Lithuania to stop recognizing non-biometric Russian passports starting June 1

Lithuania will cease recognizing non-biometric international passports issued by the Russian Federation as valid travel documents beginning June 1, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday.

Report informs that, according to a joint directive from Lithuania’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Internal Affairs, non-biometric Russian passports will no longer be accepted for entry into the country. However, the decision does not apply to Russian citizens transiting by rail through Lithuania between Kaliningrad and Russia.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry stated that Russian non-biometric passports allegedly fail to meet the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The Interior Ministry linked the move to "the changed geopolitical situation," stressing that it serves Lithuania's "national security interests."

Exceptions will be made for Russian citizens residing in EU and Schengen Area countries, who will have until December 1 to replace their passports with biometric ones.

Lithuania joins a growing list of European countries—including the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Iceland, and Estonia—that have already stopped accepting non-biometric Russian passports.