Six tips making the return to Lithuania easier MIC „Renkuosi Lietuvą“

Relocating back to Lithuania as much as going abroad has its own difficulties and barriers. People often face questions regarding necessary documents, social insurance, aggregation of employment periods, education or queries related to arrival of foreigners. If these questions remain unanswered when one has already returned, integration and adjustment process becomes less smooth than it could be if one had information sorted in advance.

Migration Information Centre (MIC) “I Choose Lithuania” presents six pamphlets for those returning to Lithuania, which aim to form convenient and coherent answers to the main subjects of concern, spare one from common mistakes regarding relocation planning and make the returning process is clear and simple.

There are six different topics covered in the pamphlets which are made in accordance with the frequently asked questions and knowledge gained during three years of experience of consulting people who consider returning or have already started the relocation process:

• First steps in Lithuania: information on documents which are required upon return; essential measures which need to be taken into account prior the return on upon it; transferring social benefits and accumulating it in Lithuania.
• Benefits related to child care: benefit issuing procedure for maternity, paternity and child care contributions; additional contributions for child birth; benefit issuing procedure after relocating from abroad.
• Education: information on elementary education; school education and university studies in Lithuania; information on distance learning; learning in English.
• Unemployment and social insurance benefits: procedure for unemployment benefits in Lithuania and abroad; aggregation of employment periods; programs of the Lithuanian Labour Exchange.
• Contraction of marriage with a foreign citizen: the process of marriage contraction; registering a foreign made marriage in Lithuania; legalization of documents issued abroad and Apostille obtaining process.
• Foreigners in Lithuania: EU citizens arrival and residence in Lithuania; arrival and residence of citizens from third countries; naturalization process and conditions for granting Lithuanian citizenship.

Digital version of pamphlets can be found in the website of “I Choose Lithuania” and the printed version- in the consular departments of Lithuanian Embassies in United Kingdom (London), Norway (Oslo), Ireland (Dublin) or Consulate in Valencia (Spain). Printed version may also be provided to Lithuanian communities which do not have a direct access to other means of communication.

“We seek to assure that the essential information regarding relocation and living in Lithuania would be available to a wide range of Lithuanians living abroad. We hope that this information will spare one from particular worries related to the process of relocating to Lithuania and help to clear unjustified myths about living in Lithuania. If one would have any additional questions, “I Choose Lithuania” assistants will be ready to provide consultations in person via email or telephone”, - notes the coordinator of Migration Information Centre - Justinas Uba.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Migration Information Centre (MIC) “I Choose Lithuania”, founded by Lithuanian Government, is designed to provide extensive and personally specified information for ones considering relocating or those who have already returned to Lithuania. Main fields of consultations include inquiries regarding social, educational, health insurance or integration, living and employment related questions for family members who are not citizens of Lithuania. In 3 years of practice, almost 3,000 personalized consultations were provided for applicants from 53 different countries. In 2018 alone, almost 1,800 individual consultations were provided via email, phone, Facebook or in person. The number of consultations doubles every year.

One may find free of charge consultation options here:

• Internet: renkuosilietuva.lt/eng
• Telephone: 8 800 22922 | +370-525-14352 (calling from abroad) ·
• Email: mic@iom.lt · Facebook: facebook.com/RenkuosiLietuva/