GERMAN BRIGADE IN LITHUANIA

On 18 December 2023 in Vilnius, the Defence Ministers of Germany and Lithuania signed a joint Roadmap that laid the foundation for the deployment of a brigade-sized unit of the Bundeswehr in Lithuania. The Roadmap outlines the steps for implementing this process.

The Roadmap stipulates that the Brigade relocation process begins with the signing of the documents and identifies the milestones of the relocation process: In 2024, the initial Brigade elements are established in Vilnius; from 2025 to 2026, the main relocation of Brigade units will take place, and by the end of 2027, the German Brigade will be fully relocated to Lithuania, achieving full operational capability. The document also commits Lithuania to establishing all the necessary agreed-upon military and civilian infrastructure for the Brigade’s relocation.

THE ROADMAP FOR THE GERMAN BRIGADE IN LITHUANIA

The preparation for the reception of the German Brigade is coordinated at the highest level by a Commission established by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, led by the Prime Minister. The commission includes the ministers of defence, finance, transport, education, science and sports, justice and foreign affairs, as well as the First Deputy Chancellor of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. The Commission addresses key issues related to the civil infrastructure and services required for the German Brigade. The Ministry of National Defence coordinates the Brigade’s deployment process in Lithuania with Germany.

The Lithuania-Germany Defence Cooperation Agreement, signed on 13 September 2024 in Berlin, is another step towards the practical settlement of the German Brigade’s relocation to Lithuania. The agreement was ratified by the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) on 3 October 2024.

The agreement regulates the legal status of German military forces, civilian personnel and their family members in Lithuania, as well as the provision of civil services, such as healthcare, transport and education for soldiers’ children.

The agreement stipulates that the military territories and facilities of the Republic of Lithuania granted to the German Brigade Litauen will be used only with the consent of the Republic of Lithuania, respecting the sovereignty of the Republic of Lithuania and the requirements of the legislation. For example, the Rūdninkai training area, where the majority of the German Brigade will serve, is and will remain Lithuanian military territory, which can be used by German Brigade personnel, as well as by the Lithuanian Armed Forces and other NATO allies.

The bilateral agreement also sets out procedures for the arrival and departure of the German Armed Forces, their movement within Lithuania, rules for the division of jurisdiction, security measures and the establishment of German Armed Forces educational institutions in Lithuania, as well as military stores, canteens, military post offices, radio stations, driving schools and military healthcare facilities. It also covers healthcare services for German soldiers and civilian personnel along with other related issues.

The Rūdninkai military town will become the primary service location for the future German Brigade. This is the most ambitious military infrastructure project ever developed in the history of independent Lithuania. On 19 August 2024, a time capsule was placed at the Rūdninkai training area, marking the establishment of the Rūdninkai military town.

It is planned that the military town will occupy around 190 hectares of the Rūdninkai training area. It will accommodate both German and Lithuanian armed forces, a tent city and an outdoor camp. In the upcoming years there will be constructed:

• approximately 91,000 sq. m. of residential buildings
• around 84,000 sq. m. of administrative buildings, including administrative offices, company barracks, training classrooms, rest areas and more
• around 7,000 sq. m. of sports facilities
• around 80,000 sq. m. of technical buildings including warehouses, garages, a fuelling station, car wash stations and repair workshops
• around 300,000 sq. m. of paved areas in the compound, including internal roads, parade grounds, technical park zones and parking areas

Due to its exceptional size, the military town of Rūdnininkai is being developed in phases. During the first phase, administrative buildings, military vehicle maintenance and storage infrastructure (warehouses, parking areas, repair workshops, garages for vehicles), a guardhouse, barracks, a canteen and other facilities will be constructed. The first phase will cover almost 56,000 sq. m. of land, with construction work carried out by the Lithuanian company Eikos statyba. Works on Phase I of the Rūdninkai military town are progressing ahead of schedule; the completion of this phase is projected for late 2026, while the contract deadline is August 2027.

In the second phase, the remaining infrastructure of the military town will be developed, covering an area of 170 hectares. This phase will be implemented through a public–private partnership (PPP) model and will include not only design and construction works, but also the maintenance of newly created infrastructure, engineering networks and systems. The project’s implementation period is set for 15 years, with 2.5 years dedicated to design and construction (development) and 12.5 years for the maintenance of the town and service provision. Contracts have been signed with the companies UAB Rudina, UAB VPSP B, and UAB VPSP C for the implementation of the Phase II construction project of the military town at the Rūdninkai military training area.

In accordance with the requirements agreed with the German Ministry of Defence, the development of the Rūdninkai military town has been prioritised into two phases in order to host a portion of the German brigade troops earlier, without waiting for the completion of the entire project. Critical infrastructure at the Rūdninkai training area is planned to be completed in 2027, which will enable the German brigade in Lithuania to achieve Full Operational Capability on schedule.

All military infrastructure developed in the Rūdninkai training area will be owned by the Lithuanian state, and the Lithuanian Armed Forces will manage, use and dispose of it under a trust-based system.

Projects are also being developed in Rukla to meet the needs of the German Brigade and allied forces:

• The strategic ‘Aukštutinė Neries terasa’ (Upper Neris Terrace) infrastructure project is under construction in Rukla – a modern military town designed for 1,000 troops of the ‘Geležinis Vilkas’ (Iron Wolf) Infantry Brigade and 2,000 NATO personnel. The complex will comprise administrative buildings, residential facilities, logistical support infrastructure, sports and training areas, a medical aid post, a dining facility, leisure zones, and all necessary engineering infrastructure. Construction will run until 2028, with a total budget of approximately €300 million. Lithuania is sharing the costs equally with Germany.
• In 2025, the ‘Žemutinė Neries terasa’ (Lower Neris Terrace) was completed in Rukla – a Germany-funded permanent logistical support base dedicated to the storage and maintenance of Allied equipment. It features repair and maintenance workshops, warehouses, a vehicle wash facility, a refuelling station, and all equipment essential for technical readiness, ensuring that NATO forces deployed to Lithuania remain in a high state of readiness at all times.
• Ammunition storage facilities are being constructed.

Logistical support infrastructure for the German Brigade is also being developed in other locations in Lithuania.

Lithuania has committed not only to creating appropriate military infrastructure for German soldiers, but also to providing services for their family members relocating with them. Our goal is for Lithuania to become an attractive place to live, train and work for German soldiers and their families.

The main document that defines the legal framework for the social services Lithuania has committed to providing to German soldiers and their family members is the Defence Cooperation Agreement between Lithuania and Germany, signed on 13 September 2024.

The agreement stipulates that German soldiers stationed in Lithuania will be provided with living and training conditions, tax incentives, healthcare, and the possibility to establish military facilities – such as military postal services, radio stations, and driving schools.

For families relocating to Lithuania with children, Lithuania has committed to ensuring education in German in schools and kindergartens, as well as opportunities to establish German Armed Forces educational institutions in Lithuania.

• Accommodation. Currently, German soldiers relocating to Lithuania independently rent housing in the city of Vilnius. It is planned that those relocating for a longer period (three years) will live in military zones. Soldiers relocating with their families will continue to have the option to rent housing on the open market in Vilnius or Kaunas according to their needs. Soldiers pay for their housing themselves.
• Education. From September 1, 2025, a German kindergarten and school – Deutsche Schule Vilnius (DSV) – began operating in temporary facilities at the Lithuanian Education Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (LASUC), located at Ateities St. 44, Vilnius.
• In the 2025–2026 academic year, the German school provides primary education only. From the 2026–2027 academic year, education for upper grades will also be introduced. Until that time, upper-grade students attend private international schools. As of 1 September 2025, 44 children are educated at the German kindergarten, 10 children attend the German group at the Lithuanian kindergarten ‘Dainorėliai’, and 25 children are enrolled at the school.
• From the 2026–2027 academic year, the German school will expand and relocate to renovated premises of the Lithuanian Centre for Education of the Blind and Visually Impaired (LASUC).
• Currently, 81 German Brigade families and 155 children reside in Lithuania.
• As a temporary solution, German pre-primary education groups (80 places) for German children are being established at Kaunas A. Stulginskis School. Their operation is planned to start in April or September 2026, depending on Germany’s needs.
• Starting in April or September 2026, if needed, 1–2 temporary German preschool groups are planned to be opened at Kaunas Aleksandras Stulginskis School.
• In the long term, there are plans to establish German kindergarten-schools in Vilnius and Kaunas. In February 2025, the decision to develop permanent infrastructure was approved: a German school-kindergarten will be established at Drujos St. in Vilnius and at Verkių St. in Kaunas. In Vilnius, a new school will be constructed, while in Kaunas, the former “Žiburys” school will be renovated.
• Education matters are coordinated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, while the Vilnius and Kaunas city municipalities are responsible for preparing the infrastructure.
• Healthcare.
  • Military personnel. Until 2027, health care services for German military personnel shall be partially provided in military units as well as in Lithuanian health care facilities (private and/or public).
  • Healthcare for the German members of the civilian component and family members shall be provided through the Lithuanian civilian healthcare system. Two ways are possible:
    • For individuals enrolled in the German public health insurance system, general EU health insurance rules apply. Insured EU citizens living in Lithuania can get healthcare services paid for by the Lithuanian National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
    • Individuals who have a private health insurance contract with a private insurance company shall contract with the health care professional or the facility directly. Their private health insurance company will reimburse them for the costs.
    • A Role 1 military medical centre is planned to be established between 2027 and 2028. The new centre will provide Role 1 medical services (including family medicine and dentistry) to German brigade troops. Higher-level services (specialist medical care) will continue to be provided by Lithuanian civilian institutions. Medical services for the civilian personnel and family members of the German brigade are provided within the country’s civilian healthcare institutions.
• Transport: Flight frequencies to Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt Hahn, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Dortmund are also projected to increase in 2026.

  Furthermore, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and Communications and ‘LTG Infra’, an additional railway track will be constructed from Jašiūnai to the Rūdninkai military town. This track will enable the transport of both heavy equipment and passengers, thereby enhancing the operational capabilities of the military town and improving commuting options for the brigade’s troops to their place of duty.

  Employment: Family members or partners relocating with the soldiers have the opportunity to seek employment in Lithuania. The Employment Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania is finalising a German-language informational page that will provide all the necessary details about available job positions in the Lithuanian labour market and volunteer opportunities in the country. The Employment Service directly communicates with potential employers, organises meetings and invites job offers for incoming German citizens to Lithuania. A contact person has also been appointed to provide individual consultations in German for the family members of the German brigade. For inquiries regarding employment opportunities for German citizens in Lithuania, please visit The Employment Service webpage or use QR code in your mobile device.

• General information: What you need to know when relocating to Lithuania, which documents are required, how to register children in educational institutions, how to purchase a ticket for public transport, how to care for your pet, what events are taking place in Vilnius and more can be found on Go Vilnius page, the International House Vilnius page and the interactive Relocation Guide .