The permit is issued by the Republic of Lithuania to a foreigner who is not a citizen of a member State of the European Union or a member State of the European Free Trade Association. A foreigner has the right to choose a place of residence in the Republic of Lithuania, change his/her place of residence, permit the Republic of Lithuania and return back during the validity period of the permit to remain. A foreigner is obliged to notify the Migration Department of the change of his or her place of residence, and also keep in mind that the Law on the Declaration of Residence establishes that a person who permits the Republic of Lithuania for more than 6 months of the specified period is obliged to declare departure.
There are two types of residence permits in Lithuania – temporary residence permit (TRP) and permanent residence permit (PRP) in the Republic of Lithuania.
Laikino leidimo gyventi prašymas Lietuvoje
Temporary residence permit
A temporary residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as a TRP) is a document granting a foreigner the right to temporary residence in the Republic of Lithuania for the period specified therein.
On what basis is a temporary residence permit issued?
For how long is a temporary residence permit issued?
A temporary residence permit is usually issued for one, two or three years, but can also be issued for a shorter period.
Where can I get a temporary residence permit?
First of all, you must submit an application for a temporary residence permit electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS) and attach digital copies of documents to this application. Applications for Lithuanian temporary residence permits must be submitted electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS). After uploading the required documents, applicants must book an appointment to verify their identity, provide biometric data and present original documents where required. Depending on their nationality, residence status and the applicable immigration category, applicants may attend an appointment at a territorial office of the Lithuanian Migration Department or an authorised external service provider abroad. Applications submitted from outside Lithuania are subject to country-specific eligibility requirements and restrictions. The applicant must attend the appointment within the period specified by MIGRIS and comply with the applicable legal requirements.
Company in Lithuania UAB provides legal and regulatory assistance to businesses seeking authorisation as Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) under Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA). Since 1 January 2026, Lithuania’s former national VASP registration regime no longer provides authorisation to offer regulated crypto-asset services. Companies intending to provide services within the scope of MiCA must generally obtain CASP authorisation from the Bank of Lithuania or qualify for an applicable exemption.
State fee for registration of a temporary residence permit
As of October 2026, the state fee for examining and issuing or renewing a Lithuanian temporary residence permit is EUR 160 under the standard procedure and EUR 320 under the urgent procedure. Additional service charges may apply where the application is submitted through an authorised external service provider abroad. Certain applicants may qualify for statutory fee exemptions or reduced fees. Applicants should verify the applicable charges at the time of submission.
What documents do I need to submit to obtain a temporary residence permit?
The list of documents for the issuance of a temporary residence permit depends on the purpose for which the foreigner applies.
Preliminary list of documents:
- An application (an application is submitted through the Lithuanian migration information system MIGRIS)
- A valid travel document
- Documents substantiating issuance/replacement of a temporary residence permit
- Documents confirming sufficient financial resources to support the applicant’s stay in Lithuania, where required for the relevant residence permit category. The applicable financial threshold depends on the legal grounds for residence, the applicant’s circumstances and the statutory requirements. For certain categories, the required amount is linked to the Lithuanian minimum monthly wage, which is EUR 1,153 in 2026. Proof of sufficient resources may include employment income, bank statements or other acceptable evidence. The required period of financial coverage and any applicable exemptions must be determined according to the specific immigration procedure.
- A document about the place of residence. If you are applying for the first permit to remain in the Republic of Lithuania, you can declare your place of residence at your choice:
- At the Migration Department, during the reserved visit, upon arrival, provide the originals and biometric data of the documents attached to the application for a permit to remain.
- In the local government, within 1 month after the authorization/withdrawal of the issuance of a permit to remain. If you have chosen this option, then, when filling out an application for a temporary residence permit through the Migration Information System of Lithuania (MIGRIS), you must confirm that you promise to declare your place of residence in a suitable housing.
- Certificate of criminal record
It is only necessary in case of applying for the issuance of the first temporary residence permit. These are certificates issued by the competent authorities of the foreign countries in which you have resided or are currently residing for the last 2 years prior to your arrival in Lithuania (except in cases where your stay abroad lasted less than 6 months within 12 months), confirming the presence or absence of a criminal record in these countries, which certificates must be issued no later than 6 months before the date of filing an application for a temporary residence permit, translated into Lithuanian and legalized and/or certified with an apostilė, if necessary. If you were convicted, the certificate should indicate when and for what criminal act you were convicted, what punishment was imposed on you and whether it was executed.
A certificate stating that you did not have a criminal record may be submitted in the original language, in English, or an English translation of this document may be provided written in another language, certified by the translator’s signature.
NOTE: Foreigners intending to work in a position requiring high professional qualifications can submit a written statement alone that they have not been tried in the country from which they came;
- A document on medical insurance (medical insurance is not required if a mandatory medical insurance fee is paid for you).
- The insurance must guarantee coverage of the cost of emergency medical care in accordance with the Law on the Healthcare System of the Republic of Lithuania and expenses that may arise as a result of your return to another country due to health reasons (transportation, including accompanying by healthcare specialist(s)); and
- The insurance must be valid for the entire period of validity of the temporary residence permit or at least one year.
Upon arrival at the Migration Department at the reserved time, the foreigner’s stay in Lithuania must be legal.
Do I need to confirm that the documents were issued legally?
Documents issued by foreign authorities may require translation into Lithuanian and authentication through an apostille or consular legalisation, depending on their country of origin, type and intended use. Exemptions may apply under EU legislation, international agreements or specific rules established by the Lithuanian Migration Department. Certain documents issued in English or accompanied by an acceptable English translation may be accepted without translation into Lithuanian where the applicable procedure permits. Apostille certification or legalisation is not universally required for every foreign document.
How long does it take to issue a temporary residence permit?
Decisions on temporary residence permits are made and temporary residence permits are issued:
As to issuance of a permit:
- According to the standard procedure – within 4 months
- As a matter of urgency – within 2 months
As to replacement of a permit:
- According to the standard procedure – within 2 months
- As a matter of urgency – within 1 month
Employment of foreign citizens in Lithuania
Recently, more and more foreigners looking for work have been coming to Lithuania. Although the process of employment and residence in Lithuania is quite simple for EU citizens, foreigners arriving from third countries must undergo a number of procedures to get a job.
Since 1 July 2024, third-country nationals intending to work in Lithuania generally must obtain a Lithuanian temporary residence permit authorising the relevant employment, unless a specific statutory exception applies. Work permits or labour market assessments, where required, do not independently grant the right to reside and work in Lithuania. Different requirements apply to ordinary employment, highly qualified employment under the EU Blue Card framework, intra-corporate transfers, seasonal employment and other eligible immigration categories. Employers and foreign employees must verify the applicable residence, employment and authorisation requirements before commencing work.
Each document establishes both specific requirements for an employee or an employment contract, and the period during which a foreigner will be able to legally reside in Lithuania (since permits/decisions issued by the Employment Service do not give the right to reside in Lithuania, it is also necessary to have a visa or a permit to remain).
Since 1 July 2024, foreign nationals intending to work in Lithuania generally must obtain a Lithuanian temporary residence permit before commencing employment, unless they qualify for a statutory exception. A national visa does not ordinarily replace the residence permit required for regular employment. National visas remain available for certain specific purposes, including eligible seasonal work and other legally defined circumstances. The validity of a temporary residence permit depends on the applicable immigration category. Submitting a residence permit application does not automatically extend an existing visa, authorise employment or permit continued residence after the previous legal basis for staying in Lithuania expires.
What kind of foreign citizens do not need to obtain a work permit (or a decision on compliance with the needs of the labor market)?
- Employment-based immigration requirements in Lithuania must be assessed under the legislation applicable in 2026. The previous system of occupation-specific employment quotas was replaced in 2025 by a unified annual quota covering employment-based temporary residence permits across economic sectors. For 2026, the quota was set at 24,706 and was exhausted in September 2026. Following exhaustion of the quota, an employment-based temporary residence permit may generally be issued under the relevant exception where the employer undertakes to pay a gross monthly salary of at least 1.2 times the latest published national average monthly gross wage, or at least the national average monthly gross wage where the foreign national’s occupation is included in the qualifying high-value-added shortage occupation list. Other statutory exemptions and immigration categories are assessed separately.
- Foreign citizens who have arrived in the country to work in a profession that is included in the list of professions in demand in the Republic of Lithuania that require high professional qualifications.
- Foreign citizens who will receive a salary of at least 3 average monthly gross wages.
- Foreign citizens who have already worked in Lithuania for 2 years as a highly qualified specialist and apply for the extension of a permit to remain.
A foreigner must obtain a work permit before the scheduled date of conclusion of an employment contract or the start of planned work in the Republic of Lithuania. For ordinary employment in Lithuania, third-country nationals generally must obtain a Lithuanian temporary residence permit based on employment before starting work. The employer must meet the applicable requirements, submit the required mediation letter through MIGRIS and provide supporting employment documentation. Work permits remain relevant to certain specific categories, such as seasonal employment, but a work permit combined with a national visa is not the standard route for ordinary employment. The applicable procedure depends on the applicant’s circumstances, the proposed employment and any statutory exemptions.
A work permit is issued to a foreigner taking into account the needs of the labor market of the Republic of Lithuania. Please note that a work permit or a decision on compliance with the needs of the Lithuanian labor market is issued if a foreigner has documents confirming his qualifications (diploma, certificate, etc.) and at least one year of work experience in accordance with the qualifications he or she has for the last five years (work record, certificate with current and/or former workplace, etc.).
The Lithuanian Employment Service is responsible for issuing work permits to foreign citizens, and extension, suspension and cancellation of work permits.
In order to employ a foreign citizen, the employer must apply to the territorial Employment Service, at the place of activities of which a vacant workplace is registered.
An employer may submit a foreigner’s employment documents to the Employment Service within 1 month from the expiration of the vacancy notice.
The following is a generalized description of the various processes.
|
Work permit |
Decision on compliance with the needs of the labor market |
Decision on the compliance of a job requiring high professional qualifications with the needs of the labor market of the Republic of Lithuania. |
|
|
|
The order of issue |
||
| 1. The employer must contact the Employment Service and register the vacancy.
2. Before issuing a certificate of receipt of documents, the Employment Service checks whether the employer meets all the requirements (operates legally, is not bankrupt, etc.). 3. The qualifications and work experience of a foreigner (work experience of at least one year in accordance with the qualifications on hand over the past five years) must be suitable for the vacancy registered by the employer and for performing the job functions set out in the employer’s obligation to employ a foreigner or in the employment contract. 4. The employer is obliged to employ a foreigner under an employment contract for a period of at least 6 months. |
1. The employer must contact the Employment Service and register the vacancy.
2. Before issuing a certificate of receipt of documents, the Employment Service checks whether the employer meets all the requirements (operates legally, is not bankrupt, etc.). 3. The qualifications and work experience of a foreigner (work experience of at least one year in accordance with the qualifications on hand over the past five years) must be suitable for the vacancy registered by the employer and for performing the job functions set out in the employer’s obligation to employ a foreigner or in the employment contract. 4. The employer is obliged to employ a foreigner under an employment contract for a period of at least 6 months. |
1. The employer must contact the Employment Service and register the vacancy.
2. Before issuing a certificate of receipt of documents, the Employment Service checks whether the employer meets all the requirements (operates legally, is not bankrupt, etc.). 3. The qualifications and work experience of a foreigner (work experience of at least one year in accordance with the qualifications on hand over the past five years) must be suitable for the vacancy registered by the employer and for performing the job functions set out in the employer’s obligation to employ a foreigner or in the employment contract. 4. The employer is obliged to employ a foreigner under an employment contract for a period of at least 6 months. |
| Paslauga | Kaina |
|---|---|
| Private consultation on obtaining a residence permit in Lithuania | 1 000 eurų |
| Assistance with acquiring or establishing a Lithuanian company and preparing an application for a temporary residence permit based on lawful business activities. The standard business residence route generally requires company equity capital of at least EUR 28,000, including a qualifying personal investment of at least EUR 14,000, together with the applicable requirements concerning genuine business activity, operational history, employment and the applicant’s ownership or management position. Purchasing a ready-made company with EUR 28,000 in registered share capital does not automatically establish eligibility for a residence permit. | 5,000 EUR |
| Assistance in applying for temporary residency permit | 3 ,000 EUR |
| Lithuania EMI license | individualiai |
For more information and a price offer, please kontaktas an employee of Company inLithuania UAB.
