THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS

This section is intended for persons who are not citizens of the EU or their family members.

If you intend to stay in Lithuania for fewer than 90 days during a period of 180 days, you only need a visa (unless visa-free travel applies to you). If you wish to stay longer, you have to acquire a national visa or a temporary residence permit. For a long-term stay, usually in 5 years, you can acquire a permit to permanently reside in Lithuania.

When an application for a visa or a residence permit is submitted, documents issued abroad must be translated into the Lithuanian language and certified by an apostille or legalised. EXCEPTIONS: Apostille legalisation of certification of documents issued in Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as documents issued to Lithuania by accredited diplomatic missions or consular posts of other countries is not necessary.

When an application for a temporary residence permit is submitted, the following documents that were issued abroad must be certified by an apostille or legalised: documents confirming family ties, a marriage certificate, a document confirming the dissolution of marriage or the death of a family member, a document that confirms the conclusion of a registered partnership contract, a higher education diploma and a certificate regarding (the absence) conviction.

UP TO 3 MONTHS

The alien who is not a citizen of a state of the European Union is obligated to have a visa (unless visa-free regime is applied) in order to come to the Republic of Lithuania and to stay in it. The alien who has a valid Schengen visa or a national visa or a residence permit issued by a Schengen state may come to the Republic of Lithuania and to stay in it during the validity period of the document, but for no longer than 90 days during any period of 180 days.

STUDIES

You may come to Lithuania on the grounds of studies or science. If you are a student, a teacher or a researcher and you intend to stay in Lithuania for less than a year, you can obtain a national visa. If you intend to stay to live for a longer period of time, you should choose a temporary residence permit (usually, it is issued for one year; researchers and teachers receive a permit for two years; the permit may be replaced later). While your application for a temporary residence permit is considered, you can obtain a national visa.

If you are abroad, you should apply for a temporary residence permit or a national visa to the Lithuanian Embassy, and if you are in Lithuania, you should apply for a temporary residence permit to the migration service that provides services in the territory where you intend to reside, whereas applications for a national visa should be submitted to the Migration Division of the Migration Board of Vilnius, Kaunas or Klaipėda, or the Migration Department.

If you terminate scientific activity, studies or training, usually you are obligated to leave Lithuania.

BUSINESS

You can come to Lithuania to do business. If a company that you manage or participate at has been implementing its legal activity for more than 6 months – you may be granted a temporary residence permit (which is usually issued for 2 years and later can be renewed). While your application for a temporary residence permit is processed, you can get a national visa.

You may also obtain a national visa if you are managing or participating at a company that was established not earlier than one year before your application for a national visa.

If you are abroad, submit your application for a temporary residence permit or a national visa to the Lithuanian Embassy, and if you are legally staying in Lithuania, submit your application for a temporary residence permit to the migration service, according to the territory of your intended place of residence, while your application for a national visa may be submitted to the Migration Division of the Migration Board of Vilnius, Kaunas or Klaipėda, or the Migration Department.

You must leave Lithuania upon termination of your business.

WORK

You can come to Lithuania to work. If you are planning to stay in Lithuania no longer than for a year, you can obtain a national visa. If you are planning to stay longer, you should choose a temporary residence permit(usually issued for two years, in case of highly-qualified employees – 3 years and later can usually be renewed). While your application for a temporary residence permit is processed, you can get a national visa.

If you are abroad, submit your application for a temporary residence permit or a national visa to the Lithuanian Embassy, and if you are staying in Lithuania, submit your application for a temporary residence permit to the migration service, according to the territory of your intended place of residence, while your application for a national visa may be submitted to the Migration Division of the Migration Board of Vilnius, Kaunas or Klaipėda, or the Migration Department.

If you have a work permit, a resolution that the work, which requires your high professional qualifications, meets the demands of the work market of the Republic of Lithuania, or resolution regarding compliance with the needs of the work market, then your employer should apply to the territorial Labour Exchange regarding the issue of these documents.

You must leave Lithuania upon termination of your employment.

FAMILY

This section is intended for the family members of citizens of third countries (states that are not members of the European Union or the European Free Trade Association) or the family members of citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who have not lived in any member state of the European Union since 2004. If you are a family member of a citizen of the European Union or the European Free Trade Association or a family member of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania who has lived in a member state of the European Union since 2004.

If a member of your family lives in the Republic of Lithuania, in cases described below you may come to visit you family member and obtain a temporary residence permit. The permit is usually issued for 1 year; later it may be replaced with a permit valid for 2 years. While your application for a temporary residence permit is considered, you may obtain a national visa.

If you are abroad, you have to apply for the document to the Embassy of Lithuania, and if you are in Lithuania, you should apply to the migration service that provides services in the area where you intend to reside.

You may stay in Lithuania while the family member whom you are visiting is in Lithuania, unless you obtain a residence permit on other grounds.

TRANSFER INSIDE A COMPANY

If you live and work in a foreign state, which is not a EU member state and if you are temporarily placed on detached service at a host company in the Republic of Lithuania, (i.e. you are an intra-corporate transferee), you may obtain a Lithuanian temporary residence permit.

The host company is a representative office or a subsidiary of a company, located in a foreign state, which is not an EU member state, or a member of a group of companies, a representative office or a subsidiary, established in the Republic of Lithuania or another EU member state, as defined the the Law on Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company Groups of the Republic of Lithuania, where the foreigner is transferred to inside the company.

You can be transferred inside a company as a manager, expert or a trainee and obtain a temporary residence permit. If you are transferred inside the company as a manager or expert, then your temporary residence permit will be issued for the period of your transfer to the host company, established in the Republic of Lithuania, but no longer than for 3 years, and if you are transferred inside the company as a trainee – no longer than for one year.

If you have a valid temporary residence permit, issued to you as temporarily transferred inside the company by another EU member state, and if you come to the host company, established in the Republic of Lithuania for a period longer than 90 days in 180 days, you may also get a temporary residence permit.

SHORT-TERM STAY

This section describes other cases when you may obtain a multiple-entry national visa, when you need to stay in Lithuania for more than 3 months, but for less than a year. Remember: a national visa cannot be issued for longer than a year (staying in Lithuania for longer requires a residence permit).

If you are abroad, you have to apply for the visa to the Embassy of Lithuania, and if you are in Lithuania, you should apply to the migration service that provides services in the area where you intend to reside.

A decision on issuing a national visa is made within 15 days.

You are obligated to leave Lithuania before the visa expires.

OTHER

If you are abroad, you have to apply for the document to the Embassy of Lithuania, and if you are in Lithuania, you should apply to the migration service that provides services in the area where you intend to reside.

When grounds that allowed you to obtain the temporary residence permit disappear, usually you have to leave Lithuania.

FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS:

LITHUANIAN DESCENT

If you have the right to restore the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania or if you lost it, but you wish to stay to live in Lithuania, or if you are a person of Lithuanian descent, you may obtain a permit to permanently reside in Lithuania.

The permit is issued for 5 years and renewed later. While your application for a permanent residence permit is considered, you may obtain a national visa.

To obtain the permit, you should apply to the migration service that provides services in the area where you declared or intend to declare residence or to the Migration Department.

You will lose the right to permanently reside in Lithuania if you leave the European Union for longer than 12 months or if you leave Lithuania for another member state of the European Union for a period longer than 6 years or if you acquire the status of a long-term resident in another member state of the European Union.

LONG-TERM STAY

If you have lived in Lithuania for 5 years or longer, you may obtain a permit of a long-term resident of the Republic of Lithuania to reside in the European Union (usually called a permanent residence permit).

The permit is issued for 5 years and renewed later.

To obtain the permit, you should apply to the migration service that provides services in the area where you declared or intend to declare residence or to the Migration Department.

You will lose the right to permanently reside in Lithuania if you leave the European Union for longer than 12 months or if you leave Lithuania for another member state of the European Union for a period longer than 6 years or if you acquire the status of a long-term resident in another member state of the European Union.

FAMILY

This section is intended for the family members of citizens of third countries (states that are not members of the European Union or the European Free Trade Association) or the family members of citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who have not lived in any member state of the European Union since 2004. If you are a family member of a citizen of the European Union or the European Free Trade Association or a family member of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania who has lived in a member state of the European Union since 2004, see this section.

If you are a minor and your parents or one of them live(s) in the Republic of Lithuania, in cases described below you may come to visit your parent(s) and obtain a permanent residence permit. The permit is issued for 5 years and renewed later.

If you are a family member of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania and you are moving to live in Lithuania together, you may obtain a permanent residence permit.

To obtain a permanent residence permit, you should apply to the migration service that provides services in the territory where you intend to reside or to the Migration Department within 3 months from the day of coming to Lithuania.

You will lose the right to permanently reside in Lithuania if you leave the European Union for longer than 12 months or if you leave Lithuania for another member state of the European Union for a period longer than 6 years or if you acquire the status of a long-term resident in another member state of the European Union.