Visas
| ! |
According to a Law of the Republic of Lithuania No XIV-1888 on introducing restrictive measures in connection with military aggression against Ukraine adopted on 20 April 2023, the acceptance of Schengen visa applications of citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus at the visa authorities of the Republic of Lithuania abroad is suspended, except in cases when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania mediates the submission of the visa application. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs mediates for the submission of visa applications in humanitarian cases only when visit to Lithuania is necessary due to death or serious illness of a close relative. Exception is also made, if the citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus are: 1. Family members of citizens of the Republic of Lithuania and of the European Union (spouse and underage children); 2. Persons, who provide a certificate of Lithuanian origin, issued by the Migration Department under the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, and the family members thereof (spouse and children under 18); 3. Persons, who provide a certificate attesting the right to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, issued by the Migration Department under the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, and the family members thereof (spouse and children under 18). In other cases to apply for visa citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus have to wait for termination of the restrictive measures. According to point 26 of Article 2 of the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Legal Status of Foreigners, family members are considered to be a spouse or a person with whom a registered partnership agreement has been concluded, minor children (adopted children) (hereinafter - children), including minor children of a spouse or a person with whom a registered partnership agreement has been concluded, if they are unmarried and dependent on their parents, as well as first-degree relatives of the direct upper line who are supported for at least one year and cannot benefit from the support of other family members living in a foreign country.“
|
| ! |
Following the amendments to the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Legal Status of Foreigners which enter into force from July 1, 2023 please be informed that applications for issuing national visas for the purpose of employment are accepted through the Lithuanian visa application centers in the UAE until June 16, 2023. Applications for issuing national visas for other purposes are accepted through the Lithuanian visa application centers until June 23, 2023.
From July 1, 2023 applications for national visas for all purposes will be accepted only through the external service provider outsourced by the Department of Migration under the Ministry of the Interior.
Further information.
|
Types of Visa
Before applying for a visa to Lithuania, you should decide the visa type under which you wish to lodge your application.
Schengen visas:
- Short-stay visa – a visa valid for transit through or an intended stay in the territory of the Schengen Member States of a duration of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.
- Airport transit visa – a visa valid for transit through the international transit areas of one or more airports of the Schengen Member States.
National visa (D) – a visa allows to enter the Republic of Lithuania and stay in it for a period longer than 90 days:
A multiple-entry national visa can be issued to a foreigner whose purpose is long term stay in the Republic of Lithuania.
From July 1, 2023 applications for national visas for all purposes will be accepted only through the external service provider outsourced by the Department of Migration under the Ministry of the Interior.
Schengen visa
- Visa authority competent for examining and deciding on applications
Decisions on the issuance or refusal to issue a visa, annulment and revocation of a visa are made by diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Republic of Lithuania, assigned to perform functions related to the issuance of visas by order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania (further – visa authorities).
Visa authorities of the Republic of Lithuania are competent for examining and deciding on an application for a uniform visa if:
a) Lithuanian territory constitutes the sole destination of the visit(s);
b) if the visit includes more than one destination, or if several separate visits are to be carried out within a period of two months, Lithuanian territory shall constitute the main destination of the visit(s) in terms of the length of stay, counted in days, or the purpose of stay;
or
c) if no main destination can be determined, Lithuanian external border should be first the applicant intends to cross in order to enter the territory of Schengen Member States.
2. Visa authorities of the Republic of Lithuania are competent for examining and deciding on an application for a uniform visa for the purpose of transit if:
a) in the case of transit through Lithuania only;
or
b) in the case of transit through the several Schengen Member States, Lithuanian external border should be first the applicant intends to cross to start the transit.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the examination of applications, interviews (where appropriate), the decision on applications and the printing and affixing of visa stickers shall be carried out only by the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Abu Dhabi.
The Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Abu Dhabi is competent to examine and decide on applications submitted by applicants legally residing in its consular jurisdiction.
The Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Abu Dhabi shall examine and decide on an application lodged by a third-country national legally present but not residing in its jurisdiction if the applicant has provided justification for lodging the application in the UAE. Such applicants should contact the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Abu Dhabi by email consul.ae@urm.lt before lodging their applications.
Please click here to find the completed list of Lithuanian embassies, visa centres and representation arrangements with the other Schengen Member State.
- Lodging an application
In the UAE, applications have to be lodged at the Lithuanian Visa Application Centres in Abu Dhabi, address:
Level B2 (Lower Ground), The Mall, World Trade Centre,
Khalifa Bin Zayed The 1st Street (Airport Road), Abu Dhabi, UAE
In Dubai, address:
Joint Visa Application Centre Wafi Mall, Level 2, Falcon, Phase 2,
Umm Hurair 2, Dubai UAE
An appointment for the lodging of an application is required and can be obtained on the Lithuanian Visa Application Center website https://www.vfsglobal.com/lithuania/uae/index.html
At the time of submission of the first application, the applicant is required to appear in person.
Applications shall be lodged no more than six (6) months, and for seafarers in the performance of their duties no more than nine (9) months, before the start of the intended visit, and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before the start of the intended visit. In justified individual cases of urgency, the visa authority of the Republic of Lithuania or the central authorities may allow the lodging of applications later than 15 calendar days before the start of the intended visit.
- Criteria for an application to be considered admissible
The application shall be admissible if the following conditions have been fulfilled:
1. The application shall be lodged within the period referred above.
2. Each applicant shall submit a manually or electronically completed application form in Lithuanian or English. The application form shall be signed. Persons included in the applicant’s travel document shall submit a separate application form. Minors shall submit an application form signed by a person exercising permanent or temporary parental authority or legal guardianship.
3. The applicant shall present a valid travel document satisfying the following criteria:
- its validity shall extend at least three (3) months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States or, in the case of several visits, after the last intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States. However, in a justified case of emergency, this obligation may be waived;
- it shall contain at least two blank pages;
- it shall have been issued within the previous 10 years.
The following biometric identifiers of the applicant shall be collected:
• a photograph (according to this sample), scanned or taken at the time of application,
and
• 10 fingerprints taken flat and collected digitally.
Where fingerprints as part of an earlier application were collected for the first time less than 59 months before the date of the new application, they shall be copied to the subsequent application. If at the time when the application is lodged, it cannot be immediately confirmed that the fingerprints were collected within the period of 59 months, the applicant may request that they are collected.
The following applicants shall be exempt from the requirement to give fingerprints:
• children under the age of 12;
• persons for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible. If the fingerprinting of fewer than 10 fingers is possible, the maximum number of fingerprints shall be taken. However, should the impossibility be temporary, the applicant shall be required to give the fingerprints at the following application;
• heads of State or government and members of a national government with accompanying spouses, and the members of their official delegation when they are invited by Schengen Member States’ governments or by international organisations for an official purpose;
• sovereigns and other senior members of a royal family, when they are invited by Schengen Member States’ governments or by international organisations for an official purpose.
However, where there is reasonable doubt regarding the identity of the applicant, the visa authority of the Republic of Lithuania shall collect fingerprints within the period of 59 months.
Applicants shall pay a visa fee.
- Supporting documents
Documents to be submitted by all applicants for Schengen visa:
1. Completed and signed Schengen visa application form. To complete the form login - https://www.migracija.lt/auth/login?lang=en
2. One recent passport photo 35x45 colorful, white background.
3. A valid travel document – passport (containing at least 2 blank pages, issued within the previous 10 years, its period of validity extending at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States). Non-Emirati nationals residing in UAE shall also present the temporary or permanent residence permit granted to the applicant. Non-Emirati nationals visiting UAE may submit application if in their country of residence and/or nationality no Lithuanian Embassy or external service provider are present, they shall also present visa/permit proving their legal stay in UAE.
4. Valid health insurance covering the duration of stay in Schengen area (in case of multi-entry visas - for the first trip). The minimum amount of medical insurance coverage is EUR 30,000.
5. Copy of round trip flight ticket or verifiable round trip flight reservation.
6. Verifiable evidence of sufficient means of subsistence during intended stay:
a) payslips;
b) a valid international credit card accompanied by bank statements;
c) bank account statements for the last three months; or a national form for proof of sponsorship and/or accommodation.
7. Proof of accommodation:
a) hotel reservation;
b) proof of rental or ownership of real estate in the Member State of destination;
c) confirmation of private accommodation, mentioning that the host will cover the accommodation costs;
d) confirmation of accommodation by the company inviting the applicant, mentioning that the company will cover the accommodation costs.
8. Minors travelling without their parents/legal guardian: original authorisation signed by their parents/legal guardian in front of a visa officer or duly legalised authorisation and copy of passport(s) of parents/legal guardian.
9. Residence permit valid three months beyond the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States or, for GCC citizens, a UAE-ID-card, valid for three months after the intended departure date from the territory of the Member States.
10. Employees: original letter from employer stating the applicant’s employment status, position, length of contract and salary.
11. Self-employed persons: valid original trade licence.
12. To obtain a multiple-entry short stay visa, a foreign national must submit documents substantiating of the necessity for such visa or documents substantiating the circumstances entitling him/her to a multiple-entry short stay visa.
13. Visa fee.
Additional documents to be submitted relating to the purpose of the journey
1. Business
- Invitation letter electronically submitted through https://www.migracija.lt/app/form-wizard/mediation-letter from a company or an authority to attend a meeting, conference or event or other documents which shows the existence of trade relations or relations for work purposes (e.g. confirmed registrations for trade fairs or congresses).
2. Official delegation/mission
- A letter issued by the authority(-ies) concerned confirming identity of the applicant(s), purpose of the journey (meetings, consultations, negotiations or events held by intergovernmental organizations), period of intended stay and accommodation details.
3. Tourism
- Full travel itinerary.
4. Private visit: invitation letter electronically submitted through https://www.migracija.lt/app/form-wizard/mediation-letter by the host covering the period of the intended stay.
5. Medical treatment
- A document issued by the medical institution in the Member State of destination confirming that the applicant will receive medical care in that institution.
- Pre-payment or other proof of sufficient financial means to cover the medical treatment and related expenses, such as insurance coverage.
6. Study or training
- A certificate of enrolment at an educational establishment for the purposes of attending vocational or theoretical courses within the framework of basic and further training;
- Student cards or certificates of the courses to be attended.
7. Airport transit
- Valid visa for the country of next or final destination.
- Proof of the intention of carrying out the onward journey: copy of ticket or reservation of ticket for onward journey.”
- Visa and service fee
1. Applicants shall pay a Schengen visa fee of EUR 90.
2. Children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years shall pay a Schengen visa fee of EUR 45.
3. The visa fee shall be waived for applicants belonging to one of the following categories:
• children under six years;
• school pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers who undertake stays for the purpose of study or educational training;
• researchers, as defined in point (2) of Article 3 of Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8), traveling for the purpose of carrying out scientific research or participating in a scientific seminar or conference;
• representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organised by non-profit organisations;
• family members of citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, European Union or European Free Trade Association.
4. Nationals of countries (Moldova, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), which have concluded a visa facilitation agreement with the European Union, shall pay a Schengen visa fee of EUR 35.
The visa fee shall be charged in the UAE Dirhams on the appointment day at the Lithuanian Visa Application Centre and shall not be refundable.
In addition to a Schengen visa fee, the Lithuanian Visa Application Centre shall charge a service fee in the UAE Dirhams of the equivalent of EUR 17.90.
Please visit https://www.vfsglobal.com/lithuania/uae/index.html for details on visa and service fees in Dirhams.
- Prior consultations
On the grounds of a threat to public policy, internal security, international relations or public health, a Schengen Member State may require the central authorities of other Schengen Member States to consult its central authorities during the examination of applications lodged by nationals of specific third countries or specific categories of such nationals. Such consultation shall not apply to applications for airport transit visas.
- Decision on the application
Applications shall be decided on within 15 calendar days of the date of the lodging of an application which is admissible. That period may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, notably when further scrutiny of the application is needed.
Applicants who have been refused a visa receives are notified by means of the standard form on the refusal, annulment or revocation of the visa, stating the reasons for the decision.
- Right to appeal
Applicants have the right to appeal against the decisions to the Regional Administrative Court (Žygimantų St. 2, LT-01102 Vilnius, tel.: +370 5 264 8703) within 14 days from the date of the delivery of the decision. In accordance with the procedure established by the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Legal Status of Aliens and the Law on Administrative Proceedings of the Republic of Lithuania, an appeal must be lodged in Lithuanian, and documents written in other languages must be translated into Lithuanian and approved in accordance with the established procedure. A stamp duty of EUR 30 must be paid for the appeal (if the appeal is lodged to a court only by electronic means, 75 % of the amount of the stamp duty must be paid). Information on the procedure to follow can be found at the website of the Regional Administrative Court.
Mere possession of a uniform visa or a visa with limited territorial validity shall not confer an automatic right of entry. Visa holders at the external border are required to provide evidence that they fulfil the entry conditions as they set in Article 6 of the Schengen Borders Code.
- Family members of an EU citizen or a citizen of an EFTA Member State
According to the Article 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, every citizen of the Union shall have the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, subject to the limitations and conditions laid down in the Treaties and by the measures adopted to give them effect. These restrictions and conditions are, among others, set out in Directive 2004/38/EC13 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States. If applicants meet the status of a family member of an EU citizen as laid down in the Directive, the visa authority of the Republic of Lithuania will give them every opportunity to obtain the required visa and provide them with the best conditions to obtain it*, including:
• no visa fee;
• visas are issued as soon as possible (the processing of a visa application for more than 15 days can only be exceptional and duly justified), and an appointment should be made on more favourable conditions than for other third-country nationals;
• a limited list of supporting documents (a proof that there is an EU citizen, from whom certain rights are derived, that the visa applicant is a member of the family of such an EU citizen and that the person applying for a visa accompanies the EU citizen in the host Schengen Member State, or joins him or her there).
* The same conditions also apply to family members of a national of an EFTA (European Free Trade Association) Member State.
- Complaints procedure
Applicants may lodge complaints about the conduct of staff at visa authorities of the Republic of Lithuania and, where applicable, of the external service providers or the application process. In accordance with Article 2 p. 5 of the 1999 June 17 Law on Public Administration of the Republic of Lithuania No. VIII-1234, a complaint is a written application of a person to a public administration entity, stating that his or her rights or legitimate interests have been violated and asking to defend them. Pursuant to Article 3 p. 8, the complaint shall be lodged to the visa authority of the Republic of Lithuania concerned or directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Complaints are examined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14 and Section 3 of the Law, decisions on appeals shall be taken within 20 working days. Where, for objective reasons, the complaint cannot be dealt with within that period, the period may be extended, but for no longer than ten (10) working days. The person shall be notified in writing of the extension within two (2) working days, and the reasons for the extension shall be indicated.