Lithuania to Enforce Stricter Residence Permit Rules Starting December

Starting December 1, 2024, Lithuania will enforce more stringent rules for residence permit applications as part of a broader immigration control strategy, affecting thousands of foreign nationals seeking to live in the country.

The Lithuanian Interior Ministry announced that only citizens from countries with authorized external service providers will be able to apply for residence permits within those same countries. As an example, only Indian nationals will be allowed to apply for residence permits at Lithuania’s external service office in India.

Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė commented, “Such a decision was made taking into account modern migration trends and possible threats to the security of our state.

Migration policy must meet national security interests, foreign policy priorities, labour market needs and the institutional capacities of our state.”

The Interior Ministry highlighted recent changes to its external service provider network: offices in Lebanon, Jordan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have closed this year, meaning the new policy will directly affect residents of these countries.

However, for applicants from countries without a dedicated external service office, applications can still be processed in specific cases, including:

• Family reunification applicants

• Highly skilled job applicants

• Students and PhD candidates invited by Lithuanian universities

• Job transferees, such as researchers, teachers, and those working with major investors

• Collective relocations under Lithuania’s Investment Law

In particular, the Nepal service provider branch will remain operational until the end of 2024.

Those who submitted residence permit applications before September 1, 2024, will still be able to complete their applications at this branch until December 31 and can collect their documents in early 2025. This extension follows the branch’s closure due to national security concerns.

No rule changes are expected for citizens of countries such as India, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and South Korea. These nationals may continue to apply as usual. Additionally, nationals from countries without an external service provider can still seek national visas in other countries, with exceptions for specific roles like seasonal workers and posted employees in Lithuania.

These new regulations accompany a reduction in Lithuania’s outsourced service provider offices from 34 to 30, part of a strategic realignment of its immigration policies. 

By fLEXI tEAM