Estonia will ban Russian and Belarusian citizens without permanent resident status in the country from buying property, as well as companies acting on their behalf, citing security risks.
While Estonia rarely issues visas to Russian or Belarusian citizens following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many other countries in the European Union still do. This allows Russians and Belarusians to travel around the bloc at will. Estonia is also now calling for a ban on all veterans with combat experience.
Permanent residency status is only issued by the authorities after a third-country national has lived in Estonia for at least five years and can speak Estonian at B1 level.
Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said the purchase of real estate by Russian and Belarusian citizens with unknown backgrounds is a security risk against the backdrop of ongoing aggression by the Kremlin and its allies.
“With few exceptions, we have banned them from entering and staying in Estonia, and it is logical that they should also have no right to purchase real estate here, as it can be used for intelligence and sabotage operations, including, for example, preparing positions that could be used against us in crisis situations,” the minister said in a statement on Thursday.
Read more: ERR.EE
