Translated material
Estonia may ban Russians without permanent residence from buying real estate
The Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs has prepared a bill banning citizens of Belarus and Russia who do not have a long-term residence permit from purchasing real estate in the country. This was reported by ERR .
The purpose of the changes is stated to be the desire to limit the ability of “hostile states or persons under their control to use real estate for intelligence and influence activities directed against Estonia, or for sabotage operations.”
In addition to individuals, it is proposed to extend the ban to companies from these countries, as well as to legal entities in which they are the actual beneficiaries. At the same time, Russians and Belarusians will be able to rent or rent real estate, notes Present Time .
If the law is adopted, it should come into force on January 1, 2027. The authors of the document believe that the restriction will affect approximately 600 transactions per year and will not have a significant impact on the real estate market.
As of April 2025, 36,952 Russian citizens and 896 Belarusian citizens owned real estate in Estonia. The ban will not have retroactive effect and will not affect persons with long-term residence permits, since their background has been sufficiently verified by the state, the explanatory note says.
Latvia, Lithuania and Finland also previously tightened legislation regulating the acquisition of real estate by citizens of Russia and Belarus.
Estonia may ban Russians without permanent residence from buying real estate