Work permit in Lithuania

Updated: 2023-05-18

We do assist our clients to register a company in Lithuania, hire and bring workers from non-EU countries as India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal etc. There are few different work permit in Lithuania options under which basis workers will be issued a Temporary Residence Permit in Lithuania (further called – TRP) for two years remotely.

NB: We do not provide employment agency services for persons looking for a job abroad. We do assist our business clients to get workers employed in their own companies.

From the beginning of 2023 year, the Migration Department have started providing the service of issuing TRP in Lithuania through an external service provider VFS Global. Before this, to apply for the residence permit was possible only in Lithuania’s migration department directly, for this reason you had to get a visa to come to Lithuania before that. Nowadays it is possible to apply and obtain a TRP card through VFS global visa centers which are spread around the globe without a need to separately apply for a visiting visa to come to Lithuania to apply for a residence permit.

There are two main options for a regular work permit to be obtained by a non-EU national which we will discuss below. Apart from these there are another option to apply for a Blue Card for highly skilled workers.

Employment contract with a profession which is ON the shortage occupations list

Each year Lithuania’s Labor Exchange Department announces a list of professions which are on high demand and lacks local employees. The list each years remain more or less the same, only few professions are being removed or added new. This category applicants will have a simplified procedures to obtain a work and residence permit without a need to obtain a permission to be employed from the labor of exchange department. To apply for this category work permit qualification, or work experience documents are not required if the employee will be paid an average monthly salary of Lithuania, as of MAY 2023 it is 1’900,- Eur/month. If the employer wishes to pay a lower salary then the employee will have to provide qualification or work experience documents (at least one year experience in a similar position for  the last three years period). In this case he could be paid as low as minimal salary of Lithuania as of MAY 2023 it is 840,- Eur/month. Therefore we can apply all type of persons for this category work permit with and without education documents.

Required documents to process a work permit in Lithuania:

  1. Passport copy of applicant;
  2. Living place address in the native country (proof of address is not required);
  3. Education or experience documents for the last 3 years if any (not mandatory);
  4. Police clearance certificate which must be issued no sooner than 6 months before the day of application. The document has to be in English language, otherwise it will require a translation.

The rest documentation to apply for a residence permit will be prepared by our lawyers within 5-10 business days.

Temporary residence permit processing time based on general procedure is 90 calendar days and cost 160,- Eur or based on urgent procedure it takes 45 calendar days and cost 320,- Eur.

The official list of professions having a shortage for 2023 year. The document is in Lithuanian language only, therefore we will translate some major professions below:

Construction sector

Wide profile construction worker, Bricklayer, Finishing mason, Concrete worker, Carpenter, Scaffold builder, Road worker, Paver, Tiler, Plasterer, Insulator, Glasser, Plumber, Ventilation pipe fitter, Pipelayer, Installer of technological pipelines and devices, Painter of metal products, Building cleaner, Welder, tinsmith, Installer of metal structures, Locksmith, Electrician, Installer of communication cables, Mechanizer, Excavator driver etc.

Industry sector

Ship’s plumber, Ship hull painter, Assembler of metal ship hulls, Automatic line adjuster, Wide profile machinist, Software control machine operator, Metalworking machine operator, Aircraft engine mechanic, Industrial equipment mechanic, Assembler, Knitter, Printing machine operator, Butcher, Preparer of fish fillets, Sausage maker, Baker, Packer, Sorter, A worker in the furniture industry, A tailor, Clothes cutter, Hairdresser, Upholsterer, Tailor, Quality controller, Sewing machine operator etc.

Service sector

Computer scientist, The cook, train driver, Bus driver, Driver of an international transport vehicle etc.

Agricultural sector

Qualified greenhouse worker, Mushroom grower, Skilled farm worker, Farm operator, Milking Equipment Operator, Lumberjacks, A qualified forestry worker, The butcher, Mechanizer etc.

Full list of professions in shortage can be found on the official migration website here: https://www.migracija.lt/en/app/quotas

Employment contract with a profession which is NOT in the shortage occupations list

All other professions which are not included in the list of high demand in Lithuania can apply for a work permit under the regular procedures. The only difference is that in this case a permission from the labor exchange department will be required to obtain. Due to this requirement the whole process will take around 10 days longer until documents will be prepared to apply for a residence permit compared to the work permit process for professions which are in shortage occupation list. Document preparation time might take around 20 days.

Required documents to process a work permit:

  1. Passport copy of applicant;
  2. Living place address in the native country (proof of address is not required);
  3. Education or experience documents for the last 3 years if any (not mandatory);
  4. Police clearance certificate which must be issued no sooner than 6 months before the day of application. The document has to be in English language, otherwise it will require a translation.

The rest documentation to apply for a residence permit will be prepared by our lawyers within 20 business days.

Temporary residence permit processing time based on general procedure is 90 calendar days and cost 160,- Eur or based on urgent procedure it takes 45 calendar days and cost 320,- Eur.