Estonia proposes new rules preventing non-citizens from buying property near military installations

The Estonian Interior Ministry has proposed new rules that would seek to limit the ability of non-citizens to purchase real estate near military installations, Estonian media outlet ERR reported on June 7, citing a memo from the Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets.

The measure would be largely aimed at Russian and Belarusian citizens.

The proposal follows similar moves by Finland, which has also prevented the acquisition of certain types of property by Russian nationals on the grounds that it could “hinder” national defense.

“In Estonia, for example, there are apartments next to some very important sites where surveillance can be carried out,” Laanemets explained.

The memo cites some specific examples, such as an apartment complex in Tallinn owned by a Russian businessman and located a few hundred meters from the headquarters of the Estonian Defense Forces and another major military base.

Laanemets said the ministry aims to produce a draft law by the end of the year aimed at preventing “third-country nationals from purchasing real estate in Estonia around defense sites.”

Measures will be less strict when it comes to Belarusians or Russians with permanent residence permits, Laanemets said.

“In general, we trust everyone who lives permanently in Estonia. We know who they are, we know their behavior,” he added.

“But there could still be a situation where someone from this country cooperates with Russia or another country.”

Details of what would be considered a sensitive area for Estonia's defense have not yet been defined.

“The simplest version here is to do the authorization procedure,” Laanemets explained.

“That is to say, each time a person from a third country wishes to carry out a (real estate) transaction (near a sensitive defense site), they must obtain authorization.”

Estonia's already tense relations with Russia have further deteriorated since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Estonia also ranks first in financial contributions to Ukraine as a percentage of its GDP.

At the same time, Russia has engaged in a number of aggressive actions towards Estonia since February 2022, such as an incident in May in which Russian border guards unilaterally removed border markings from 'a river that separates Russian and Estonian territories.