Effective July 1, 2023, all applications for Lithuania national visas must be submitted via the MIGRIS website of the Migration Department and will be processed by the external service provider chosen by the Migration Department.
Currently, national visa applications are submitted via the Electronic Application Module (EPM) of the Migration Department before biometrics are collected at Lithuanian consulates or visas centres.
In advance of this change, the Electronic Application Module (EPM) of the Migration Department closed for national visa applications from June 19, 2023.
- Applicants who have submitted an application before that date will still have their applications processed.
- Urgent cases during the transitional period before July 1, 2023, will be assessed individually.
Also from July 1, 2023, the following categories of applicant are no longer eligible for a national visa, and will have to apply for a temporary residence permit instead:
- Foreign employees who have a work permit issued by the Employment Service;
- Citizens of Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, New Zealand, South Korea, Canada and Belarus, who until now received national visas in a simplified manner;
- Foreign nationals coming to work in shortage occupations;
- Foreign nationals who have submitted an application to issue or change a residence permit or a family member card of an EU citizen;
- Teachers and researchers coming to work in higher education institutions under employment contracts;
- Full-time students coming to study at higher education institutions registered and operating in the Republic of Lithuania.
Temporary residence permits, which allow stays of up to five years in some cases, are generally processed in one to three months, while national visas, which only permit stays of up to one year, are generally processed in less than three weeks.
Finally, from July 1, 2023, services for foreign nationals at the Migration Department’s branch in Elektrėnai will close, while services for Lithuanian citizens will continue to operate as usual.
After July 1, 2023, services for foreign nationals will still be available at the Migration Service’s branches in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Panevėžys, Marijampolė, Alytus, Tauragė, Telšiai, Utena, Visaginas and Šalčininkai.
Erickson Insights
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to share updates as more news is available. If you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions, please contact your employer or EIG attorney.