How to Get Lithuanian Citizenship by Birth? 

Citizenship is most often acquired through birth. The law on citizenship states as follows:

• Children born to parents who were both citizens of the Republic of Lithuania at their birth are citizens regardless of whether they were born on Lithuanian territory or outside its borders. They may hold multiple citizenships in some cases.
• When at least one of the parents was a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania before the child was born, the child shall be a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania regardless of where the child was born, within the Republic of Lithuania or outside its borders.
• Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania should be acquired by a child whose parents are permanent residents of Lithuania, regardless of whether the child was born on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania or beyond its borders unless the child was born in another state.
• Unless their citizenship of another state has been acquired by birth, children born to a person without citizenship and a permanent resident of Lithuania, whose other parent is unknown are citizens of the Republic of Lithuania regardless of whether they were born on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania, or beyond its borders.

A child’s birth must be reported to the civil registry office. Foreign countries have local civil registry offices that handle these functions. After the birth certificate is submitted to a diplomatic mission of the Republic of Lithuania, the child’s birth is registered.

How to get Lithuanian citizenship by Descent?

It is a long-term goal for many Lithuanian immigrants to obtain Lithuanian citizenship by descent. The journey can sometimes be exhausting.

The following information will help you regain your Lithuanian citizenship by descent.

Who is eligible to become a Lithuanian citizen by Descent?

It is easy to obtain Lithuanian citizenship by descent: you need to descend from Lithuanian nationals (parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents) who left Lithuania between 1918 and 1990. Furthermore, your ancestor must either have been naturalized in another country only after 1940 or not naturalized at all.

Your ancestor’s citizenship determines citizenship in Lithuania. You might also be eligible for single citizenship if your ancestor voluntarily left for another country in the Soviet Union. A deportee’s descendants or ancestors who migrated outside the USSR do not face this restriction.

How long does it take to restore nationality?

We can obtain a Lithuanian passport for our clients in about six to twelve months. The most recent time record was three months!

The initial preparation for regaining Lithuanian citizenship typically takes 1 to 3 months. Your actual time depends mostly on how quickly you can get the necessary documents (this depends on how efficient your home country’s office is). It takes an average of 6-9 months for the Migrations Department to review your case.

You can be sure that we regularly follow up on your citizenship application. By doing so, you will be the first to know if you need to provide more details, as well as when your application has been approved.

Do Lithuanian citizens by descent have the same citizenship rights as EU citizens?

Having a Lithuanian passport also gives you access to the entire EU! Lithuania joined the EU in 2004, so you will be an EU national.

Having a Lithuanian passport has many advantages: from full social security and free education to freedom of movement and a base to live, work, buy property, and conduct business anywhere in the European Union.

The best way to open more opportunities for you and your family is to obtain Lithuanian citizenship by descent!

How to Get Lithuania Citizenship through Naturalization?

One of the grounds for acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania is by naturalization. Which is awarded when an individual meets the requirements for granting citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania:

• Having lived in Lithuania legally for ten years;
• At the time of applying for citizenship and of receiving citizenship, the applicant had the right to permanent residence in the Republic of Lithuania;
• He has passed a state language examination. 
• He has examined the fundamentals of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania. 
• His means of subsistence are legal;
• When he becomes a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania, he shall renounce the citizenship of another state unless he is a stateless person or a citizen of another state according to whose laws he will lose citizenship upon becoming a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania;
• In Article 22 of the Citizenship Law, no circumstances are specified.

A person shall not be granted the right to become a citizen of Lithuania if:

• Committed or prepared acts of aggression, genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes;
• Crimes against the Republic of Lithuania prepared, attempted, or committed;
• If prior to coming to reside in the Republic of Lithuania, such a person was sentenced to imprisonment for a premeditated crime that is a grave crime under the laws of the Republic of Lithuania, or if the person had received punishment for such a crime while residing in the Republic of Lithuania, regardless of whether that conviction has now expired;
• The process established by law does not enable a foreign national to obtain a document attesting to their right to permanent residence in Lithuania.

Considering the interests of the Republic of Lithuania, citizenship shall be granted.

You may obtain citizenship in the Republic of Lithuania through naturalization by applying to the President of the Republic of Lithuania.

After the decree of the President of the Republic grants citizenship to a person, they must take an oath. After taking the oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania, an individual acquires the rights, freedoms, and responsibilities of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania.

The following documents must accompany an application for naturalization as a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania:

• A document confirming the identity of the person;
• Document proving that the applicant has the right to reside permanently in Lithuania at the time of filling out the application;
• Document certifying a person’s legal permanent residence in Lithuania for the past ten years;
• The person concerned must have legal means of sustaining themselves;
• It is a document that proves the person has passed the state language examination and the constitutional fundamentals examination. 
• It is a document issued by a foreign institution of the state where a person resided before moving to Lithuania. The proof that the person had not been sentenced to imprisonment for a grave crime in another state. The person was not punished for a grave crime committed in the Republic of Lithuania, regardless of whether the conviction was overturned.

How to Get Lithuanian Citizenship by Marriage?

Suppose a person has lived with a spouse legally and permanently in the Republic of Lithuania for during last 7 years while married to a Lithuanian citizen. In that case, they can be granted citizenship if they:

• Have the right to permanent residence in Lithuania at the time of applying for citizenship and during the time of the citizenship decision being made; 
• The Lithuanian language examination has been passed;
• They completed the fundamentals of Lithuanian constitutional law examination;
• If you do not have citizenship, or if you have citizenship under the laws of a state in which you lose citizenship upon acquiring citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania; or if you inform the Republic of Lithuania in writing of your decision not to obtain citizenship of another state upon receiving citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania;
• Article 22 of the Law on Citizenship does not specify any circumstances (the main circumstance is committing or participating in criminal activities).

If a person was married to a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania for more than one year, and that person died, that person can be granted citizenship if they meet the following requirements:

• He has lived on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania for the past five years;
• Other points already mentioned in the above paragraph

Returning the Lithuania citizenship

Persons who have lost citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania are re-granted citizenship regardless of the period during which they held it. The return of the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania possessed in the past has nothing to do with the 15th of June 1940. One can only regain citizenship at the person’s request who lost it. If granted the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania with an exception, it could not be revoked.

Residents of Lithuania must apply for citizenship in the Republic of Lithuania at the territorial police office where they live.

Those residing abroad should contact diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Republic of Lithuania or contact the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania to submit such applications.

A resident of another country can appeal to the Migration Department by registered mail. Imagine someone requests citizenship from the Republic of Lithuania through registered mail or a courier. The notary public must certify their signature on the citizenship application if that is the case.

You must consider citizenship issues no later than six months after receiving the documents. There is a fee for consideration of the application (41-53 EUR). The decision to grant or deny citizenship to each applicant shall be communicated in person.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I become a Lithuanian citizen?

In its Constitution, Lithuania states that citizenship is acquired by birth, aside from certain cases stipulated by law, and that an individual cannot have dual citizenship with Lithuania and another country, aside from special circumstances. A referendum can only change this provision of the Constitution.

Are dual citizenships allowed in Lithuania?

There are very few and exceptional cases in which Lithuania allows dual citizenship. From 28 November 2015, the Law on Citizenship was amended to allow people to acquire two citizenship if they acquired citizenship of Lithuania and another country by birth.

What is the cost of becoming a Lithuanian citizen?

The Lithuanian passport fee (cash, money order, or personal check) is $109 (credit cards and personal checks will not be accepted). US Express Priority mail within the United States will cost an additional $20 if you want your new passport shipped to your mailing address. The Lithuanian state charges 3000 Euros (3555 USD or 11,700 ILS) for acquiring citizenship.

How long does it take to get Lithuanian citizenship?

Currently, the application process takes between 12 and 18 months.

How to get Lithuanian citizenship by investment?

Foreign nationals can qualify for a residency program by investing in Lithuania, more appropriately known as a Golden Visa program. The two ways to obtain a Lithuanian residence permit are opening a business and opening a branch.