No matter whether you are from an EU or a non-EU country, you can come to Lithuania on the basis of study.
If you are an EU national, you don’t need to obtain any documents to come to Lithuania for studies. You can stay in Lithuania for up to 3 months from the day of arrival without applying for a residence permit.
After 3 months, you must obtain a temporary residence certificate and declare your place of residence. The certificate costs €8.60 and is valid for 5 years. The temporary residence certificate is usually issued no later than 1 month from the date you submit your application.
You will need to provide:
You can read more about temporary residence here.
If you are a student coming from a non-EU country and you intend to stay in Lithuania for no longer than 1 year, you can get a National Visa (D).
The decision to issue a National Visa is made within 15 calendar days from the date of the request.
You may also be granted a National Visa (D) for the time it takes to consider your application for a temporary residence permit.
You can read more about National Visa (D) here.
If you intend to stay in Lithuania for longer than a year, you should apply for a temporary residence permit (TRP). It is issued for a period of up to 2 years, and can be renewed. The processing time for a TRP depends on whether it’s issued or renewed.
If you want to obtain a new TRP:
If you want to renew your existing TRP:
An application to renew a TRP must be submitted at least 2 months in advance but no earlier than 4 months before your current TRP expires.
You can read more about the temporary residence permit here.
Students are allowed to work in Lithuania during their studies.
No limits on working hours apply to EU students (and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), i.e., they can work up to 40 hours per week. Employment procedures are the same as for locals. You can read more about them here.
International students can work in Lithuania during their studies without a work permit if they have a temporary residence permit for studies.
Students from non-EU countries who have a temporary residence permit for studies can work full-time during their studies. No additional permits are required.
Students can stay in Lithuania after their studies to pursue their careers.
Employment opportunities and procedures are the same as for locals. You can read more about the procedures here.
A temporary residence permit issued or renewed for the student’s final year of studies remains valid 3 months after the expected end of their studies. During the first 3 months after graduation, students can work full-time.
Non-EU students who have completed their studies in Lithuania can get a temporary residence permit valid for 12 months for job search and employment, or work as a self-employed person. With this permit, the former student can start working immediately after getting employed. No additional permits are required.
You can read more about temporary residence permits for work purposes here.
After residing in Lithuania for 12 months, you must submit a request to issue or change your residence permit. You can do that online via the Lithuanian Migration Information System MIGRIS. The application for a new temporary residence permit for work must be submitted at least 2 months in advance but no earlier than 4 months before your current permit expires. If you want to change your temporary residence permit, submit your application at least 1 month before your current permit expires, but not earlier than 4 months before its expiration date.
If a non-EU national wants to change his employer or move to a different position with the same employer, they must contact the Migration Department’s territorial division and inform them about these changes. Read more about the procedures here.