I am a foreigner of Lithuanian descent

The historical situation in Lithuania has led to the very large number of people of Lithuanian origin living abroad. A person of Lithuanian descent is a person whose parents or grandparents or one of the parents or grandparents is (are) or was (were) Lithuanian and who considers himself or herself Lithuanian and states it in a written declaration. There are also a lot of people who have had Lithuanian citizenship and left Lithuania before 11th of March 1990 and retained the right to restore citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania.

What kind of document can I get if I am a foreigner of Lithuanian descent?

Lithuanian law permits these two groups of persons to receive both a temporary residence permit and a permanent residence permit. People who correspond with these two conditions can apply for a reinstatement of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania or to acquire citizenship as persons with a Lithuanian heritage according to the Simplified procedure.

Where can I submit my application?

If you are applying for a temporary residence permit you can apply to an external service provider VFS Global, and if you are staying in Lithuania, submit your application for a temporary residence permit to the Migration department (electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System MIGRIS). If you apply for a permanent residence permit you should submit your application to the Migration Department (electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System MIGRIS).

What documents do I need to submit?

When applying for a residence permit on one of the above-mentioned grounds, together with other documents (an application, personal identification document, visa (if not visa-exempt), photograph, certificate of (non) conviction) documents proving that a person is of Lithuanian descent or has the right to restore citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania must be submitted. If you do not have these documents, you can call on Lithuanian archives. According to the data stored in the archives, you will be issued a certificate about the presence of a certain fact (in this case, possession of citizenship by June 15, 1940, or the Lithuanian origins, or other data that is in the archive). After submitting such a certificate to the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Lithuania abroad, to the Migration Department, you will be prepared a document officially certifying that you are a foreigner of Lithuanian origin or you have the right to restore the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania. More information can be found on the website of the Migration department.

When issuing temporary or permanent residence permit foreigners who are of Lithuanian origin or who are entitled to restore the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania in accordance with the procedure established by the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, shall not be required to have adequate living space, health insurance, sufficient funds or regular income.

On this basis, when obtaining a residence permit, foreigners can work in Lithuania without additional work permit.

How long will the document be valid for?

The residence permit is issued for 5 years.

Source: Migration Department

Information updated: 2023-10-24
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