Vilnius, Aug 16 (IANS): Belarusian citizens holding a Lithuanian visa, a temporary or permanent residence permit in Lithuania, and travelling for personal reasons, will be allowed to enter Lithuania by car, the Lithuanian Customs announced on Friday.

The European Union banned cars with Belarusian plates from entering its territory a month ago. However, some exceptions will be introduced from Saturday, such as the one announced by the Lithuanian Customs.

The ban will continue to apply to cars owned by business persons or used for commercial purposes, as well as to vehicles intended for sale, Xinhua news agency reported.

Cars with Belarusian plates have been banned from entering Lithuania since July 18. Those who arrived before this date were given six months for leaving the country, or re-registering in the EU, the Baltic News Service reported.

After that date, they will not be allowed to stay in Lithuania and their owners will face fines and confiscation of the cars.