How do I apply for a Lithuania Work Residence Permit?

Depending on the period that you are planning to work in Lithuania, you should apply for a national visa or a temporary residence permit.

If you are planning to work in Lithuania for no longer than for a year, you can obtain a multiple entry visa.

If you are planning to work longer than a year, 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 multiple entry visa.

More information is available here.

Before the foreigner’s arrival to Lithuania, the employer, intending to hire a citizen of the third countries must apply to the Employment Service for an employment permit and if the foreigner is exempt from the duty of obtaining an employment permit, he/she must comply with the conditions to obtain:

• a national visa (D) or
• a temporary residence permit.

Before the foreigner applies for a national visa or a temporary residence permit, the employer must access MIGRIS, fill out and submit an electronic mediation letter for the issue of a national visa or a temporary residence permit.

More information is available here.

The foreigner's occupation: driver of an international passenger transport vehicle (833103) or driver of an international goods transport vehicle (833209) is considered to be included in the list of occupations for which there is a shortage of workers in Lithuania if the foreigner intends to work in an undertaking engaged in international passenger or goods transport and holds one of the following documents confirming his/her qualifications:

• a certificate issued by a vocational training provider registered in the Republic of Lithuania confirming initial qualification as a driver, or a periodic vocational training qualification in passenger or freight transport; 
  or 
• a professional driver card issued by a Member State of the European Union;
  or
• a driving licence with the European Union code (95);
  or 
• a certificate from a vocational training provider registered in the Republic of Lithuania stating that the theoretical part of the training has been completed (for first-time foreigners).

The employer provides information on the foreigner's qualifications as a driver of an international passenger or freight transport vehicle through MIGRIS by filling in a mediation letter. The Migration Department has the right to request a document confirming the foreigner's qualification as an international passenger or freight transport vehicle driver. We recommend attaching a digital copy of one of the documents certifying the qualification as an international passenger or freight transport vehicle driver to the application and submitting the original document to the Migration Department or to an external service provider.

By the order of the Minister of the Interior, Agn? Bilotait?, the new Description of the National Visa Issuance Procedure, which entered into force on 01 July, was approved. According to this piece of legislation, some grounds on which foreigners used to apply for a national visa have been amended.

Furthermore, as of the said date, i.e. 01 July, all applications for issuing national visas are submitted through the Lithuanian migration information system MIGRIS - on the website migracija.lt. As of this Tuesday, 38 such applications have been received.

From now on, a national visa can be issued:

• For students coming to Lithuania under the study exchange program;
• For foreigners who come to Lithuania to work as lecturers or to carry out scientific research and/or experimental (social, cultural) development work as researchers, having a creator’s agreement with the Lithuanian Science and Studies Institution. In such cases, the national visa will also be issued to the family members of such foreigners;
• For lecturers or researchers who come to Lithuania to engage in joint government programs with foreign countries, as well as their family members;
• For athletes participating in high-level sports competitions or coaches, as defined in the Law on Sports of the Republic of Lithuania, coming to Lithuania to engage in sports activities. In these cases, national visas may also be issued to family members of such foreigners;
• For seafarers arriving on a vessel sailing under the flag of the state of Lithuania, or if they are crew members of the vessel that is being repaired in Lithuania;
• For journalists accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania;
• For foreigners who cannot leave Lithuania for any of the following reasons: illness, other acute health disorder or body condition, personal reason that foreigners could not foresee or force majeure;
• For foreigners-businessmen, if they come to Lithuania to engage in legal activities and are participants in companies registered in the Register of Legal Entities, incorporated within the last one year before the date of submission of the application for issuing of a national visa, if the company’s equity capital (in the case of non joint stock companies and non private joint stock companies, value of assets) is worth at least 28 thousand euros, of which at least 14 thousand euros are the funds or other assets invested by such foreigners.
• For foreigners coming to Lithuania for seasonal work, who have a seasonal work permit issued by the Employment Service for more than 90 days or who have an extended seasonal work permit if the total period exceeds 90 days, or who have submitted an application to the Employment Service for a new or extended seasonal work permit;
• For foreigners who are employees of companies incorporated in countries that do not belong to the European Union or the European Free Trade Association, working under an open-ended employment agreement, and who are temporarily posted by such companies to Lithuania to work;
• For foreigners arriving in Lithuania in accordance with the provisions of international treaties or other agreements of the Republic of Lithuania, as well as in other cases when the purpose of their arrival is a long-term stay in the Republic of Lithuania. It can be long-term treatment or rehabilitation, upgrading of high professional qualifications, volunteering, etc.

The Migration Department draws attention to the fact that after the entry into force of the new Description of the National Visa Issuance Procedure, national visas will not be issued to students of full-time studies coming to study in Lithuania, as well as to teachers and researchers coming to work in higher education institutions under employment agreements, as well as to foreigners coming to work when their profession is entered in the list of Professions in Demand and to foreigners of several other categories.

Such persons will be required to apply for a temporary residence permit in Lithuania.

Certain requirements also apply to the documents of foreigners applying for a national visa. The individual’s passport must have been issued within the last ten years and must contain at least two blank pages for visas. The validity period of the passport must be at least 3 months longer than the validity period of the visa for which the application is submitted.

If the validity of the travel document does not exceed the validity period of the requested national visa or exceeds it by less than 3 months, the national visa is issued for a period that is 3 months shorter than the validity period of the travel document.

Specialists of the Migration Department will have to examine the visa application and make a decision within 15 calendar days from the date of receipt of the application. The examination deadline can be extended and last up to 45 calendar days in total.

After receiving a visa sticker, a foreigner intending to come to Lithuania must carefully plan his trip and pay attention to the commencement of the validity of the visa. In the event that a foreigner would arrive in Lithuania with a visa issued to him, the validity of which has not yet commenced, such a person would not be allowed into the country.

The Migration Department reminds that there are no more so-called waiting visas. Foreigners must plan the period of their legal stay in Lithuania responsibly and take care of its extension in advance.

The procedure for submitting applications for Schengen visas has not changed since 01 July.

Temporary residence permit is usually issued for 1 or 2 years. However, it might be issued for a shorter period. For the persons of Lithuanian origin and foreigners who have retained the right for the Lithuanian citizenship, temporary residence permit is granted for 5 years.

Application for the issuance of the temporary residence permit and other documents is submitted to the Migration Department in Lithuania.

You must first submit an application for an issue or renewal of a temporary residence permit electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS). Upon submission of application and after booking the visit time through MIGRIS, you must apply for a temporary residence permit (renewal) in person within 4 months from the date of submission of the application to the MIGRIS and submit the biometric data and original documents.

(From 2023 documents for the issuance of a temporary residence permit could be submitted and TRP could  could be received through an external service provider while being abroad).

Before submission of an application to issue/replace the temporary residence permit, foreigner must pay 160 EUR state fee (320 EUR for urgent processing), except when applicant is exempt from payment of state fees. 

1. Application to issue/change the residence permit (electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System MIGRIS);
2. Valid travel document (passport);
3. A temporary residence permit (when it is being replaced);
4. Documents confirming the ground for issuance of temporary residence permit;
5. A document proving a sufficient amount of funds for subsistence and return (a bank account statement, a work contract, or proof of their ability to support themselves financially. A sufficient amount for a month is equal to a minimal wage in Lithuania. In 2022 it will be 730 EUR, from 2023, it will be 840 EUR) There should be enough funds for the whole time of validity of a TRP or at least for one year;
6. The undertaking that the foreigner will declare her/his place of residence in Lithuania;
7. Certificate regarding (the absence of) a criminal record. NOTE: criminal record is valid for 6 months. Foreigners who come to work as highly qualified employees can submit a statement written by themselves confirming that they do not have a criminal record; 
8. Health insurance;
9. Documents confirming legal stay (f.e. visa) if the application is submitted in Lithuania.

More information about the required documents can be found on the website of the Migration Department.

Document copies and documents issued by foreign states (except for the passport) must be legalized or certified with an Apostille (except for the documents issued in EU member states, Russia, Moldova and Ukraine) and translated into the Lithuanian language. The list of the states whose official documents must be certified with an Apostille is available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. Documents issued by other countries must be legalized (certified twice – by the responsible institution of the country which issued the document or by a diplomatic mission and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania). More information about legalizing documents.

A foreigner’s application for the issuance of the temporary residence permit must be considered not later than within 4 months from the lodging of the application, and if applied on an urgent basis – not later than within 2 months from the date of submission of the application. On some grounds temporary residence permits are issued faster.

(From 2023 the duration of issuing temporary residence permits is changing. Based on the general procedure the issuance will last up to 3 months and based on urgent procedure up to 45 calendar days).

An application for the renewal of a temporary residence permit in general procedure with the accompanying documents must be submitted at least 2 months in advance and an application for changing a temporary residence permit and supporting documents must be submitted at least 1 month before the expiry of the temporary residence permit, but not earlier than 4 months in advance. Procedure might differ from 1 January 2023. More information will follow.

More information about documents (depending on the grounds of arrival) can be found on the website of the Migration department.

Source: Migration Department

The Department of Migration, in order to improve the quality of the provided electronic services and the operation of the Lithuanian migration information system MIGRIS, implemented improvements in it.

The innovation will allow a foreigner who has left Lithuania for a short time and has damaged or otherwise lost his temporary residence permit to submit a request to reissue the said permit through the external service provider “VFS Global”.

A citizen of a foreign state who has lost his temporary residence permit in Lithuania will have to log in to his MIGRIS account, submit a report on the lost document and fill out an application for a new temporary residence permit.

At this stage, the foreigner will have to indicate the branch of the external service provider, where he will come to apply and later collect the produced card.

If a foreigner applies for a new temporary residence permit in Lithuania through an external service provider, he/she will have to come to one of “VFS Global“ branches. Currently, the said service is provided in 34 world countries, the list of which can be found here. In this case, it is no longer necessary to pre-book a visit to the branch of the external service provider.

Up to 10 working days are allocated to the examination of the application for a new issuance of a temporary residence permit, and the foreigner will be informed about the issued permit in a separate notification.
The new temporary residence permit card will reach the foreigner via courier, so when planning a trip to Lithuania, you should keep in mind that the forwarding of the document itself to a foreign country will take additional time.

Here is some information about the Lithuanian embassies located across the world.To Know  More: https://www.urm.lt/default/en/embasycontacts