The migration process depends on your nationality and whether you already have a job offer in Lithuania.

Documents

Family members of employees with an EU Blue Card or an intra-corporate transfer residence permit can receive family-based residence permits. Their residence permit will be issued for the same period as the employee’s, and all documents can be submitted together at the same time.

Family members of employees with regular employment-based residence permits may receive their family-based residence permits only after the employee spends two years living in Lithuania. If a family member wishes to come to Lithuania immediately, they should obtain a separate residence permit.

Kindergartens

A wide variety of options are on offer for parents of pre-schoolers. Public and private kindergartens are available across the country, with services provided in various languages (including English, French and Russian). Get more information about kindergartens in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda.

Schools

Primary and secondary education in Lithuania is provided for children aged 6 to 18 and is divided into 12 grades. Public schools are free and the registration process is completed with your local school. Education is compulsory for the first 10 grades, but continuing through classes 11 and 12 is standard. It is also possible to enroll in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program in Lithuania. Please follow one of the following links for more information on schools in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda.

Schooling for children with disabilities

Children with disabilities are accepted for public schooling at no cost between the ages of 7 and 21. Please see more information about schooling for children with disabilities in Vilnius and Kaunas.

Vaccination

Your pets need to be vaccinated against rabies and have an up-to-date health certificate from a vet.

Microchip

Your pets need to be microchipped and have a certificate from a vet.

Examination

If you travel by plane, on arrival you’ll be asked to submit your pet for a special examination.

Find out more at: pettravel.com

By plane

It takes only 3 hours from most European capitals to reach Lithuania by plane. And there are direct flights to Lithuania from nearly 50 different cities. You can choose to fly to one of our 3 international airports in Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga.

By train

If you’d like to travel by train, you can find out more about Lithuanian railways and find tickets and schedules here.

By bus

If you are planning to come from a neighbouring country, you can also travel by bus. Tickets and schedules are available here.

Upon your arrival, you can choose to stay in a hotel or book an Airbnb, but it’s best to search for something more permanent before arriving.

Renting

When renting in Lithuania, the use of rental agreements is a standard practice. Agreements that outline the length of residence as more than 12 months must be in writing and can be fixed-term or ongoing. These are usually signed between two parties; however, it is possible to have a confirmation from a notary. A 1-3 month deposit is usually required, which is returned after the contract expires or is terminated.

Buying

The process of buying an apartment or house is fairly standardized across Europe, and Lithuania is no different. Once you have found your new home, you can either arrange a mortgage with your bank or buy the property without a loan. Just keep in mind that to issue a loan, banks usually require you to have at least 15% of the property’s price in savings.

The best websites for real estate are Aruodas, Domoplius, Rebaltic, and Ober-haus.

This makes you eligible to receive various public services, such as childcare. You can choose to declare your place of residence in Lithuania:

At the Migration Department when applying for a residence permit

If you decide to declare your place of residence at the Migration Department, you can attach documents confirming your place of residence to your application for a temporary residence permit on the Migration Department’s online system MIGRIS.

At a city municipality or eldership within one month of collecting your residence permit

To declare your place of residence at a city municipality after obtaining your residence permit, you have to go directly to the municipality or apply via email or their e-system.

If you are not the property owner, it is essential that you obtain written consent to use the rented address as your declared place of residence from the property owner.

Read more about declaring your place of residence here.

Contributions are automatically deducted from the salary of anyone in formal employment. If you are working under an employment contract, you are covered for all of the following: sickness insurance, maternity insurance, unemployment insurance, occupational accident insurance, pension insurance, and health insurance. Employer and employee contributions to the social insurance system are calculated as a percentage of the salary paid to the employee.

Compulsory health insurance

Once you have a temporary or permanent residence permit and start working in formal employment, you are able to receive all public medical services free of charge. After receiving confirmation of your public health insurance, you need to choose a healthcare centre to register in. You’ll need to register in person and choose a family doctor. Here‘s a list of clinics in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. More information can be found here.

Private healthcare

A wide variety of private healthcare options are also available in Lithuania. You can register in person, online or by phone at one of the many private medical centres operating in Lithuania’s major cities. Information on various medical centres is available here.

Dentistry services are also provided by private medical centres in each city. For more information see here.

Maternity/Paternity leave

If you want to go on maternity leave, you need to visit your doctor who can issue a maternity leave certificate after the 30th week of pregnancy. You also need to inform your employer, providing them with the certificate. In order to receive maternity leave benefits, you will need to submit an application to SODRA.

Maternity benefits are calculated based on your salary. You can choose to take 1, 2 or 3 years of maternity leave. If you choose 1 year, 77.58% of your salary will be paid for that year. If you choose 2 years, you will receive 54.31% of your salary the first year and 31,03% the second year. If you choose 3 years, the pattern is the same as for 2 years of leave, but the third year is unpaid. Paternity leave covers 77.58% of your salary for one month after the child is born. Paternity leave can be extended but is unpaid after the first month.

Read more about social insurance for residents in Lithuania here.

Public transport

Lithuania’s main cities have extensive public transport networks that connect downtown districts and suburban areas. The most common forms of getting around are buses and trolleybuses. Payment is convenient and easy: you can buy a ticket from the driver, but the cheapest way to travel is to buy a travel card that you can top up as you go or use as a weekly or monthly travel pass. Here’s more information about getting around in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. For intercity trips, there are multiple bus and train connections.

Carsharing and taxi

The most popular carsharing services are Citybee and SPARK, the latter offers electric cars exclusively. If you don‘t drive, you can use Bolt scooters for your daily commute as well as the Cyclo City bike-sharing system in Vilnius.

Aside from traditional taxi services, you can also use Bolt and Uber for getting around.

Owning or bringing a vehicle from abroad

If you intend to buy a car in Lithuania or bring your vehicle from abroad, you’ll need to register it before you hit Lithuanian roads. Don’t forget that you need to have your driver’s licence, car insurance, personal ID and car ownership documents with you at all times. Read more about driving in Lithuania here.

Mobile connection

Mobile telephone services in Lithuania can be purchased by signing a contract with a provider or as a pre-paid service. Major mobile providers are Telia, Tele2 and Bitė. All of them offer a variety of plans that can be tailored to your needs.

Getting online

Prices for broadband start at around 10 EUR/month, with installation time taking only few days. You will need to provide your ID and proof of address upon purchase. Major internet service providers in Lithuania are Telia, Cgates, Mezon, Tele2 and Bitė.

The average time for receiving a bank card is around 5 working days. The card can be sent to your home address or picked up from your local branch.

Lithuania’s commercial banks have branches across the country; those located in large shopping centres have longer opening hours. Internet banking is also provided by all major banks, including SEB, Swedbank, Citadele, Luminor, Šiaulių bankas.

Expanding your social circle will surely help you feel at home! Luckily, there are many groups where you can meet like-minded people.

Check out the Foreigners in Vilnius FB group, International Women’s Association Vilnius, InterNations Community and the Meetup.com platform.