From this point forward, entry into Lithuania is only permitted with a passport featuring biometric data.
Starting June 1, 2025, Lithuania will mandate biometric passports for Russian citizens seeking entry. Those who hold 5-year passports with a residence permit in EU, Schengen, or European Economic Area countries will have until December 1 to secure new 10-year passports, compliant with the new rule. The stipulation does not apply to Russian citizens traveling to Kaliningrad via Lithuania by train.
The rationale behind this change pertains to the increased security offered by biometric passports. They contain advanced identification features, making them harder to forge and ensuring reliable identification. Several European nations, such as Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, France, and the Czech Republic, have already ceased recognizing 5-year passports for similar reasons and due to geopolitical tensions with Russia, particularly in light of the conflict in Ukraine.
While the biometric passport requirement does not explicitly target travel to Kaliningrad, some believe it may serve to create obstacles for those traveling by car. Lithuania, however, cannot abolish simplified transit documents, so it is attempting to create obstacles through various means.
Russian citizens traveling by rail from Lithuania to Kaliningrad will not be affected by the new passport requirements, ensuring continuous travel between the two regions. The new laws may, however, create complications for travelers who do not have biometric passports, potentially impacting local economies and diplomatic relations between Russia and European countries.
- The new biometric passport requirement in Lithuania, driven by increased security concerns and geopolitical tensions with Russia, might create complexities for those traveling without biometric passports, which could potentially affect local economies and diplomatic relations.
- Similar to other European nations, such as Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, France, and the Czech Republic, Lithuania has ceased recognizing 5-year passports due to the advance identification features of biometric passports and escalating political tensions with Russia.
- Despite the new biometric passport requirements for entering Lithuania from Russia, Russian citizens traveling by rail from Lithuania to Kaliningrad will be exempt, ensuring uninterrupted travel between the two regions in the general-news landscape of the given timeframe.
