Relocation Tips

Updated 2022-02-27

Schengen Visa:

- Short-term, for visits of less than 90 days in a 180-day period (tourism, business, visiting friends and relatives);

- Can also be issued for humanitarian purposes. In this case you should contact the Lithuanian Embassy in Minsk and provide information confirming humanitarian reasons.

A National visa (D):

- Normally granted to those coming to Vilnius to work or study for less than one year;

As of 21 September 2020, Belarusian citizens are able to obtain a multiple-entry national visa valid for six months under simplified conditions.

Simplified D Visa Conditions:

 - Submission of a document confirming that the applicant has sufficient funds and/or receives regular income to live in the Republic of Lithuania for at least three months, or the obligation of a legal person residing in the Republic of Lithuania to ensure the provision of such income.

Family members of Belarusian citizens holding a national visa or temporary residence permit will be able to obtain a national visa under the same conditions.

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The Startup Visa is a talent attraction scheme that provides innovative non-EU entrepreneurs with a streamlined entry process into the Lithuanian startup ecosystem where they can build, grow and compete within our booming international community.

Designed for innovative startup founders who wish to establish a startup in Lithuania, there is no need to meet certain capital or employment requirements to obtain a residence permit. If your business idea is deemed suitable by the designated panel of experts, you’ll qualify directly for a temporary residence permit.

Your residence permit will then allow you to live in the country for one year, with the possibility of extending it for an additional year, after which you’ll have to meet general immigration requirements.

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The EU Blue Card is a residence and work permit that allows highly qualified non-EU citizens to legally reside and work in an EU country. A Blue Card is issued to an employee with a university degree or at least five years of professional experience.

• It’s valid for up to three years and can be extended for another three years.
• It gives you the right to bring family members.
• You’ll be eligible for permanent residence after five years of having the Blue Card if that period is not interrupted by you leaving the Republic of Lithuania for a period of six consecutive months or does not constitute a total of 10 months within the five-year period.

Learn more

Updated 2022-02-27

Vilnius is divided into districts, so it is best to narrow down which districts you prefer when you start searching for a place to live. In general, apartment rental prices increase the closer apartments are to the city centre.

Average rental prices in Vilnius fall between 240-420 EUR/month for a one bedroom flat. For a two-bedroom flat, the average is 320-600 EUR/month.

Things to keep in mind when searching for your first accommodation in Vilnius:

• Make sure to sign a lease.
• You will need to declare your place of residence, so before renting ask if the apartment owner will agree to that.
• You can start by finding short-term accommodation in Vilnius (e.g. hotel, aparthotel, short-term apartment) and use the time to look around for long-term rental options in person. Hotel options are described below in another section.

You can search for flats and houses advertised online using the following platforms:

• Aruodas
  
• Domoplius
  
• Rebaltic
• Ober-Haus

However, we suggest using a real estate brokerage service to make the process easier and to ensure you get the best offer. For recommendations please see the next section. 

Finding a place to live in a new city might be a challenging task. To make this process easier, we suggest using real estate brokerage services. Companies representing your needs will make sure you get the best offer and will help you navigate relevant legal matters.

Below we provide a list of several companies offering real estate brokerage services and facilitating the integration process into the residential real estate market in Vilnius:

• Resolution

Resolution works with both rental and purchase markets, and deals with inquiries from companies on the demand side, as well as individual cases.
Contacts: Martynas Šlikas, +370 612 23140, [email protected]

• In Real

The INREAL group provides probably the widest range of real estate services in 11 Lithuanian cities. The INREAL team’s professional brokerage services cover all real estate segments: housing, offices, hotels, storage facilities, agriculture, recreation, commercial and industrial real estate. The company’s goal is to keep customers satisfied and to close real estate deals in a lawful and orderly manner.
Contacts: +370 5 273 0000, info@inreal.lt

• Homerental.lt

Homerental.lt is a quality property rental platform providing real estate services focused mainly on foreigners in Lithuania. The company offers long-term rental, short-term rental, property rental search, lease agreements, consulting, providing basic information, relocation and many more useful services to make the integration in Lithuania easier.
Contacts: +370 680 50954, [email protected]

• Houseys

Houseys provides modern accommodation solutions with flexible terms, be it for one night or one year.
Contacts: +370 621 00333, [email protected]

• Reside Baltic

Reside Baltic promptly finds apartments for short (couple of days/weeks) and long (couple of years) stays.
Contacts: Ingrida Sklėnienė, +370 695 88085, [email protected]

• Ober-Haus

Ober-Haus provides a full range of real estate services in Lithuania and the Baltic region. Company offers a wide range of property (including homes, flats and apartments) to suit all requirement and budgets and represent some of the Lithuania's leading property developers. Ober-Haus services based on comprehensive knowledge of local markets and more than 20 years of experience in the real estate sector.

Contacts: +370 5 210 97 00, [email protected]

For more real estate companies, please see the Lithuanian Association of Real Estate Agencies website.

You can open a bank account once you are a resident of Vilnius (i.e. have a residence permit and have your place of residence declared in Vilnius). You will be required to provide your identity card or passport and, with some banks, you might also need to provide proof of income and your relation to Lithuania (work contract, documents proving ownership of real estate in the Republic of Lithuania, study certificate, etc.).

Fees to open a bank account can vary from 0 EUR to 200 EUR (for non-residents).

This process may change depending on the specific rules of each bank.

Banks operating in Vilnius: Swedbank, SEB bank, Luminor, Šiaulių bankas, Medicinos bankas and Danske bank, which only serves business clients.

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When in Vilnius, you are eligible to apply for Lithuanian/Polish/Russian-speaking schools and kindergartens, even while residing in the country on a visa. There are also multiple options for private tuition in English. If you do not have a residence permit in Lithuania or a Lithuanian personal identification number, but want to register your children in a public kindergarten or school, you should send a free-form signed application by e-mail to [email protected], or bring it to the Customer Service Department of the Municipality of Vilnius (Konstitucijos pr. 3, Vilnius).  

The free-form signed application must state the full name of one of the parents, the address of the declared or actual place of residence, contact details, as well as the child’s name, date of birth, preferred institution and language. Copies of the personal identification documents must also be submitted with the application. To apply for a school, you can use this form.  

Read more about admission to public and private education institutions here

Public kindergartens offer:

• Russian-speaking groups
• Groups of 10 to 20 children
• The average cost is around 60 EUR/month (depending on your child’s age and days spent in kindergarten)

Private kindergartens offer:

• Admission to private kindergartens is carried out throughout the year. You must sign an enrolment agreement with the kindergarten administration for your child to attend a private kindergarten.
• There are usually 8-15 children in one private kindergarten class.
• Prices range from 165-1,600 EUR/month + 5-8 EUR for daily canteen.
• Some of the Lithuanian private kindergartens have Russian-speaking caretakers and may thus also be an option for Russian speaking children.

Learn more

When in Vilnius, you are eligible to apply for Lithuanian/Polish/Russian-speaking schools and kindergartens, even while residing in the country on a visa. There are also multiple options for private tuition in English. If you do not have a residence permit in Lithuania or a Lithuanian personal identification number, but want to register your children in a public kindergarten or school, you should send a free-form signed application by e-mail to [email protected], or bring it to the Customer Service Department of the Municipality of Vilnius (Konstitucijos pr. 3, Vilnius).  

The free-form signed application must state the full name of one of the parents, the address of the declared or actual place of residence, contact details, as well as the child’s name, date of birth, preferred institution and language. Copies of the personal identification documents must also be submitted with the application. To apply for a school, you can use this form.  

Read more about admission to public and private education institutions here

Education is compulsory in Lithuania for children between the ages of 7 and 16 years. Municipal schools are free of charge, while tuition for private schools varies.

Public schools offer:

• Education in Russian or Belarusian
• There are up to 30 children in one class
• Public schools are free of charge

List of public schools that currently have vacancies:

Levo Karsavino School
Ateities School
Lazdynų School
Saulėtekio School - Multifunctional Center
Joachimo Lelevelio Engineering Gymnasium
Vasilijaus Kačialovo Gymnasium
Santaros Gymnasium
Naujamiesčio School
Sofijos Kovalevskajos Progymnasium
Sofijos Kovalevskajos Gymnasium
Kindergarten-School "Saulutė"
Antakalnio Primary School
Pranciškaus Skorinos Gymnasium
Liepkalnio School
Pavilnio School
Juventos Gymnasium
Žaros Gymnasium
Aleksandro Puškino Gymnasium

International private schools offer:

• At the moment, there are vacancies at private schools.
• Admission procedures are set by individual schools; therefore, you should contact the school with specific questions.
• Available languages: English, French and Spanish.
• There are up to 20 children in one class.
• Tuition fees for private schools can vary from 58 to 14,999 EUR per year.

List of public schools that currently have vacancies:

The American International School of Vilnius (AISV)
Vilnius International Meridian School (VIMS)
The British School of Vilnius
The French International Lyceum of Vilnius (LIFV)
Erudito Lyceum
Vilnius International School (VIS)
Queen Morta School
Gulliver Academy

Learn more

On 1 March, the schools of Vilnius launched the online registration process to enrol students for the next school year. Online applications can be submitted until 31 May, so there is no need to rush – the time of submission will not affect enrolment.

Filling out an application is simple and easy. All you need to do is to register at svietimas.vilnius.lt by connecting through your online banking service, or by using your digital signature. Parents are encouraged not to rush and to weigh their decisions carefully. You can find the interactive map of Vilnius schools at www.maps.vilnius.lt.

Parents should remember that, if the school they select is competitive or implements specialised educational (engineering/sports) programmes or elements of a particular pedagogical system (Vilnius Santaros Gymnasium, Vilnius Alexander Pushkin Gymnasium, Vilnius Joachim Lelewel Engineering Gymnasium), applications need to be submitted sooner – by 31 March.

Applications must be filled out in electronic form by parents of future first-graders, children moving from a progymnasium to a gymnasium, as well as children who came to reside in Vilnius. Students moving to a higher-level programme – the fifth grade, ninth (gymnasium grade I) grade, or gymnasium grade III – at the same school, must submit a letter of application to the school’s head master.

Key aspects to be noted when filling out an application

When filling out an application, everyone has an opportunity to select three educational institutions, but there is a range of important specifics that need to be considered. One of the three schools selected must be located at the district of your place of residence as stated (declaration), and the other two schools are up to parental discretion. The schools need to be listed in order of their priority, starting from the most desired one.

For instance, if you prefer that your child attend a school outside the district of your place of residence, this means that it must be ranked first in your application, and subsequently, the school at your place of residence should be ranked second or third. Applications filled out online will be automatically sent to all of the schools selected, and the enrolment procedure will then continue automatically.

It should be noted that, where the amount of applications received by a particular school exceeds the maximum possible number of students and classes at the school, the order concerning school enrolment adopted by the municipal council outlines the priorities for enrolment criteria. For instance, the priority criteria apply to orphaned children, children with special educational needs, children from multi-child families, etc.

Preliminary lists of children enrolled to certain schools will be available to parents at the beginning of June on the respective school websites. Parents will also be notified of enrolment in electronic form and will be able to see it in the registration system. Foreign citizens without a Lithuanian residence permit who would like to apply to enrol their child in a school must send a request for this service to [email protected], and specialists of the Vilnius self-regulatory body will help that person fill out the enrolment application. You can get more information concerning school enrolment at the Customer Service Centre by phone 1664 or by e-mail [email protected].

Before starting kindergarten/school, you must provide a medical certificate of your child's health. Below you can find a list of polyclinics where you can apply for this service, even if you have yet to complete your registration in Lithuania.

The service is paid and provided in Russian and English. Pre-registration is required:

• Polyclinic Antakalnio (phone: +370 5 234 2515)
• Polyclinic Šeškinės (phone: +370 5 250 2000)
• Polyclinic Centro (phone: +370 5 244 2244)

Private Clinics:

• In Medica
• AND klinika
• Kardiolita

Higher education institutions in Lithuania fall into two categories: universities and colleges (non-university higher education institutions). Studies are organised in three cycles: bachelor studies (at universities) or professional bachelor studies (at colleges), post-graduate studies and doctoral studies.

If you have completed your secondary or higher education abroad, you’ll need to get academic recognition of your foreign qualifications before you can enrol. This recognition will be given if the relevant academic institutions consider that your qualifications generally meet the requirements of comparable qualifications in Lithuania.

The academic year in Lithuania typically begins on 1 September.

List of Universities:

• Vilnius University
• European Humanities University
• General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania
• Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
• Mykolas Romeris University
• ISM University of Management and Economics
• International School of Law and Business
• Vilnius Academy of Arts
• Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre
• University of Applied Social Sciences
• Kazimieras Simonavicius University

List of colleges:

• Vilnius Business College/University of Applied Sciences
• Vilnius College of Design
• Vilnius College of Technologies and Design
• Vilnius Business College

For more information on how to apply, please visit Study in LT.

Lithuania has a compulsory health insurance system in place that requires residents of Lithuania to pay compulsory health insurance contributions. Once your residence permit has been issued and you have begun paying contributions while being employed, you are guaranteed compensated healthcare services.

Please note, a national visa does not serve as a residence permit; thus, staying in Lithuania with a national visa does not fulfil the compulsory health insurance requirements.

Eligibility for Compulsory Health Insurance (Privalomasis sveikatos draudimas or PSD in Lithuanian):

• Lithuanian citizens;
• Foreigners permanently residing in Lithuania:
  • Non-EU citizens with a permanent residence permit;
  • EU citizens with a certificate confirming the right of permanent residence in Lithuania (issued for 10 years);
• All foreigners temporarily residing in Lithuania, if legally employed (+ their children);
• Foreigners who have worked in Lithuania for at least 6 months and have registered at the Employment Service;
• Foreigners granted additional protection in Lithuania and unaccompanied minors.

If you are not insured through public health insurance, obtaining private health insurance is recommended. Some of the main private insurance companies are:

Gjensidige
Compensa
BTA

Learn more

Everyone in Lithuania (whether insured by compulsory health insurance or not) has access to both public and private healthcare institutions. The difference is that non-insured people are required to pay for all healthcare services provided at both private and public healthcare institutions.

Private healthcare institutions offer paid services. Each private healthcare institution has its own pricelist, so it’s advisable to ask about prices in advance. You’ll also find that English is more widely spoken at private healthcare institutions.

Learn more

Vilnius offers a fully integrated bus and trolleybus network. For those that like the convenience of cabs, Uber, Bolt and E-taxi operate in Vilnius. And if driving is your thing but you are not so keen on owning a car, you can use the Citybee car sharing service.

To navigate through the mobility options around the city, download the Trafi app – it allows you to plan your journey and even buy public transport tickets online.

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Driver’s licenses issued by third countries (those not belonging to the EU or the EEA) are valid up until the holder becomes a permanent resident of Lithuania, i.e. their place of residence is declared in Lithuania and they reside in the country for at least 185 days every calendar year.

Individuals must take the driving test within 185 days of declaring their place of residence in Lithuania.

Only residents who have declared their place of residence in Lithuania can register a vehicle. Once you have declared a place of residence, you must register your car within a 30-day period.

Learn more

It is fully possible to get around Vilnius in English or Russian. However, to integrate into the local community easier and avoid any miscommunication in the long-term, learning Lithuanian is useful.

This can seem a little daunting as it’s not the easiest language to master. However, there are lots of courses available, as well as online resources dedicated to helping you come to grips with the language.

Online Classes

The Internet is a great place to pick up the basics. A good place to start would be:

• Loecsen
• Surface language
  
• Flyent

There is also the free and interactive tool Let’s be Friends, which teaches you to read, listen, understand, speak and write in Lithuanian.

Language Courses

There are many language schools that teach Lithuanian and new groups are formed constantly. Most of the schools offer online learning opportunities and prices range from 4 to 50 EUR per academic hour. Some of the main ones are listed below:

• American English School (groups of 1-2 people, address: Naugarduko g. 4/12)
• egoPERFECTUS (groups of 1-5 people, address: Vytauto g. 14)
• Ican (groups of 4-6 people, online courses or courses on location chosen by the client)
• Jaunimo perspektyva (individual classes, address: Vilniaus g. 39)
• Kalba.lt (groups of 4-10 people, address: Lvovo g. 25)
• Lingua Inn (groups of 4-8 people, address: Ulonų g. 5)
• Lingua Lituanica (groups of 4-10 people, address: Gedimino pr. 26)
• Lituana (groups of 4-8 people, address: P. Lukšio st. 32)
• School Welcome (groups pf 2-8 people, address: Kalvarijų g. 3-419)
• Mokslo namai (specialises in teaching Russian speakers, address: Konstitucijos pr 12)
• Neozebra (groups of 1-10 persons, address: Žvejų g. 14A)
• School of British English (groups of 1-8 people, address: Žalgirio g. 90)
• Skrivanek (groups of 1-6 people, address: Švitrigailos g.)
• Speak up (groups of 1-6 people, address: Vienuolio g. 4)
• Užsienio kalbos mokymų centras (groups of 2-7 people, address: Kalvarijų g. 2-5)
• VU Lituanistinių studijų katedra (group size depends on the course, address: Universiteto g. 5)
• Žinių gausa (groups of 1-8 people, address: Kalvarijų g. 2-5) 

Learn more

You’ll find that the job market in Vilnius is open, diverse and thriving, with major international companies recruiting regularly, especially in the IT and business processes sectors. And with Fortune 500 companies like Nasdaq, Moody’s, Western Union, McKesson and Uber operating in Vilnius, the city is the perfect springboard to an international career.

You can get started by looking at which international companies currently have vacancies using the Go Vilnius database.

Consultations on the labour market and job searches are provided by specialists at Work in Lithuania ([email protected]).

You can also visit Lithuania's most popular job sites:

• CV.lt (Russian language)
• CVonline.lt (Russian, English languages)
• CVmarket.lt (English language)
• CVbankas.lt (English language)
• LinkedIn.com (English language)  
  

Recruitment agencies that work mainly with international companies:

• www.afr.lt
  
• www.manpower.lt
  
• www.s3i.strategicstaff.com
  
• www.pharmadrome.com

Learn more

International communities

There are a number of communities in Vilnius gathering foreigners from various countries or specifically oriented to people with Belarusian backgrounds.

• Belarusians in Lithuania

This is a social network group for Belarusians in which public institutions share relevant information. Work in Lithuania is the administrator of this group.

• Expats in Vilnius on InterNations

Here you will find information about relocation processes as well as comprehensive guides and a community forum.

• Foreigners in Vilnius

A social network group in which people share relevant information for foreigners.

• Meet a Local

A programme offering users the chance to explore Vilnius together with the locals.

Belarusian Communities:

• The Belarusian Culture Society (Gudų kultūros draugija Lietuvoje) aims to preserve Belarusian traditions. Contacts: +370 648 03746.
• The Yakub Kolas Culture Centre (Jokūbo Kolaso kultūros centras) organises community gatherings that focus on emphasising the importance of the author. Contacts: +370 648 03746.
• The Belarusian Political Prisoners and Exiles community (Vilniaus baltarusių politinių kalinių ir tremtinių bendrija) fosters historical memory. Contacts: +370 635 99979, [email protected].
• The Vilnius Democracy for Belarus public initiative centre (Vilniaus visuomeninių iniciatyvų centras „Demokratija Baltarusijai“) publishes the newspaper "Рунь". Contacts: +370 604 62591, [email protected].
• The Siabryna Belarusian Club (Vilniaus m. baltarusių klubas „Siabryna“) is the very first Belarusian community organisation based in Vilnius and was established in 1987. It aims to preserve Belarusian traditions, folk music and dance. Contacts: +370 635 99979, [email protected].

All official documents issued in Belarus that are to be submitted to Lithuanian authorities (for example, the Migration Department) must be apostilled and translated into Lithuanian. An apostille is issued by designated Belarusian institutions.

A list of some of the translation bureaus in Vilnius:

• Domus Lingua
• Vertimų Guru
• Skrivanek
• Verticia
• Lisnora

Lithuania currently allows citizens of Belarus or people lawfully residing in the country to enter Lithuania.

Persons arriving from third countries are required to: 

• Complete the Registration Form; 
• Have a negative PCR test result (if the person does not meet the disease/vaccination criteria) on arrival by carrier transport (a PCR test for COVID-19 must be taken within 72 hours before entry into Lithuania); on arrival by non-carrier transport (to have a negative test on arrival or within 24 hours from arrival – PCR or antigen) at a paid medical facility or laboratory of their choice; 
• Have an EU Digital COVID Certificate or other document from a medical establishment that proves the recovery of COVID-19, confirmed by a positive result of a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test or vaccination. 

Self-isolation does not apply. 

Masks or respirators are mandatory for those over six years of age in indoor public spaces (in trade and service provision points, institutions, companies or organisations, at work and in academic institutions, during events, etc.).  

For more information see here. 

(!) If you plan on staying at a hotel, please verify that it can ensure self-isolation conditions.

Learn more

There are two types of COVID-19 tests. To put it simply these are.

PCR Test – genetic test detecting a COVID-19 infection

Anyone arriving from Belarus can register for a preventative COVID-19 PCR test performed by public authorities.

• Tests performed by public authorities are free.
• To register for a test, please call the dedicated hotline: 1808 (working hours from 8:00 to 20:00).
• COVID-19 tests in Vilnius are performed at this address: Gerulaičio g. 1, Vilnius.

(!) Tests are only performed for those who register in advance.

Rapid Test – serological test detecting COVID-19 antibodies

Anyone arriving from Belarus can register for a preventative COVID-19 Rapid test performed by public authorities.

• Tests performed by public authorities are free.
• Tests are performed at this address: Gerulaičio g. 1, Vilnius.

To bring with you:

• Personal document (passport).
• SMS text with 6-digit code received after registration.
• Rapid tests are performed from 14:00-17:30 daily from Monday to Sunday.

(!) Tests are only performed for those who register in advance.

Testing by Private Clinics

It is also possible to register for a preventative COVID-19 test at private clinics.

• Tests performed by private clinics are paid. The price for the PCR test ranges from EUR 75 to EUR 140. The price for a Rapid test starts at EUR 14.
• Private clinics performing COVID-19 test:

UAB Diagnostikos laboratorija
UAB Medicina practica laboratorija
UAB „SK IMPEKS MEDICINOS DIAGNOSTIKOS CENTRAS“
UAB Inmedica
UAB SYNLAB