As Lithuania was under Soviet control for most of the 20th century it was subjected to the same laws as all other countries that fell under the Iron Curtain, meaning private individuals were not allowed to own property and land was state controlled. All of this changed with Lithuania’s independence, and from 1991 the government started a number of liberalising reforms on laws in the country, giving properties to the people who lived in them and allowing sales to be carried out between individuals for property and land. When the Soviet army finally left the country in 1993, a number of properties became available and the market increased profit margins even more – values rose at a vast rate, and the stable economy of the country helped things no end. In line with regulations for Lithuania to enter the EU, laws were changed to allow foreigners to purchase property freely, though special permission must still be granted for land purchases.

It should be noted that as a former Communist state, Lithuania is subject to the same potential pitfalls as other former Soviet countries and all land titles should be checked in detail by more than one independent party to ensure legality of ownership, as reclamations can be lost and confused over time.