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Buyer's due diligence checklist for Lithuania

Buyer's checklist before buying a propertyNekilnojamojo turto patikros sąrašas prieš pirkimą

The documents and checks a buyer should get before signing the preliminary agreement and the notarial deed in Lithuania: the register extract, the seller's title and capacity, mortgages and seizures, leases and occupants, land and planning, the energy certificate, building debts and the buyer's own eligibility.

Work through it before you sign the preliminary agreement and pay an advance, and again before the notary appointment. The notary checks the state registers on the day of the deed, but by then you have paid the advance and planned the move. Most checks start from the Real Property Register extract, which you can order from Registrų centras. Non-owners must state a purpose and legal basis.

Reviewed October 28, 2026. Not legal advice. Have a notary or lawyer check your case before you sign.

Key facts

Applies to
Whole country
Register extract
EUR 2.64 for an electronic extract. Owners get it at once in the self-service; others wait up to 10 working days.
Notary's fee for the deed
0.37% of the price, at least EUR 76 and at most EUR 5,000 (Government Resolution No 498, item 25.1).
Notary deposit account, if used
0.06% of the sum, at least EUR 30 and at most EUR 5,000 (Government Resolution No 498, item 34.4).
Energy performance certificate
Must be shown to a potential buyer and handed over. Valid for up to 10 years (Statybos įstatymas, art. 51(3), point 3, and 51(5)).
Co-owners' pre-emption
1 month from the notary's notice (CK 4.79; Chamber of Notaries).
Foreign buyers of land
EU, EEA, OECD or NATO citizens and permanent residents, and Lithuanian permanent residents without citizenship (Law I-1392, art. 4).
Russian citizens
Without a Lithuanian residence permit, they cannot acquire real property, except by inheritance (Law on restrictive measures).
End of the Russian ban
Extended to 31 December 2027 (Seimas, 23 April 2026).
Ownership transfer
On handover, recorded in a handover-acceptance act (CK 6.393(4) and 6.398).

The checklist

Seller, title and capacity

Mortgages, seizures, leases and occupants

Building, land and planning

Building management and debts

Buyer's own position

Costs

Formalities

  1. No form applies.
  2. Order the Real Property Register extract yourself. A person who is not the owner must state the purpose and legal basis for the request.
  3. Ask the seller in writing for documents only the seller can get, such as the owners' association certificate and the energy performance certificate.
  4. Before certifying the deed, the notary checks the Population Register and the register of persons with limited legal capacity.
  5. The notary also checks the Real Property Register and the Register of Property Seizure Acts.
  6. The notary refuses to certify a contract that breaks the law.

Common mistakes

  • Relying on the seller's word or an agent's summary instead of a fresh register extract. Order it yourself the week you sign, and again before the deed.
  • Ignoring a registered lease. A lease registered in the Real Property Register binds you as the new owner (CK 6.585).
  • Buying a flat without the owners' association or administrator certificate. Unpaid shares of building costs are a common dispute after the sale.
  • Assuming the floor plan in the cadastre matches the flat. Compare rooms and area on site. Unregistered alterations can block a later sale or loan.
  • Buying a house or plot without checking the land: who owns it, the permitted use, and the zoning in the planning documents register.
  • Paying an advance before you know whether you may own land as a foreigner, or before the bank confirms the loan.

Legal basis

Sources

Describe the home you want