Relocating for work is a big decision, especially with a family. But family life in Lithuania makes it easy to balance career growth and personal well-being. With a strong startup ecosystem, Lithuania is home to tech leaders like Nord Security and Vinted, offering exciting career opportunities. But beyond work, Lithuania stands out as a family-friendly country with generous parental leave, excellent schools, and green, spacious cities. If you’re looking for a place where living in Lithuania means safety, convenience, and quality family time, this could be the perfect destination.

So far, so good. Yes, if the job is right, this can be your best shot at the career you deserve. But it’s a huge step, relocating. Especially if you have a family. But living in Lithuania, indeed enjoying a rich family life in Lithuania is not unachievable. In fact, it’s fairly easy.

A supportive environment

First off, Lithuania is definitely a society that celebrates and values family. This is something reflected in the country’s generous benefits system. If you’re employed with a contract covered by SoDra (their social insurance fund), you’ll enjoy one of Europe’s longest paid parental leaves—up to 2 years that you can share with your partner, with each of you getting 2 months that can’t be transferred. Expecting mothers who’ve contributed to social insurance for at least 12 months can receive substantial maternity benefits (either 60% of wages for 18 months or a graduated-payment over 24 months), while new dads can get nearly 78% of their salary for a month after birth.

What’s really nice is that you can actually work while receiving these benefits as long as you don’t exceed your previous salary. Parents with multiple children get extra paid days off each month, and even unemployed pregnant women might qualify for a one-time benefit under certain residency conditions. With all these family-friendly policies in place, Lithuania makes raising children much more manageable for relocating families. It also means that if you are looking to not only kickstart your career, but also start a family, Lithuania is an ideal destination.

It’s also a healthy place for bringing up children. For example, the capital, Vilnius, is green enough to be able to provide 95% of its residents with easy access to nature – with greenery only 300 m from their door. In fact, the city is virtually bursting with pretty parks and lush green spaces. From the fountain-crowned promenade of the Bernardine Garden, to the forested expanses of Vingis Park, with its ample concert space. You needn’t worry about your children having fresh, healthy play areas to explore. There’s also much for those looking to explore a bit further afield, with the city being snaked with criss-crossing nature trails, whose combined length is 100km. And this plenitude of green space and wild nature is also to be found in Lithuania’s other main cities, Kaunas and Klaipeda.

A healthy balance

One of the evils of our modern working culture is just how much we have to work. And the more hours we spend at work, the less time we have to spend with our family. In fact, a recent survey by Backyard Oasis found that the average American family only spends just over six hours of quality time with each other each week. And a survey into UK households revealed an even worse picture, with families spending a paltry 4 hours together. In Lithuania, the situation is so much better. In fact, the latest OECD Better Life Index has found that only 1% of the population work very long hours, compared to the OECD average of 10%.

With work-life balance being a clear priority, it should come as no surprise that there are so many opportunities for families to escape to nature and enjoy any number of outdoor activities. Whether it’s sledging, ski-ing or even snowboarding in the winter time in and around the major cities, or taking a pleasure boat, dinghy, paddle boat, canoe or kayak out on the rivers and lakes in the summer months. There is so much to do, and all of it active, fun and inspiring. The country also has a strong tradition of spa and wellness retreats, with several towns such as Druskininkai and Birstonas. So, if your family is in need of a weekend wind-down, there’s plenty of mud baths, saunas, or swimming pools to choose from.

Education: opportunities for all

The Lithuanian school system is comparable to many of its other EU neighbours. Children start primary school at 6 or 7, and stay there until year 5, when they enter middle school. In year 9, they then move onto high school, where they graduate at year 12. The language of tuition in state schools is Lithuanian, with some classes being offered in English. There are a few state schools which provide the International Baccalaureate program, but that is only for high school years.

There is, however, a very competitively priced and highly developed private school system in the major cities, where the cost of quality education is considerably less than in other capitals across Europe. Vilnius, in particular, is very well catered for. There are a number of schools offering tuition in English, including both an American School and a British School. Moreover, the city also has a prestigious school offering lessons solely in French. Middle-range private schools offer a full day of primary and middle school tuition for around €700.

As well as good private primary, middle and secondary school provision, there are also many private kindergartens on offer, including some well established Montessori schools. Again, here you will find that some kindergartens specialize in providing tuition in English or French.

Healthcare in Lithuania

One of the other big headaches of moving to a foreign country can be getting your head around the local health system. But here, you’re covered. Family life in Lithuania is supported by a comprehensive healthcare system that’s tax-funded and accessible. To access these services for you and your family, you’ll need to register as a resident and enroll in the Compulsory Health Insurance (PSD) scheme, which covers essential services like doctor visits, hospital stays, and emergency care without extra charges. PSD coverage will either be provided directly by your employer, or can be paid monthly (currently €72.45 monthly or 6.98% of minimum wage). Everyone can choose their own family doctor who will manage your overall care and refer you to specialists when needed, and you’re free to switch facilities if you’re not satisfied. Although most local doctor surgeries use Lithuanian or Polish as the primary language of service, you will find that most practices in the larger cities (especially Vilnius) will have a doctor who can provide consultations in English. It is important that you check this before registering at a clinic.

The system operates on three levels: primary care with family doctors and nurses, secondary care with specialists like cardiologists and surgeons, and tertiary care for highly specialized hospital treatments. What’s particularly reassuring is that your medical information remains private and won’t be shared without your consent. While both public and private options exist, having PSD coverage means you won’t need to pay out-of-pocket when you need medical attention—a significant benefit for families settling in Lithuania.

For those looking to secure private health insurance either through their employer or through a local provider (of which there are many), you’ll find that the country has a large and competitively priced private health market. 

Indeed, most cities have large private clinics that offer a wide range of services. The local private health sector is so developed in fact that it now caters for a large influx of patients from abroad (including the UK) looking to enjoy the high quality and affordable services on offer. And because the international market is thriving, you’ll find that all private health centres will be able to offer services in English and many other languages as well. You will also find that this range of services extends to smaller clinics who specialise in smaller medical fields, such as dermatology, rhinoplasty and, of course, gynaecology. So whatever your particular needs you are sure of receiving expert, discreet and personalised care.

It’s safe to say that healthcare in Lithuania is truly comprehensive and accessible to all. But more than that, it’s something that everyone takes very seriously. That’s why it’s not unusual to find that your office comes with its own gym and even its own personal trainers (Cybercity- the home of global cybersecurity powerhouse Nord VPN is a great example of this). Mental health is also not something taken for granted, with many companies like leading digital health and wellness Kilo Health offering ongoing support that helps you deal with some of the stresses that go with modern work.

Extensive e-services, making life and more convenient and giving more time to you

And because many essential support services in Lithuania are accessible online, you will need to spend less of your precious family time standing in queues and dealing with labyrinthine bureaucracy  If you’re a foreign resident in Lithuania with a residence permit and bank account, you’ll have access to a range of convenient e-services that make daily life so much easier. These digital tools allow you to obtain personal documents online, monitor application statuses, and even invite friends from abroad to visit and assist with their visa applications (depending on your permit type). You can also register vehicles electronically, receive timely reminders about expiring documents, and handle all related payments digitally—all contributing to a streamlined, hassle-free experience while living in Lithuania.

Living in Lithuania: good for you, good for your family.

What really makes living in Lithuania so much of a draw is the growing ecosystem of dynamic local and foreign companies that are running global operations from the centres of Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda. Local startup heroes include names like Nord VPN and Vinted, both of which are headquartered in Vilnius, then there’s rising star Kilo Health, with its emphasis on young, dynamic and creative talent. Then there are the established big-name brands like Western Union, Nasdaq, Continental, Outokompu, Moody’s, Wargaming and Revolut. And, of course, the presence of Nordic powerhouses like Telia, SEB, Danske and Swedbank. Backing these companies up are the many startups from Medtech, Fintech and other burgeoning sectors.

For talents hungry for career growth, there are lots of opportunities. But that, as we’ve already shown, is only part of the picture. Family life in Lithuania is very well catered for. Not only are there a number of supports and benefits available, the country itself is perfect for young families. It is safe, green and spacious. There is a well developed education system, which supports both public and private options, and tuition is offered in English and French. Healthcare in Lithuania, meanwhile, is free for all residents paying their mandatory national health insurance, as well as their children. And if you’d prefer to receive private care, there’s a multitude of choices.

And when your family arrives, there are institutions like International House in Vilnius, as well as online Facebook groups like Foreigners in Vilnius that will help you find like-minded people and a support network.

Once in Lithuania, you can explore the country’s many treasures. From the unspoilt gigantic shifting dunes and golden beaches of UNESCO listed Curonian Spit, to the fairytale island castle of Trakai, the winding streets of Vilnius old town. Rivers to row and kayak down, fresh blue lakes to swim and paddle board across, forests to traverse and mushroom and forest fruits to forage for.

So why not start looking for a new opportunity for you and your family in Lithuania today?