Residence permit in Lithuania: business immigration

Advantages of Lithuania for business immigration

Registering a company in Lithuania is very simple. A minimum package of documents and a good business plan are required. Briefly, the stages of creating a company can be outlined as follows:
preparation of all necessary forms and declarations;
submission of documents and forms for registration;
opening a bank account to deposit a minimum amount of authorized capital of 2,500 euros;
company registration and preparation of a package of documents;
notarization of documents, apostille (if necessary);
making a seal, preparing the final set of documents;
sending original documents and stamps to the required address. The registration period takes no more than 5 days from the moment all documents are submitted to the registration authority.
To create a company in Lithuania, there are no residency requirements for founders, directors and shareholders. This means that a company can be registered with 100% foreign participation.
The standard corporate income tax rate in Lithuania is only 15%.
Budget registration and not very high prices for living. Since the company must show the minimum values that allow its founder to support himself in the country, the cost of living is of great importance. In Lithuania, the cost of living is not high, and therefore it is quite possible to achieve the indicators necessary to extend a residence permit.
Doing business with counterparties from Lithuania is a pleasure. Due to similar mentalities, many of our clients note that comfort and ease of communication with business partners from Lithuania is one of the biggest advantages of creating a Lithuanian company.

Standard of living in Lithuania

In terms of living standards, the Lithuanian state is weaker than the Baltic countries of Estonia and Latvia. But if you look at wages, it can compete with them. The dynamics of earnings progresses every year. This is largely due to an artificial increase in salaries, but economic growth cannot be ruled out. Such indicators effectively influence the labor market and emigration, which helps to deter Lithuanians from moving to Western Europe and also to interest qualified foreigners.

After the transition to the European Union, the market economy stabilized and inflation dropped to 2.6%. According to the World Bank, Lithuania is a mixed economy with a high level of income, where the main sectors are services, industry, and agriculture. In the ranking of world economic competitiveness, the state occupies 41st place out of 137, and low external debt is immediately taken into account.

Considering the Baltics from a demographic point of view, the situation is complex; almost 50% of the residents are pensioners. Natural population growth is negative. Since Lithuania entered the Schengen zone, 2 million Lithuanians have left for the UK, Germany, Norway, and Ireland. This situation has changed migration policy in a positive direction. The government has become loyal to labor migrants, displaced persons, refugees, and Lithuanians from other countries.

How to get a residence permit in Lithuania with a company?

Lithuania offers one of the most accessible and convenient ways to immigrate to the country and obtain a residence permit through company registration. When the company is registered, you can immediately apply for a residence permit.

Interesting: You can apply for a residence permit through a special electronic portal, the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS).

The first step after registering a company is to prepare a package of documents.

Documents that must be provided include:

Statutory documents for a company in Lithuania (or for the parent organization if a branch or subsidiary is established in Lithuania);
Business plan. The business plan must clearly reflect the type of activity of the company, as well as its development plan;
Identification documents for the founder/CEO of the company in Lithuania (passports, confirmation of residence address, etc.);
Certificate from the account of the founder and general director of the company. The account balance must be sufficient to develop the business and ensure residence in Lithuania;
Medical insurance;
A document confirming the creation by the applicant of at least 1 job for local citizens.

Please note: One seat is the minimum to meet the requirements. It is advisable to provide 3-5 jobs in order to minimize the risk of refusal to issue a residence permit.

After all documents have been submitted to the Lithuanian Migration Service, an interview will be scheduled with the applicant for a residence permit. If you successfully pass the interview, have a good business plan, secure jobs in a Lithuanian company, and prove that you have sufficient funds to live in the country, a decision will be made to issue a Lithuanian residence permit.

However, it is not as important to obtain a residence permit as it is important to maintain it, renew it, and after a while apply for permanent residence and citizenship.

Features of obtaining a residence permit for different categories of applicants

Each category of applicant for a Lithuanian residence permit has its own characteristics. Let's consider the reasons for requesting a residence permit in Lithuania and the features of each of them.

It took 2 months to find a job (July - August). In September I received a dozen offers. The contract should be negotiated more carefully than in Russia. Honey. insurance is far from being a mandatory bonus; vacation is not included in the “contract by default” either. Salaries in IT are quite decent. Beginner testers start at 400 euros, analysts go up to 1500 (after all taxes).

Obtaining a residence permit when purchasing real estate

The opportunity to obtain a residence permit after purchasing real estate in Lithuania became available to immigrants relatively recently. A characteristic feature in this case is that Lithuania does not put forward any requirements for the minimum value of the property. But, as already mentioned, it will be necessary for each of the applicants to have sufficient space in the purchased house or apartment.

Lithuanian real estate ownership is a good investment. Today its cost is relatively low. But at the same time, it is still growing slowly but surely. This is facilitated by the increasing integration of Lithuania into the European Union. Experts believe that in the near future, Lithuanian real estate may significantly increase in value.

Lithuanian real estate ownership represents a good investment and grounds for requesting a residence permit

Residence permit for employment

Going to work in the Republic of Lithuania is one of the most frequently used methods of immigration for CIS residents. The main problem for a foreign labor migrant will be competition with Lithuanian citizens and their fellow citizens in the European Union, for whom no additional documents are required. But low wages in Lithuania do not particularly attract residents of other European countries.

The uniform rules of labor legislation of the European Union require that any employer operating within its territory try to employ his compatriots or fellow citizens of the European Union. He must first notify the employment service of his country about the availability of a vacancy. For several months (this period is different for each country, for Lithuania it is one month), the employer has the right to select candidates only from the above categories. If he does not succeed, then he will need to explain to the employment service the reason for refusing applicants, and also indicate the number of applicants. If the employment service recognizes these arguments as valid, then permission is issued to enter into an agreement with a specialist from a third country.

To open a work visa, which can be issued at the Lithuanian diplomatic mission in the country where the future labor migrant lives, he will need an invitation to work issued by a Lithuanian employer and a valid contract with him. Next, after three months of stay in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania, the employer must issue a temporary residence permit for its new employee. When applying for a job, the law obliges him to take on all the responsibilities for resolving this issue, as well as fully finance it.

Video: life and work in Lithuania

Registration of a residence permit for education

You can become a holder of a higher education in Lithuania at much lower costs than in other European countries. For example, the cost of a year of study at Vilnius University will be about 1.5 thousand euros. Lithuania is not considered an expensive country, so students will need a minimum of funds for living. As a rule, a month of living in Lithuania for a student will cost no more than 300 euros. In addition, the law allows foreign students to officially work part-time during the educational process, as well as during the holidays. Interest in studying in Lithuania is also due to the fact that upon graduation from a Lithuanian higher education institution, you will receive a diploma of a single pan-European standard, which subsequently does not need to be nostrified in any country in the world. Also, graduates of Lithuanian universities will become priority candidates for employment in this country.

To obtain a student visa, you will need to receive an invitation from the administration of a higher educational institution, which will be issued upon successful passing of exams and admission of the student. Within a three-month period, foreign students apply to the Lithuanian Immigration Department and obtain a residence permit.

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to meet a Ukrainian, who at that time was a third-year student at Vilnius University. Maxim (that was the name of my interlocutor) entered a Lithuanian university without any problems, passing the exams remotely. According to him, every tenth foreign student in this country is Ukrainian. There are a lot of Belarusians studying, because Lithuania borders on their homeland, and there are also a lot of Russians. What encouraged Maxim to enter Lithuania was that he learned about the state program for providing scholarships for free education, which started in 2013. In addition, the most important role in making the decision to enroll in Lithuanian Val was that you will subsequently receive an international diploma, with which you can easily get a job in any European country. Maxim managed to receive a state scholarship, which fully covered the cost of his studies. To do this, you just had to study well and not miss classes. Students were regularly rated for their performance. The corresponding score in the ranking gave the right to receive a scholarship. You had to spend no more than 280 euros per month to live in Lithuania. The cost of living in Vilnius was not much higher than in his native Kyiv. Both Lithuanian and foreign students were eligible to receive scholarships. The program itself covers more than five thousand educational programs. In his free time, Maxim worked part-time at a small private Lithuanian enterprise, where he helped install cabinet furniture. The money received during part-time work was quite enough not only for a comfortable life in Lithuania, but also for periodic trips home to relatives. According to Maxim, approximately every third student at a Lithuanian university was a foreigner, and every second foreigner was from Russia and the CIS countries. The second half of foreign students were refugees and children of refugees from African and Middle Eastern countries, as well as students from the neighboring Baltic republics. There were several Poles in the group who came to study in Lithuania because it is somewhat cheaper here than in Poland. Maxim called the almost complete absence of a language barrier a special feature of the training. He was not familiar with the Lithuanian language at the time of admission, and in fact he was not familiar with it at the time of our conversation. But this was not a hindrance, because everyone in the country speaks Russian perfectly. Not 100% of Lithuanians speak it well, but almost everyone understands it perfectly. The same statement is true for the teaching staff of the university. By the way, Russian is one of the languages of instruction.

Marriage relations and residence permit

Lithuanian legislation allows special conditions for obtaining immigration status only for official spouses of Lithuanian citizens. In this case, the foreign spouse has the unconditional right to become a temporary resident or resident of the Republic of Lithuania. For foreign spouses, there is a slightly different naturalization procedure. First, they receive a temporary residence permit for a period of two years. Further, the residence permit is not extended, but permanent residence is requested. It is necessary to live in Lithuania for another three years. And only after five years of marriage with a Lithuanian citizen does the right to request citizenship begin. But the period can be reduced if a child is born in the marriage. From the moment of his birth, a mother or father with foreign citizenship has the right to immediately request Lithuanian citizenship.

Families in which one of the spouses has foreign citizenship are strictly controlled by the Lithuanian migration authorities. After all, it’s no secret that the fictitious marriage method allows you to quickly go through the naturalization procedure not only in Lithuania, but also in almost every European country. Therefore, newlyweds should be prepared for private visits from migration service officers. If it is proven that the marriage is fictitious, the foreign participant will be immediately deported from Lithuania, and the Lithuanian citizen will face criminal liability for participating in a criminal union created for the purpose of obtaining Lithuanian citizenship illegally.

Direct investments

The state immigration program operating in Lithuania is aimed at creating a comfortable investment climate in the country and raising the level of the economy. To participate in the program you need to pay at least 350 thousand euros. In this case, the foreign investor will be issued a temporary residence permit. For larger investments of over a million euros, the question of obtaining permanent residence may be raised. If the investment is considered particularly useful for the Republic of Lithuania, then you can even apply for Lithuanian citizenship. But the right to decide on the granting of citizenship in this case belongs to the Lithuanian government.

Lithuanian authorities welcome the opening of a business aimed at the construction of industrial enterprises

Business immigration

In Lithuania, you can register your own enterprise and apply for a residence permit on this basis. This country has fairly flexible tax legislation. Research by international experts indicates that Lithuania today ranks 16th among 190 countries in the world in terms of ease of registration and doing business . The amount that you will have to pay for registering a company in Lithuania will be about 2.5 thousand euros. This will take at least two weeks, and the owner of the registered business will need to be personally present when opening a bank account and receiving registration documents. In Lithuania today there are many areas for successful implementation of startups. The country's authorities welcome the opening of a business aimed at the construction of industrial enterprises, the development of the agricultural sector, the tourism sector and especially the information technology sector. As an indispensable condition for a foreign entrepreneur, the employment of at least three Lithuanian citizens will be required.

Foreign businessmen receive a residence permit for a period of two years, its extension is possible only based on the results of a positive assessment of the performance of the business by the Lithuanian authorities.

I did not intend to and did not look for a university abroad. It was spontaneous. Just out of curiosity, I took the test for the program. And then I had a choice: to study at a Ukrainian university or a Lithuanian one. It turned out that studying in Lithuania was cheaper than here. In addition, a friend of mine had already studied there and told me that he really liked it in Lithuania. That's why I went to study. For the first six months I was simply silent - I was afraid to speak English. But then everything got better. Moreover, here I had the experience of international and intercultural communication: many other students from all over Europe study in Lithuania. This made it possible to work in international teams

Requirements for extending a residence permit in Lithuania

When a company is just being created, there are, of course, no strict requirements for it, and therefore a well-written business plan and a decent balance in the cash account are enough to be allowed to obtain a residence permit. However, as the company matures, the requirements for the applicant will become stricter, and in order to renew the residence permit, these requirements must be carefully observed.

What needs to be ensured for a residence permit in Lithuania to be extended?

First , you need to show that the company is profitable.
A successful project that generates income sufficient to cover all company costs, such as employee wages, office rent, and living expenses in the country, minimizes the risk of refusal to renew a residence permit. If a company demonstrates good potential and growing profits, there will be no complaints against such a company, and the business owner will easily renew the residence permit. However, if the company is unprofitable from the second year of existence, renewal may be denied. Interesting: Each situation is unique and is considered individually by the migration authorities. So, if in the first year a company shows a slight loss or works at zero, but the project has good prospects for development, this may not affect the receipt of a residence permit. For start-up businesses this is acceptable, but after a year the company is expected to make progress.
Secondly , it is necessary to increase the number of jobs for Lithuanian residents. The state is interested in reducing unemployment and increasing jobs, and therefore the growing number of vacancies in your company can serve as an excellent advantage for extending a residence permit.
Thirdly , it is necessary to provide evidence that the owner of the residence permit has sufficient financial resources to live in Lithuania.

In addition to the above criteria, the usefulness of the project for the Lithuanian economy, the company’s potential for developing areas that are underdeveloped in Lithuania, the innovativeness of the products offered, and others can also be assessed.

What advantages does a Lithuanian residence permit give to foreigners?

There are many positive factors that encourage citizens of other countries to move to this Baltic state. The main advantages of living in Lithuania are:

Possibility to enter any country of the European Union without obstacles.
Carrying out work activities in Lithuania.
Study in Lithuanian higher educational institutions, and you don’t have to pay for it at all.
Possibility to apply for a mortgage and take out a loan.
Receiving quality medical care under the same conditions as citizens of the country.
Purchase of cars and motorcycle equipment, using them in the EU countries, the Schengen agreement and in the territory of the post-Soviet states.
The right to social benefits and school education for children.
Conducting business, entrepreneurial and religious activities.
Free entry and exit into the territory of Lithuania.

A temporary residence permit does not allow you to obtain a permanent residence permit in Lithuania. This opportunity exists in other European Union member countries, but is not available in Lithuania. The rule also applies to those foreigners who enter into formal employment and permanent employment contracts with Lithuanian employers.

Registration of permanent residence

Obtaining a permanent residence permit is the next step after moving to Lithuania. Obtaining it is much more difficult than a residence permit , since in addition to the usual collection of necessary documents and submitting an application, you will need to pass several exams. In particular, knowledge of the language (at least at a basic level) and knowledge of the constitutional foundations of Lithuania.

Citizens who have continuously resided in the country for 5 years with the status of a residence permit have the right to count on obtaining permanent residence.

Price

You will have to spend a lot of money on obtaining a residence permit and permanent residence permit. Registration of documents, assistance from specialists, visas, etc. will cost a significant amount.
You will have to pay separately when submitting an application to the migration center. In total, when applying for a residence permit, Russians spend from 200 to 300 euros per person.

At the same time, each citizen applying for a temporary residence permit must have at least 4 thousand euros in his account. This amount is required for one-year residence in Lithuania.

Consider incidental costs. For example, travel, language courses, etc., which only indirectly relate to obtaining a permanent residence permit. Conclusion: when moving to Lithuania, be prepared for significant expenses. Otherwise nothing will work.

Alternative options for moving to Lithuania for permanent residence for Russians

So, as can be seen from the above information, the procedure for obtaining Lithuanian permanent residence and citizenship requires significant expenditures from Russians in terms of effort, time and finances. The main problem is time. From 5 years for the entire procedure (and, under standard conditions, no less than 10).

However, there is an alternative option for a Russian citizen to move for permanent residence to Lithuania or any other EU country. To do this, he can obtain Romanian citizenship. Under normal conditions, this procedure is approximately similar in time and financial expenses to obtaining Lithuanian citizenship.

But if a Russian has or had close relatives who lived in Romania before 1940, he can count on a simplified and expedited registration procedure. It consists in the ability to “skip” the stages of obtaining a residence permit and permanent residence (you will still have to apply for a visa). In addition, in this order, a Russian only needs to visit Romania two or three times for a short period of time in order to obtain the right to submit an application and documents (the list will be given in the next paragraph).

Documents for Romanian citizenship

Even under the simplified procedure for obtaining Romanian citizenship, a Russian must provide the following list of documents to the consulate or migration agency:

Russian passport;
International passport;
Birth certificate;
Confirmation of civil status, which can be:
Marriage certificate;
divorce certificate;
death certificate of the spouse;
Marriage certificate of the applicant's father and mother;
If the applicant's parents were both born after 1940, you must provide:
birth certificate of paternal or maternal grandparents;
marriage certificate of paternal or maternal grandparents (the lines must match);
Certificate confirming that the applicant has no criminal record;
If you do not have any document from the above list on hand, you can contact the state archive at the Russian citizen’s place of residence and send a corresponding request there.

When will Lithuanian citizenship be granted?

Obtaining Lithuanian citizenship, as a rule, is available only after a Russian citizen has obtained a permanent residence permit (permanent residence permit) by going through the above naturalization procedure, or through consanguinity. Each option must be considered separately.

Naturalization

If a Russian has lived in Lithuania on one legal basis or another for at least ten years (and can confirm this with relevant documents). The immigrant will also be required to prove the presence of a legal and stable source of income, and pass exams on knowledge of the Lithuanian language and the Constitution. The following categories of persons are exempt from the last two checks:

disabled people;
citizens with psychological disorders;
pensioners (over 65 years old).

Those Russians who immigrated to Lithuania on the basis of marriage with a citizen of this country can apply for Lithuanian citizenship in just five years. Otherwise the procedure will remain the same.

Blood relations

If a Russian has close relatives among Lithuanian citizens, he can count on a simplified and accelerated procedure for obtaining citizenship of this country. It makes no difference whether the applicant was born on the territory of a given state or not.

Special conditions for registration are available to children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of persons who were citizens of Lithuania before 1940. Of course, the applicant must provide documentary evidence, which may include:

passport;
documents confirming military service in the Lithuanian army;
documents on work in government agencies of Lithuania;
documents about studies, work, etc.

In addition to the above documents, evidence can be any other evidence from family or state archives. Whether to recognize them or not is the decision of the Lithuanian Migration Service.

Submission of documents

But the question arises: where should Russians who want to become Lithuanian citizens submit documents and applications? As a rule, this is done by consulates and migration agencies. The period for consideration of the application is at least 30 calendar days, and, in certain cases, may take up to 2-3 months.

The process of obtaining a residence permit in Lithuania

In the Baltics, obtaining a residence permit is easier and processing times are shorter than in other parts of Europe. To move permanently, you will need to use one of the above methods of emigration.

Documents for obtaining a residence permit

You can only emigrate to Lithuania legally. To obtain a residence permit you must:

sample application;
information about foreign trips with long-term stay (if available);
foreign passport;
photo on a light background according to the Schengen pattern 35*45 mm;
a document confirming the absence of a criminal record (taken in the home state);
certificate of real estate availability;
medical insurance;
bank statement, proof of availability of funds of at least €350 per day.

Cost of obtaining a residence permit

Standard registration will cost €114; in case of urgency, the cost will double, amounting to €228. Additional costs are possible, depending on the emigration option and intermediary services of legal agencies.

Registration period

According to reviews from those who have moved, the average time to obtain a residence permit ranges from 2-4 months. It is during this period that a decision comes from the Lithuanian Migration Department.

Validity

The validity period of the residence permit will be 5 years, after which it can be extended or an application for permanent residence can be submitted. Non-residents who use the legal method of emigration for a long time can emigrate and apply for permanent residence.