Estonia will ban Russians and Belarusians from buying real estate without a residence permit

Starting from January 1, 2027, citizens of Russia and Belarus who do not have the status of permanent residents of Estonia will not be able to buy real estate in the country. The planned measure will serve to "protect Estonia's national security," the Interior Ministry said in an explanatory note.

The ban will affect citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus without long-term residence permits, companies from these countries, as well as any legal entities whose beneficial owners are Russians or Belarusians.

The rules will not apply retroactively and will not affect those who already own the property. Also, the restrictions will not apply to persons with long-term residence permits, since their trustworthiness has already been verified by the state.

The bill closes a loophole with the purchase of real estate through companies registered in Estonia or other countries of the European Economic Area. Notaries will be required to verify the citizenship of the beneficial owners.

The Estonian Government will be able to make exceptions for reasons of national importance or on humanitarian grounds. Individuals will also have the opportunity to rent apartments and houses.

According to the authors of the bill, the ban will affect about 600 transactions per year and will not have a significant impact on the housing market. When preparing the document, the experience of Finland, Latvia and Lithuania was used, which previously tightened the rules for the purchase of real estate for foreigners from outside the EU for security reasons.

As of April 2025, there were almost 37,000 property owners in Estonia - citizens of the Russian Federation and about 900 citizens of Belarus. 70,237 Russians and 1,190 Belarusians have long-term residence permits.

Source: ERR