I am coming to stay with my spouse or partner

The number of mixed families in Lithuania is rising, therefore, the number of foreigners receiving residence permits on the basis that their spouse is a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania or a foreigner already holding a residence permit in Lithuania is also increasing. Family members do not need a work permit - they can start working in Lithuania right after they have received a residence permit.

IMPORTANT: If a foreigner applies for a residence permit right after the marriage with a Lithuanian national and the woman is changing her last name she will first have to get a new travel document (passport/ID) so that the last name on the marriage certificate and ID/passport match.  

Temporary Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen

(Lith. Europos Sąjungos piliečio šeimos nario leidimo laikinai gyventi šalyje kortelė ), thereinafter – Residence card of a family member.

This Card shall be issued to a citizen of a third country who is a spouse or a partner of:

  • a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania who has exercised the EU right of free movement and can prove it. Free movement means that he or she resided in another EU Member State after 1 May 2004 (i.e. he was not on holiday and did not go to do the shopping in another EU Member State but was engaged in some activities (worked, studied, etc.) and maintained relations with that country); or
  • a citizen of another EU Member State residing in Lithuania.

What are the other cases when Residence card of a family member can be issued?

If a foreign citizen is Lithuanian citizen’s partner with whom he/she has maintained constant relations for 3 years;

  • If a foreigner is Lithuanian citizen’s dependent;
  • If a foreigner handles the general household with a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania (for example, has mutual lease contract for a house or a mutual loan agreement for housing);
  • If due to serious health problems, a foreigner needs supervision of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania.

How long will the document be valid for?

The Card is issued for 5 years or for a foreseeable term of residence in Lithuania if it does not exceed 5 years. If a foreigner has been lawfully residing in Lithuania for the past 5 years with a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania who has exercised the right to free movement in the EU law, he/she can receive the permanent residence card of a family member of the EU citizen's issued for 10 years.

Where can I apply for a Residence card of a family member?

You have to submit your application and documents for the issue of the card in person through the Lithuanian Migration Information System (hereinafter MIGRIS). Within 4 months from the date of submission of the application and the documents within the MIGRIS, you must personally come to the chosen branch of the Migration Department and submit the original documents, biometric data and sign the application.

How much will it cost to apply for a Residence card of a family member?

It is obligatory to pay a state fee of 60 EUR for handling documents for the issuance of the card, 40 EUR for the processing of documents for changing the card. For more information, visit the Migration Department website.

What documents do I need to submit?

  1. Valid travel document and a document proving lawful stay in the Republic of Lithuania (if a foreigner is obliged to have visa);
  2. Document proving that citizen of Lithuania with who or to whom a family member or other person arrives, has exercised the EU right of free movement;
  3. Marriage certificate or registered partnership agreement (the marriage must be registered abroad).

Important: if you are arriving to reunite with your spouse/partner who is not a Lithuanian citizen but a citizen of another EU country you can find the list of the documents you need to submit on the website of the Migration department.

Do I need to legalize the documents?

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 Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia) 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.

How long will it take to process my application?  

An application must be considered and a decision on it must be adopted no later than within one month from the day of submitting the application to a Migration Service.

More information about the Temporary Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen can be found on the website of the Migration Department.

Temporary residence permit

If your spouse or a person with whom a registered partnership agreement is registered is a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania (who has not exercised the EU right of free movement) or a foreigner who has a presidence permit in the Republic of Lithuania, you can obtain a temporary residence permit.

How long will the document be valid for?

If you arrive to Lithuania to reunite with your family member who is a Lithuanian citizen or foreigner holding a permanent residence permit, the temporary residence permit will be issued for 2 years (replaced for 4 years). If you arrive to Lithuania to reunite with your family member who also is a foreigner holding a TRP, you shall be granted a TRP for the same period like your family member.

Where can I apply for a temporary residence permit?

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 the following documents to the Migration department

Note: the lodging of such an application does not entitle the foreigner to stay in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania before the foreigner’s application has been examined and a decision on the issue has been taken.

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

How much will it cost to apply for a temporary residence permit?

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.  

What documents do I need to submit?

  1. Application to issue/change the residence permit (electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System MIGRIS);
  2. Valid travel document;
  3. A temporary residence permit (if you wish to replace it);
  4. Marriage certificate (if there is no data in the Population Register about the marriage conclusion, or registered partnership contracts);
  5. Document regarding a sufficient amount of subsistence funds (one minimum wage per month. There should be enough funds for the whole time of validity of a TRP or at least for one year);
  6. The undertaking that foreigner will declare her/his place of residence in Lithuania;
  7. Certificate regarding (the absence of) a criminal record;
  8. Health insurance;
  9. A document confirming the legal stay (I. e. a visa or a residence permit) if you submit the application while staying in Lithuania.

Read more about Temporary residence permit

Permanent residence permit

In which cases can a foreigner be issued with a permanent residence permit?

If you have entered the Republic of Lithuania together with a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania as a member of his family, you may obtain a permanent residence permit. Arriving with a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania does not mean that you must physically cross the border together. It is considered that you arrive together if you have lived together with a Lithuanian citizen as his family member in a foreign country and all of you are moving to live in Lithuania together. You must be moving from any non-EU/EFTA country (in cases when a Lithuanian citizen is moving from EU/EFTA countries to Lithuania with his family members, foreign family member will be issued with a Temporary Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen).  

How long will the document be valid for?

Permanent residence permit is executed for 5 years, and after this period passes, it may be replaced.

Where can I apply for a permanent residence permit?

You must first submit an application for an issue or renewal of a permanent 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 permanent 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 the following documents to the Migration department

Note: Submitting an application to issue a permanent residence permit does not grant the right for a foreigner to stay in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania until foreigner‘s application to issue a permanent residence permit will be examined and a decision made.

How much will it cost to apply for a permanent residence permit?

Prior to applying to issue a permanent residence permit, a foreigner must pay state fee of 160 EUR (320 EUR for an urgent procedure) for the examination of an application to issue a permanent residence permit, except for the cases, when in a manner established by the law, (s)he is exempted from the state fee.

What documents do I need to submit?

  1. Application of an established form to issue a permanent residence permit (submitted electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System MIGRIS);
  2. Valid travel document;
  3. Free form application of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania to issue you a permanent residence permit  as a member of his family who is coming to the Republic of Lithuania to live together;
  4. Documents confirming that a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania, before coming to live with the foreigner in the Republic of Lithuania, lived in a foreign country;
  5. Documents confirming that the foreigner is a member of the family of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania. Note: If the marriage data is in the register of residents of the Republic of Lithuania, the marriage certificate is not required.
  6. A document confirming that the foreigner has enough funds to live in the Republic of Lithuania for at least one year (i. e. bank account statement) and (or) he or she receives regular income subsistent for living (i. e. job agreement). The amount of subsistence is 1 minimum monthly salary for one month, there should be enough funds for at least one year. When the foreigner is supported by a family member, following documents should be submitted:
    • the obligation of the family member to support the foreigner;
    • a document confirming that the family member has enough funds for himself/herself and the foreigner to live in the Republic of Lithuania for at least 1 year and (or) receives regular income for himself/herself and the foreigner to live in the Republic of Lithuania;
  7. If foreigner‘s personal data in an application to issue a permanent residence permit does not match appropriate data that is in the Register of Aliens and (or) Population register of the Republic of Lithuania then documents confirming changes of personal data should be provided.
  8. (A) valid certificate(s) from (a) competent authority(-ies) of (a) foreign state(s) where the foreigner lived before coming to the Republic of Lithuania and (or) lives at the moment of submitting a permanent residence permit application, confirming that the foreigner was (not) convicted in the corresponding state(s) - applicable only if the foreigner is older than 14 years;
  9. If another person on behalf of the foreigner paid the state fee, it is necessary to provide the detailed form of the payment order specifying the name, the surname, the personal identification number or the date of birth of the foreigner on whose behalf the payment was made; the payment order shall be certified by the bank’s stamp.

Do I need to legalize the documents?

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.

Read more about permanent residence permit.

Source: Migration Department

Information updated: 2023-10-24
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