Family life in Lithuania: why you and your loved ones will feel right at home

13 October, 2022

Lithuania boasts a generous parental leave policy, providing one of the longest paid leaves in Europe that can be shared between parents.

Moving to another country with your family might be daunting at first. But Lithuania’s family-friendly policies, ample education options and many ways to spend quality time with children make the country a great place to raise a family. Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why your family will feel right at home living in Lithuania.

Time to focus on family

In Lithuania, you won’t be short on family time. The country boasts a generous parental leave policy, providing one of the longest paid leaves in Europe that can be shared between parents. A parent is entitled to up to 2 years of paid time off work, with both mother and father each receiving 2 non-transferable months of paid leave. Moreover, a parent can work during the second year of leave without any reduction in the allowance.

Working parents in Lithuania also have the right to more paid days off. While most employees get 20 working days of paid leave per year, parents raising two children under the age of 12 receive one additional paid day off per month while those raising three or more receive two. If you’re raising one child under the age of twelve, you can get a paid day off every three months.

Vilnius © N. Tukaj

The parents’ right to work remotely is also protected by the Lithuanian law. Parents with children up to the age of 3 and single parents raising a child under the age of 14 are entitled to work remotely for at least 20% of their total working time.

In short, Lithuania provides great conditions for families to bond. Here, it’s easy to strike a balance between building a career and spending time with your family.

Education

Lithuania offers plenty of education options, from kindergarten all the way to university. A number of public and private schools and kindergartens provide education in a variety of languages. And if you have a young family, the local municipalities of Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda provide a €100/month private kindergarten subsidy for each child.

Kindergarten

Lithuania offers a wide range of languages and teaching methods for children attending preschool: from standard kindergarten models to alternative methodologies. And with more and more forest kindergartens opening up around Lithuanian cities, your child can enjoy the benefits of a healthy environment and clean air. In terms of language, kindergartens are available with supervision in Lithuanian, English, French, Spanish and Russian.

School

Free state schooling in Lithuania is provided from either 6 or 7 years old, and includes schools which use Russian and Polish as the language of instruction. Vilnius and Kaunas also offer a range of international school options for studying in English, French or in a bilingual (English-Lithuanian) environment. Students in senior grades can enrol in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at a number of schools across Lithuania.

Adventure-filled family time

You won’t run out of fun things to do with your family in Lithuania. Whether you spend a couple of hours in the city or a weekend away in the countryside, you’re sure to make memories.

Outdoorsy families enjoy Lithuania’s pristine nature. There’s an abundance of open air activities to choose from, from hiking along family-friendly forest trails to getting lost in corn mazes. The bravest can test their courage climbing trees in multiple adventure parks, or splash some water wakeboarding on Lithuania’s numerous lakes and rivers.

© S. Žiūra & Go Vilnius

In colder months, more than a hundred family-friendly museums won’t leave any time to get bored. They invite children to explore by touch and learn through play with interactive exhibits and educational events. Highlights include the Toy Museum, where visitors play with replicas of antique toys, and the Energy and Technology Museum, which allows you to step into the shoes of an electric plant engineer. Meanwhile, delicious museums of chocolate, honey, and pastries welcome the sweet-toothed.

Streamlined immigration process for families

Highly-qualified specialists from outside the EU can apply for the EU Blue Card. Blue Card holders have the right to bring their family members to Lithuania on simplified conditions.

With the Blue Card, the holder’s family can relocate to Lithuania right away instead of after two years of the holder working in Lithuania. Their family-based residence permits are issued for three years, and all documents can be submitted together at the same time.

Family members that can apply for family-based residence permits include: spouse or registered partner, children, including adopted children, under the age of 18, and parents who have been dependent on the Blue Card holder for at least one year and are unable to receive support from any other family member.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly destination that makes it easy to spend time with those closest to you, Lithuania might be just the spot. Read more on life in Lithuania here.