Residence Permits in the Republic of Lithuania

The main legal act regulating the issues concerning residence permits, their types and conditions of issue is the Law on the Legal status of Aliens (hereinafter - the Law).

A residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter – Residence Permit) shall grant an alien (non-EU/non-EEA national) the right to reside in the Republic of Lithuania, to choose a place of residence in the Republic of Lithuania, to change the place of residence, to depart from and return to the Republic of Lithuania during the period of validity of the residence permit, including traveling within the Schengen Area for the limited period of time as established by laws.

Aliens may be issued the following residence permits:

• Temporary Residence Permit;
• Permanent Residence Permit.

When issuing an alien a residence permit for the first time,and, as a rule, when issuing the residence permit for the purposes related to work/business, the alien shall usually be issued a temporary residence permit, except in the cases established by the Law.

An alien who applies for the first time for the issue of a residence permit shall lodge an application for the issue of a residence permit with the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Lithuania abroad. The alien who is lawfully staying on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania may lodge an application to issue a residence permit, including the one lodged for the first time, with the institution authorised by the Minister of the Interior, however the lodging of such an application shall not entitle the alien to stay on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania before the alien’s application has been examined and a decision on the issue has been taken.

For more detailed information on residence permits in the Republic of Lithuania see the Migration Department under the Ministry of Interior website  www.migracija.lt.

As of 2009, an alien (a citizen of a non-EU/non-EEA country) who intends to work for an undertaking indicated in a work permit in the Republic of Lithuania issued to the alien by the Lithuanian Labour Exchange under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as the “work permit”) may be issued a multiple entry national visa (D) valid for a period indicated in the work permit, but no longer than for one year.

In this case, the documents have to be submitted for the issuance of the multiple entry national visa (D) to a diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Lithuania abroad or, in certain cases, to the Migration Department in Lithuania.

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