From 2023, temporary residence permits will be available before arrival in Lithuania
Starting from 2 January 2023, foreigners wishing to obtain a temporary residence permit in Lithuania will be able to submit their applications at 34 „VFS Global“ offices located in different foreign countries.
VFS Global, selected through a public procurement procedure, will provide applicants with information on the procedure for issuing temporary residence permits, receive applications and required documents, collect personal and biometric data, and transfer them to the Migration Department.
In all cases, decisions on whether or not to issue a temporary residence permit will be taken by Migration Department specialists. The application review and the decision-making will take between 1 and 3 months.
The fee for receiving, reviewing, deciding and issuing a temporary residence permit will be €120 per application, payable at the time of application at the „VFS Global“ office. From 2023, foreigners admitted to study in a Lithuanian research and study institution as part of a study programme or a doctoral programme will enjoy a reduced fee for issuing a temporary residence permit by 50%. Foreigners who have completed their studies or research and experimental development work in Lithuania will not be required to pay the fee for issuing or changing temporary residence permit once.
Once the decision to issue a temporary residence permit in Lithuania is made, the temporary residence card will be sent abroad. The foreigner will arrive in Lithuania with a valid residence permit and will no longer need to obtain a visa in addition. If the foreigner already has a visa entitling them to come to Lithuania, or if they use a visa-free regime, they can collect the temporary residence permit card already in Lithuania.
Until 2 January, applications for temporary residence permits can only be submitted after legal arrival in Lithuania and after booking an appointment at the Migration Department's Customer Service Unit.
Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners („Dėl užsieniečių teisinės padėties“) also enter into force on 2 January 2023, shortening the time limit for processing applications for temporary residence permits by 1 month.
All foreign nationals will be able to apply to the VFS Global offices, regardless of whether they are resident in the country where the service is provided.
The procedure for national visa applications remains unchanged as of 1 January, as they will continue to be submitted to the external service provider chosen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This procedure will remain in force until 1 July 2023.
Countries with "VFS Global" offices: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, Georgia, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Malaysia, Moldova, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, United States of America, Venesuela.
