Two systems that work nothing alike
People who have bought property in one country and then buy in the other are consistently surprised, and always in the same two directions. Lithuanians find English conveyancing inexplicably slow. English buyers find the Lithuanian notary inexplicably formal.
Lithuania
- Transfer contract executed before a notary
- Rights registered at the Centre of Registers
- Register entry is the authoritative record of title
- No chain in the English sense
- Days to weeks once terms are agreed
England and Wales
- Contract exchanged between solicitors, then completion
- Title registered at HM Land Registry
- Local authority, drainage and environmental searches
- Chains, and the risk of one collapsing
- Typically two to four months, often longer
Buying in Lithuania from the UK
- 01First
Check the register before agreeing anything
Ownership, registered mortgages, seizures and restrictions, plus whether what is registered matches what is standing on the land. Extensions built without permits are a recurring problem.
- 02Early
Deal with the money properly
Cross-border transfers into a purchase attract anti-money laundering scrutiny on both sides. Source of funds documentation is easier to assemble in advance than to reconstruct under pressure.
- 03Before completion
Authority, if you are not travelling
A properly drawn power of attorney lets the transaction complete without you flying to Vilnius. It needs to be drafted for the specific transaction rather than in general terms.
- 04Completion
Notarial execution and registration
The contract is executed before the notary and the right is registered. Ownership follows registration rather than the handshake.
Inherited property, which is the usual route
Most people who instruct me about Lithuanian property did not set out to buy any. They inherited a flat, a house or a share in one, usually while living in the UK, and usually without realising a deadline had started.
Once succession is complete the property can be registered, occupied, let or sold, and the proceeds moved. The succession side is covered in full on the private client page.
What I handle
- Purchases and sales of residential and commercial property in Lithuania.
- Title and register checks, including encumbrances, seizures and unpermitted construction.
- Powers of attorney allowing a Lithuanian transaction to complete without travelling.
- Inherited property, from acceptance of the succession through to registration or sale.
- Commercial leases and tenancy agreements in both jurisdictions.
- Construction and permitting questions, including works carried out without permission.
- Property disputes, including co-ownership, boundaries and division on divorce.
What it costs
Discrete transactional steps are usually fixed-fee, including a register and title check, drafting a power of attorney, or a sale of a single registered property. Contested matters and anything with a construction or matrimonial complication is quoted with a written estimate before it starts. Notary fees, registration fees and translations are disbursements, paid to third parties and not marked up.
Common questions
Can a UK resident buy property in Lithuania?
Yes. Buildings and apartments can be purchased without restriction. The transaction is executed before a notary and the right is registered with the Centre of Registers, and it can be completed through a properly drawn power of attorney without travelling. Agricultural and forest land is subject to separate rules.
Do I need to travel to Lithuania to complete a purchase or sale?
Usually not. A power of attorney drafted for that specific transaction allows it to complete in your absence. It needs to be drawn for the transaction rather than in general terms, because a notary will check that the authority actually covers what is being done.
How long does a Lithuanian property transaction take?
Once terms are agreed and the register has been checked, days to a few weeks. There is no chain in the English sense. The time is normally spent on checks, funds and, where relevant, resolving a succession rather than on the transfer itself.
I inherited a flat in Lithuania. What do I do first?
Establish whether the three-month period for accepting the inheritance is still open, because that governs everything else. The property cannot be sold, mortgaged or transferred until the succession is complete, and once the deadline has passed the route becomes a court application rather than a notarial step.
What checks should I make on a Lithuanian property?
The register entry for ownership, mortgages, seizures and restrictions, and whether the registered position matches what is physically there. Extensions and conversions carried out without permits are common and become the buyer's problem after completion.
Can I sell a property my spouse and I own in Lithuania?
Not unilaterally, in most cases. Property acquired during a marriage is ordinarily joint matrimonial property regardless of whose name is on the register, so both spouses generally need to be party to the sale. Where a divorce is in prospect this needs resolving before the transaction.
This page states the law of England & Wales and Lithuania as at 18 August 2026. It is general information, not advice on your matter, and reading it does not create a solicitor-client relationship.