Lithuania
Lithuania visa guide: all visa and residence permit types
- 16 visa types
- checked 24 October 2026
How visas for Lithuania work
Lithuania is a Schengen state, so short visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period are covered by the uniform Schengen visa (type C). Schengen applications are lodged at the Lithuanian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence or at the external service provider it uses; where Lithuania has no mission, another Schengen state may represent it. The visa fee is EUR 90 for adults, and the application form is now completed online in the MIGRIS system before printing and signing it.
Anyone staying longer than 90 days needs either a national (D) visa, issued for at most 12 months, or a temporary residence permit. Both are decided by the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior. From abroad the application is filed in MIGRIS and lodged with biometrics at the Migration Department's external service provider, VFS Global, whose branches since 1 December 2024 serve citizens of the country where they are located (other nationals only on a few grounds such as family reunification or highly qualified work) and charge their own service fee. The state fee for a temporary residence permit is EUR 160 (EUR 320 for urgent handling), and an approved card is sent to the centre, so you travel with the permit itself rather than an extra visa.
Temporary residence permits are issued on specific legal grounds: employment, highly qualified work (EU Blue Card), intra-corporate transfer, studies, research, start-ups, business activity, family reunification and others. Most applicants must show health insurance, accommodation with at least 7 square metres per adult (4 for students) and means of subsistence of one minimum monthly wage per month, which is EUR 1,153 in 2026. Since 1 July 2024 people holding visas, visa-free status or permits of other countries can no longer work in Lithuania; work requires a Lithuanian residence permit, apart from a short list of exceptions.
After five years of continuous lawful residence a foreigner can apply for a permanent residence permit (EU long-term resident status), which requires passing exams in the Lithuanian language and the basics of the Constitution. Asylum claims are made in Lithuania to the State Border Guard Service or the Migration Department, not at embassies abroad.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday, visiting relatives or a business trip of up to 90 days: Schengen visa (C), EUR 90, if your nationality needs one.
A job offer of at least six months: work-based temporary residence permit; with a degree and a salary of 1.5 times the average wage: EU Blue Card.
Seasonal farm or similar work for up to six months in a year: national (D) visa with a seasonal work permit.
University or doctoral studies: student temporary residence permit, EUR 80 state fee; after graduating, a one-year permit to look for work.
Founding an innovative company: Startup Visa Lithuania endorsement, then a two-year permit; running an established company with EUR 28,000 equity: business-activity permit.
Joining a spouse or parent: family reunification permit; after five years of residence: permanent residence.
Visa types for Lithuania
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Schengen short-stay visa (type C) for tourism
If your nationality needs a visa, a holiday in Lithuania requires a Schengen visa.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area. - Family and friends visit visa Schengen visa (type C) to visit family or friends
If you visit relatives or friends living in Lithuania, you apply for a Schengen visa at the Lithuanian mission responsible for your place of residence or its external service provider, using the family and friends checklist.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area.
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Schengen visa (type C) for business visits
Business travellers use the Schengen visa with the business checklist, lodged at the Lithuanian mission responsible for their place of residence or its external service provider for EUR 90.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area. - Entrepreneur and start-up visa Startup Visa Lithuania – temporary residence permit for start-up founders
Founders of innovative start-ups can live in Lithuania on a temporary residence permit after the Startup Visa Lithuania programme of the Innovation Agency endorses their business.
Validity: Two years, renewable for three years after a new confirmation from the authorised institution. - Self-employed and freelancer visa Temporary residence permit for lawful activities (company owners and managers)
Foreigners who own or manage an active Lithuanian company can get a temporary residence permit on the ground of lawful activities.
Validity: Two years, or three years for the EUR 260,000 and EUR 500,000 variants; renewable.
Study and training
- Student visa Temporary residence permit for studies
Students admitted to a Lithuanian university or college apply for a temporary residence permit for studies instead of a long-stay visa.
Validity: Length of the studies, at most two years per permit; three years for doctoral studies; final year plus up to six months. - Researcher visa Temporary residence permit for teachers and researchers
Foreigners hired as teachers or researchers under an employment contract with a Lithuanian higher education and research institution get a dedicated temporary residence permit.
Validity: Two years, or the length of the teaching or research job plus three months if shorter; renewable while research continues.
Work
- Work visa Temporary residence permit for employment
Most foreign employees need a temporary residence permit on the employment ground.
Validity: Length of the employment, at most two years; renewable while you keep working. - EU Blue Card EU Blue Card (temporary residence permit for highly qualified employment)
The EU Blue Card is Lithuania’s permit for highly qualified employees.
Validity: Three years, or the contract length plus three months if the contract is shorter. - Intra-company transfer visa Temporary residence permit for intra-corporate transferees (ICT)
Managers, specialists and trainee employees of a company outside the EU can be transferred to its branch, representative office or group company in Lithuania on an ICT permit.
Maximum stay: Three years for managers and specialists, one year for trainees, including moves to other EU states. - Seasonal work visa National visa (D) with a work permit for seasonal work
Seasonal workers come to Lithuania on a national (D) visa backed by a seasonal work permit from the Employment Service.
Maximum stay: Work permit for up to six months in any 12-month period; a national visa is issued for at most 12 months. - Job seeker visa Temporary residence permit after studies or research (to seek work)
Lithuania has no general job-seeker visa for people abroad, but foreigners who complete studies, vocational training or research in Lithuania can get a temporary residence permit for up to one year to look for a job or set up as self-employed.
Validity: Up to one year.
Family
- Family reunification visa Temporary residence permit on the ground of family reunification
Spouses, registered partners, minor children and some parents of Lithuanian citizens and residence permit holders can get a temporary residence permit for family reunification.
Validity: Same period as the sponsor’s permit; two years, then renewal for four years, when joining a Lithuanian citizen or a permanent resident.
Residence
- Permanent residence Permanent residence permit (EU long-term resident permit)
After five years of continuous lawful residence in Lithuania you can apply for a permanent residence permit, which gives EU long-term resident status.
Validity: Permanent; the card is personalised for five years and then renewed.
Fast-track and priority services
- Fast-track and priority visa services Urgent procedure for residence permits (Migration Department)
Lithuania’s official priority service is the urgent procedure of the Migration Department for residence permits.
Processing time: Temporary residence permits: within 1.5 months urgent instead of 3 months; Startup Visa permits: 15 days urgent instead of one month.
Asylum and international protection
- Asylum and international protection Asylum: refugee status and subsidiary protection
People who fear persecution or serious harm in their home country can apply for asylum in Lithuania, in person, to the State Border Guard Service at the border or to the Border Guard or the Migration Department inside the country.
Maximum stay: You may remain while the claim is examined; refugees receive a permanent residence permit, subsidiary protection holders a two-year temporary permit.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I apply for a Lithuanian visa?
Schengen visas: at the Lithuanian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence or the external service provider it uses; where Lithuania has no mission, another Schengen state may represent it. National visas and temporary residence permits are filled in online in MIGRIS and lodged with biometrics at VFS Global, the Migration Department's external service provider, or at a Migration Department office if you are already legally in Lithuania.
How long does a Lithuanian Schengen visa take?
The rule is 15 calendar days from an admissible application, extendable to 45 days when further checks are needed. The urgent procedure of the Migration Department applies to residence permits, not to Schengen visas.
How much money do I need to show?
For a Schengen stay Lithuania asks for EUR 50 per day, or an invitation registered in MIGRIS by a person or company that takes on your costs. For national visas and residence permits the benchmark is one minimum monthly wage per month, EUR 1,153 in 2026, usually for a full year.
Do I need a visa before collecting a residence permit?
Usually not. When you apply abroad through VFS, the Migration Department sends the approved permit card to the centre, and you enter Lithuania with it. If you already have a visa or may enter visa-free, you can collect the card in Lithuania instead.
Can I work in Lithuania on a Schengen visa?
In general no. Since 1 July 2024 work requires a Lithuanian temporary residence permit. Exceptions include short business trips of up to three months a year for contract negotiations, staff training or installing equipment, and a few other listed groups.
Where can I appeal a refusal?
Visa refusals and Migration Department decisions can be challenged at the regional administrative court, usually within 14 days of receiving the decision. A Schengen visa refusal goes to the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court; the appeal must be in Lithuanian and carries a EUR 30 stamp duty.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 24 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.