hour limit in mid-August, along with the use of automated number-plate recognition systems to monitor transit. He said the changes were needed because of an increase in transit violations.

The ministry said the six-hour period would need to be assessed against existing legislation and practical circumstances beyond the control of people travelling in transit. These include the actual travel time, chosen routes, traffic levels and congestion, the workload at border checkpoints, and other unforeseen circumstances.

Under the proposal, six hours would be the standard period for direct transit. It could be extended for objective reasons, but would not be allowed to exceed the 24-hour maximum set by EU law.

The ministry also supports discussing a review of the applicable EU regulation and coordinating Lithuania’s position with Latvia, Estonia and Poland. It warned that such a process could take time and would require agreement from other countries.

According to data from Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service, authorities recorded 96 violations of simplified transit rules in 2024, including 42 cases in which the 24-hour limit was exceeded. In 2025, there were 48 violations, 38 of them involving the time limit. During the first seven months of 2026, 16 violations were recorded, 14 of which concerned breaches of the existing time restrictions.

Anušauskas has registered amendments to the Law on the State Border and its Protection that would introduce the six-hour limit and use automated number-plate recognition to monitor compliance. He says the proposal would not conflict with EU law or unilaterally change the 24-hour maximum established by a 2003 Council regulation.

The proposed amendments include exceptions for vehicle breakdowns, traffic accidents, queues at the border, extreme weather and other objective circumstances. Anušauskas has also proposed using existing automated infrastructure to record the start and end of transit and any deviations from the route in real time.