Lithuanian Citizenship by Descent - Nationality

EU Citizenship LITHUANIAN CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT

Table of Contents

In 2024, call or Email our Lithuanian Consultants, and our partner Lithuanian Citizenship Lawyers for fast, expert advice regarding Lithuanian Citizenship by Descent! Fill in our online website Form or visit us in our offices in Parramatta, Sydney, Australia and Singapore, Hong Kong and London, UK. Our Consultants provide specialist and fast assistance to apply for Lithuanian Citizenship by Descent, and advice regarding supporting documents, as evidence of Nationality of Lithuania!

Benefits of Lithuanian Nationality

Lithuanian Citizenship and a Lithuanian Passport provide the following benefits:

  • Live, work and study in Lithuania and multi-travel to and from Lithuania, Visa-free
  • Freedom of Travel throughout the EU/EFTA area (Visa-Free travel in the EU)
  • EU member country since 2004, Euro area member since 2015 and Schengen area member since 2007
  • Access to 188 countries around the world Visa-free, as per the Henley Passport Index, in 2024. The Lithuanian Passport presently has a ranking as the 7th strongest Passport in the world.
  • Lithuania allows Dual Citizenship
  • Low Cost of Living - Vilnius is ranked as the 123rd most expensive city in the world, out of 227 cities, according to the Mercer cost of Living ranking
  • Free University Education or substantially subsidised fees for EU Nationals
  • Pass on Lithuanian EU Citizenship to your children
  • The Public Healthcare system in Lithuania ensures free healthcare for almost all its citizens
  • Access to Social security - Family benefits, including Child care, Maternity and Paternity benefits, Sick pay, Long term care, Old-Age Pensions and Unemployment benefit

Lithuanian Citizenship by Descent

Acquisition of Lithuanian Citizenship by birth is possible in the following circumstances:

  1. 1. You have given birth to a Child, and you are a Citizen of the Republic of Lithuania, then your Child will acquire citizenship of Lithuania by birth regardless of whether your child was born in Lithuanian territory or outside Lithuania.
  2. 2. You have given birth to a Child, but the Parent who was a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania was deceased prior to the birth of the child, then your Child will acquire citizenship of Lithuania by birth regardless of whether your child was born in Lithuanian territory or outside Lithuania.

Children born before 22 July 2008 holding another Country's Citizenship

The requirements below are for a Child to acquire Lithuanian Citizenship, based on their date of birth:

  1. 1. If your child was born before 22-07-2008 and at his/her birth you were a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania, but the child has acquired citizenship of another state at birth, and you want your child to be a citizen of Lithuania, then you must apply in writing to consider your child a citizen of Lithuania, before the child reaches the age of 18 years.
  2. 2. In the event that you gave birth to a Child between 11-03-1990 to 22-07-2008, and they are currently adults, but they are children of Citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who acquired citizenship by birth and citizens of another Country, then these children of citizens of Lithuania can themselves submit an application to consider themselves as citizens of the Republic of Lithuania.
  3. 3. If your child was born from 22-07-2008 to 01-04-2011 and you were a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania at the time of his/her birth, then your child is a citizen of Lithuania from birth. If your child has acquired the citizenship of another Country at birth, then you must provide supporting documents.

Procedure for the Acquisition of Citizenship for a Child

The following is the procedure for the acquisition of Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania:

  1. 1. Register your Child's birth at the Civil Registry Office.
  2. 2. Complete Application form to consider a child as a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS).
  3. 3. Provide the Child’s birth certificate.
  4. 4. Provide a document confirming that at the time of the child's birth, the child's parents or one of them were citizens of the Republic of Lithuania.
  5. 5. Document confirming that the child acquired the citizenship of another Country by virtue of birth (such as, Passport of another Country).
  6. 6. No Lithuanian State levy is payable.
  7. 7. Make an Appointment at the Migration Department, Diplomatic mission or Consular posts of the Republic of Lithuania, within 4 months of submitting your application, whereby you must submit the originals of the documents listed above. Note that documents can be submitted by your Lithuanian Lawyer, with a notarised Power of Attorney.
  8. 8. Translation of documents provided into the Lithuanian language.
  9. 9. Decision on Child's citizenship application is made within 3 months from date of receipt of your application.

Naturalisation as a Lithuanian Citizen

To become Naturalised as a Lithuanian Citizen, you must meet one of the conditions listed below:

  1. 1. If you have been legally resident in Lithuania for 10 years.
  2. 2. If you have married a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania and have been legally resident in Lithuania for the last 7 years with your spouse.
  3. 3. If you have married a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania – an exile, political prisoner or their child born in exile and have been legally resident in Lithuania, together for the last 5 years.
  4. 4. If you have been married for more than one year to a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania who later died and I have been legally resident in Lithuania for the last 5 years.

Citizenship by Way of Exception

Citizenship of Lithuania by way of Exception is the granting of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania to a citizen of another Country, who has a special merit or to a stateless person who has integrated into the Lithuanian society without applying the conditions of naturalisation.

Special Merit - This is where the activities of a citizen of a foreign state or a stateless person makes a substantial contribution to the strengthening of statehood of the Republic of Lithuania and to increasing the might of Lithuania and promoting its authority in the international community.

Reinstatement of Citizenship of Lithuania

Reinstatement of Lithuanian Citizenship is the implementation of the right to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania to persons who had citizenship of Lithuania until 15 June 1940 and their descendants (child, grandchild or great-grandchild of a person who held citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania before 15 June 1940), who have not acquired citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania before 1 April 2011 (the date of entry into force of Lithuania's Law on Citizenship).

Note that Lithuanian Citizenship is available from the time that Lithuania became an independent Country, in 1918, and these persons have an indefinite right to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, irrespective of the country in which they reside, in Lithuania or another country, and regardless if they are not citizens of another country.

Given that there was a large Jewish population in Lithuania prior to the Second World War, the descendants and ancestors of these former Lithuanian Jewish citizens can now, in 2024, claim Lithuanian citizenship and a Lithuanian EU Passport, with an application for Reinstatement of Citizenship of Lithuania.

Renunciation of citizenship of another state country does not apply to persons who have been deported from the occupied Republic of Lithuania before 11 March 1990, or left Lithuania before 11 March 1990, or their descendants.

Application for the Reinstatement of Lithuanian Citizenship

To apply for the Reinstatement of citizenship of Lithuania, you or your Lithuanian Immigration Lawyer must submit an electronic application through the Migration Information System (MIGRIS) and attach the following documents:

  1. 1. A Travel document, such as Passport;
  2. 2. A Certificate attesting the right to reinstate citizenship of Lithuania;
  3. 3. Documents evidencing the change of name or surname, where such personal data have been changed after the issuance of a certificate attesting to the right to reinstate citizenship of Lithuania;
  4. 4. Documents certifying that you are not a citizen of another state, except for circumstances when you are permitted to be the citizen of both the Republic of Lithuania and another country.

Exiled Person - This is a Person exiled from the occupied Republic of Lithuania before 11 March 1990 – a person who held citizenship of Lithuania before 15 June 1940 or his/her descendants who were forcibly expelled from Lithuania by decisions of institutions or courts of occupation regimes in the period from 15 June 1940 to 11 March 1990 due to resistance to occupation regimes, political or social reasons or reasons of origin.

Documents Confirming Lithuanian Citizenship before 15 June 1940

The following documents are evidence of Lithuanian Citizenship before 15 June 1940:

  • Foreign Passports of the Republic of Lithuania, issued after 15 June 1940;
  • Documents attesting to the person’s service in the Lithuanian armed forces or employment in the civil service;
  • Birth certificates or other documents directly confirming the possession of the RL citizenship;
  • Personal certificates issued before 15 June 1940 in Lithuania or personal certificates issued on the basis of the documents issued before 15 June 1940.
  • Documents of studies, work, life in Lithuania up to 15 June 1940 as well as a foreign country passport and other documents.

Schengen Visitor Visa for Lithuania

If you are a Citizen of a country that needs a Schengen Visitor visa for Lithuania, such as PRC China, then you can complete an Online Visa Application form - Lithuania and pay the Schengen Visa Application fee of 80 Euros or 40 Euros for Children under 12 years, and apply for the following types of Visas:

  1. 1. Airport Transit visa (A) - a visa valid for transit through the international transit areas of one or more airports of the Schengen Member States.
  2. 2. Short-stay visa (C) - a visa valid for transit through or an intended stay in the territory of the Schengen Member States of a duration of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Do you provide a FREE Lithuanian Citizenship Assessment?

Yes, Free Citizenship eligibility Assessment by email or phone call.

Do Lawyers submit my Citizenship application?

Yes, your application and all legal assistance is done by our experienced team of Lithuanian qualified Lawyers, with the support of an Admin team and Case Managers.

Do you assist with Notarising my documents?

Yes, we arrange for a Lithuanian Notary Public to certify your original documents and for the documents to be Apostilled by the relevant Government office.

What type of Evidence do I need of my Lithuanian Ancestors for Reinstatement of Citizenship?

Evidence of your relationship to your ancestor family members - grandaparents opr great grandparents, such as birth, death and marriage certificates and Passports. In addition, evidence of the City of Birth, in Lithuania, of your descendant Family members is very useful information.

Do my documents need to be translated into Lithuanian?

Yes, all documents must be translated into the Lithuanian language. Our Legal team usually arrange for the translation of your documents, by local Lithuanian authorised translators.

What assistance do the Lithuanian Lawyers offer?

  • Consultations about Citizenship eligibility and documents needed

  • Preparation of the application forms

  • Sourcing the missing documents from Lithuanian archives

  • Sourcing the missing documents from German archives

  • Translating all the documents into the Lithuanian language

  • Meeting with Migration Department officials to ensure that the application is written according to all the legal rules and requirements

  • Paying the Government application fee

  • Applying on the client's behalf to the Migration Department of Lithuania

When is the Lithuanian Citizenship application Processed?

The Government Migration Department considers your Citizenship application, and then makes a decision, and then an order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Lithuania is required. Processing Time is approximately 5 - 12 months.

How much is the Government fee?

The Lithuanian Government fee is currently 120 Euros.

Office Address and Telephone - VisaConnect UK

Contact VisaConnect's Consultants at our London, UK office below:

VisaConnect Immigration Consultants UK
124 City Road
London
EC1V 2NX
UK

Telephone: (+44) 207 193 2327