Lithuanian parliament rejects six-hour limit on Russian transit

Lithuania’s parliament on Tuesday rejected a proposal to cut the maximum transit time for Russian citizens travelling through the country from 24 hours to six, LRT reported.

The amendments, proposed by conservative lawmaker Arvydas Anušauskas, received 34 votes in favour, 13 against and 25 abstentions. Anušauskas said the number of Russian citizens travelling through Lithuania by car had fallen, but around 10,000 vehicles still crossed the country’s borders, with some drivers exceeding the permitted time in Lithuania.

Under the current EU regulation, the maximum transit period is 24 hours. Remigijus Motuzas, chair of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, said tighter controls were needed given the geopolitical situation, but Lithuania could not change the EU rules through national legislation. He said discussions with the European Commission about changing the regulation were under way.

A presidential national security adviser, Marius Česnulevičius, has also supported tightening transit rules for Russian citizens. Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service said nearly 13,000 cars with Russian registration plates travelled through the country using simplified transit documents last year. Reported violations rose from 360 in 2024 to 1,493 in 2025.