Work in Lithuania: how to get a job for Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians

“Looking for a job!” - the headlines of advertisements in European newspapers are full of headlines. It just so happens that citizens from former Soviet republics mostly go to work in neighboring countries. Unfortunately, what you need is not always available. Especially when looking for work in Lithuania.

The central street in Kaunas is Freedom Alley, with shops and cafes.

Lithuania is the largest Baltic state and one of the most promising young members of the European Union. This country has long been attractive to both tourists and entrepreneurs from around the world. Today, when another financial crisis is just around the corner, which threatens to hit the most defenseless sections of the population, searching for work in the Republic of Lithuania is becoming more relevant than ever.

Dry statistics claim that “looking for work” advertisements are given mainly by Ukrainians and Belarusians. Unfortunately, the situation on the labor market in Lithuania is not as rosy as it seems. In recent years, the unemployment rate has increased greatly. In this regard, the country's authorities are faced with the acute problem of employing Lithuanians, first of all, and not foreign citizens. Therefore, it is quite difficult for Ukrainians to find employment in the Republic of Lithuania. Many people want to emigrate to Lithuania primarily in order to then go to live in other developed EU countries.

Detailed map of Lithuania showing cities and roads.

Situation today

After Lithuania joined the European Union, citizens of the republic had good chances to find work in the countries of “old Europe”. Today, a large number of Lithuanians work successfully in Germany and France, where the wage level is much higher.

Therefore, today in Lithuania there are a large number of free places for both Ukrainians and Moldovans and Belarusians. Of course, finding a high-paying job here is still very difficult. In order to get a job in a serious company, there are two ways: to graduate from a university in Lithuania or to be an extremely valuable employee, a highly qualified specialist in a particular field.

Jobs available for Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians

Since the Republic joined the EU, its citizens can work in European countries without obtaining a permit or other bureaucratic formalities. Lithuanians take advantage of this, especially since salaries in Germany, Scandinavia and even Poland are many times higher than what is offered in the Republic of Lithuania.

The outflow of highly qualified personnel (doctors, programmers, engineers), investors and entrepreneurs has a particularly negative impact on the state. The Republic is trying to compensate for their lack by immigrants from the CIS countries. Vacancies in the medical and IT fields require education and proficiency in the Lithuanian language, so they are usually published on the websites of the state Labor Exchange or related Employment Centers.

There is a consistently high demand for low-skilled workers in the agricultural and industrial sectors. Men are constantly required for the positions of drivers, builders, and general workers. Women are most often invited to take up vacancies in agriculture and the service sector (cooks, housekeepers, waiters, nurses, nannies). Foreigners show themselves to be more responsible and disciplined workers than native Lithuanians.

What kind of work can you find?

However, a highly qualified specialist is worth his weight in gold even in his homeland, and only an extremely favorable offer or the bankruptcy of the company in which he works can force him to go to Lithuania.

Business income tax schedule in Lithuania.

Since such situations are the exception rather than the rule, “I’m looking for a job” advertisements are generated by ordinary citizens. Searching for work in the Republic of Lithuania does not involve a wide scope. Most often, young people from post-Soviet republics are invited to seasonal work. Builders and drivers are no less frequent visitors to the country.

The average salary in the Republic of Lithuania is approximately four hundred euros per month.

Of course, this money cannot be compared with the wages that foreigners receive in more developed countries. But this criterion forces the majority of Moldovans and Ukrainians to search for work in Lithuania.

The most realistic option is to get a job as a driver. The salary is quite high, no special education is required.

This is what a Lithuanian driver's license looks like.

Of course, an applicant who wants to get a job as a driver must meet other criteria, and the package of documents submitted to the diplomatic institution must contain all certificates confirming good health and the ability to drive a car. Thus, the standard requirements for a person applying for the vacancy of an international driver are as follows:

1. Driving license category CE.
2. At least two years of experience in the transportation industry.
3. No bad habits.
4. Availability of a special chip card.

Special requirements apply to the age of the applicant. A truck driver must be at least twenty-eight and not older than fifty years of age.

In turn, the company is always ready to hire an employee on fairly favorable terms. The following points are noted:

1. Work on the newest and most modern cars (most equipment meets EURO 5-6 standards).
2. Timely payment of earned funds.
3. Excellent working conditions.
4. Opportunity to travel around European countries, including Scandinavia.
5. Carrying out activities on temperature-controlled trailers.
6. Opportunity to work with a partner (or individually).
7. Opportunity to work in a qualified, well-coordinated team.
8. Full package of social guarantees.
9. Possibility of training for code 95.

Today there are many ways to find a job in Lithuania.
Many people find employment through friends or acquaintances, but most often people find work through sites where open vacancies are published. To search for a place of employment, foreign residents are recommended to visit such portals as:

1. https://www.cv.lt/ .
2. https://www.cvbankas.lt/.
3. https://www.cvmarket.lt/ .
4. https://www.cvonline.lt/?redirected_name=www.cvonline.lt.
5. https://darbo.lt/darbas/.
6. https://www.careerjet.ae/search/jobs?l=Lithuania.
7. https://www.learn4good.com/jobs/language/english/list/country/lithuania/.
8. https://www.cvbankas.lt/.
9. https://www.cv.lt/ .

All of the above sites provide information in Lithuanian or English. If the applicant does not speak any of the languages, then he needs to visit the portal https://www.cvonline.lt/. This site allows you to view vacancies in Russian.

The website of the Lithuanian Labor Exchange (https://www.ldb.lt/Informacija/Puslapiai/default.aspx) is today one of the most visited among those seeking employment.

Labor exchange in Lithuania.

Many vacancies are published in electronic versions of Lithuanian printed publications. Job seekers are advised to pay attention to such newspaper sites as:

1. https://www.baltictimes.com/.
2. https://www.respublika.lt/.
3. https://www.vz.lt/.

Bricklayers: prices and conditions of employment

Bricklayer vacancies are open to qualified specialists with 2–3 years of experience in the construction, finishing and repair of residential and industrial buildings, cottages, shopping centers, and underground facilities. The standard requirements are:

• ability to lay brick, foam blocks, cinder blocks, ceramic blocks, gas blocks;
• erect walls and partitions;
• install thermal insulation;
• understand technical documentation, etc.

The average salary is 1000–2200 euros per month. Most often it is piecework and depends on the area or volume of work, wall thickness, etc.:

• brick (facade) 15–25 EUR/m²;
• brick up to 45 EUR/m³;
• block from 30 EUR/m³.

The work week is 6 days with possible overtime (on Sunday), 10–12 hours. Knowledge of Lithuanian, as a rule, is not required, since the teams, together with the leader, are entirely composed of foreigners who speak the same language.

Priority is given to already established teams of 3 or more people. The employer provides housing, deducting from the salary from 50 to 100 EUR per month, free work clothes, tools, and transportation.

Big city offers

One of the oldest cities in Europe, beautiful Vilnius is a great place for walking and relaxing. And today this luxurious and proud city is considered the largest cultural center of the entire Old World. But is Vilnius so kind to those who desperately cry out from the pages of newspapers and Internet publications “Looking for a job”? For foreigners, work in Vilnius may be related to the service sector. Bartenders, waiters, cleaners, cook assistants and warehouse staff are often required. Currently, the following positions in the city remain vacant:

• manager with a flexible schedule (remote work on a PC and phone is assumed);
• account Manager;
• Sales Manager;
• shop assistant;
• cutter;
• Office Manager.

Also, young men and women with a bright appearance are often required for filming commercials.

Comparison of wages across the Baltic countries.

We need creatively thinking youth to organize children's and adult celebrations and parties. It is very difficult to get a permanent, serious and highly paid job in the capital. The most realistic option is to open your own business here. This is what many Russians do, in particular.

How to get a job

The search for a suitable location in Lithuania can continue indefinitely. Therefore, the best option for everyone who wants to find a job here is to contact an agency that hires workers. It is not difficult to find such an agency using an Internet search, since every self-respecting company has its own page on the Internet.

Agency employees, after reviewing the applicant’s resume, will find him a suitable vacancy. The next step is to confirm the employer’s consent to hire a foreign person.

Example of a Schengen work visa to Lithuania.

To do this, the employer must obtain an official work permit for its future employee. At the next stage, the applicant applies to the Migration Service, which issues a residence permit in Lithuania. After receiving these documents, the applicant can apply to the consular department for a work visa. This document is issued for a period of twelve months, after which the period of stay in Lithuania can be extended.

Process Features

Unlike searching for a suitable vacancy, the employment process is not so long. Within sixty calendar days, the exchange undertakes to resolve the issue regarding the application of an applicant without a higher education.

Queue at the labor exchange in Vilnius.

If the applicant has a higher education, the decision is made within thirty calendar days. A foreigner who wants to find a job in Lithuania should always remember that jobs here are mainly intended for citizens of the republic. In this regard, you should be aware of one nuance.

Thus, thirty days before a foreign person submits current certificates, the owner of the company undertakes to register the vacant position on the territorial exchange. This is done so that Lithuanians have an advantage over foreigners. It is relevant to submit an application only when, after thirty days, a Lithuanian candidate for the vacant position has not shown up.

Documentation

The package of documents is standard. The main one is a civil and foreign passport. If its validity period is less than twelve months, then the foreign person may face significant problems.

You also need to take care of a diploma or other document confirming a particular level of qualification of a foreign person.

Lithuania also requires that the diploma be certified by an Apostille. This is a guarantee that it was not bought, but earned through honest student labor.

An equally important condition for hiring a foreign person is proof of his ability to work. That is, the foreign applicant undertakes to prove that over the past five years he has worked for at least three years in accordance with the education he received.

This is what a Lithuanian ID card looks like.

This can be proven by entries in the work book. Like other documents, the employment contract with current records must be translated into Lithuanian and notarized. Finally, the Lithuanian employer submits a request for permission to hire a foreigner to the appropriate authority. The petition contains a description of the activity and the salary level.

Salary in Lithuania

The minimum wage in the Republic of Lithuania is considered to be 380 EUR . In Lithuania, salaries are usually calculated based on hours worked. The minimum wage for 1 hour of work is 2.16 EUR. Typically, such payment is received by unskilled workers (dishwashers, janitors, cleaners, couriers, etc.).

The average salary in the republic is 817 EUR net, that is, without paying taxes. After all mandatory contributions, a person is left with approximately 644 EUR.

Average salary in Lithuania compared to other countries.

In the Republic of Lithuania, women receive approximately 100 – 150 EUR less than men.

Builders are highly valued in the Republic of Lithuania, especially façade processing specialists. Their wages are calculated depending on the quadrature completed. So for 1 sq. m. finishing usually pay from 9 to 11 EUR.

Table: wages by industry

Minimum wage in Lithuania in comparison with other EU countries.

Excavator and tractor drivers: salaries and requirements

Tractor drivers and machine operators are invited to livestock and agricultural farms, excavator operators - to peat extraction, construction sites, etc. Applicants are required to:

• tractor driver's license;
• one year of work experience;
• no health contraindications.

Work is assumed to be irregular, 8–12 hours a day. Salary starts from 800 EUR per month. The employer provides housing, food, and work clothes free of charge.

Popular specialties

Professions in demand in Lithuania are:

1. Driver.
2. Mechanic.
3. Car mechanic.
4. Waiter.
5. Bartender.
6. Loader.
7. Housemaid.
8. Gardener.
9. Security guard.
10. Shop assistant.
11. Sales Manager.
12. Nurse.
13. Welder
14. Mason.
15. Finisher.
16. Painter.
17. Tiler.

Professions in demand in Lithuania.

Applying for a work visa

It is worth remembering that for legal employment in Lithuania, a person will need a work visa. It is processed at the Lithuanian Embassy. In Moscow, the diplomatic mission is located on Borisoglebsky Lane, in building No. 10.

To obtain a work visa, a person must first find an employer in Lithuania and apply for a work permit. A work permit is issued by the employer. Initially, he must notify the Lithuanian Labor Exchange about the opening of a vacancy for employment. For a month, the vacancy must “hang” on the labor exchange, and if during this time there is no suitable candidate for this position, then the employer is allowed to hire a foreign resident.

After a work permit has been received, the foreign resident is required to visit the diplomatic mission and present a package of papers consisting of:

1. A valid foreign passport.
2. A receipt that confirms payment of the state fee in the prescribed amount.
3. Application form.
4. Health insurance policy in the amount of at least 5,792.40 EUR.
5. One photo (45 by 35 mm).
6. Invitations from a Lithuanian employer.
7. Photocopies of work permit.

Video instructions on how to obtain a work visa for citizens of Russia and Ukraine.

The cost of a work visa to the Republic of Lithuania for 1 year is 121 EUR, a visa with a validity period of up to 2 years costs 150 EUR. If a person goes to Latvia for seasonal work, he can get a work visa for up to six months. Its cost is 34 EUR.

Each visa can be extended in Latvia, but you will have to pay 52 EUR to extend the period.

Documents submitted to the diplomatic mission are reviewed within 2 months from the date of their submission. The decision regarding the issuance of a visa is considered by the migration service in Lithuania.

Seasonal and rotational work

Seasonal work is most often associated with the agricultural sector:

• harvest;
• collecting and sorting vegetables and berries;
• weeding, planting care, etc.

Women are required who are capable of long-term physical labor in the fresh air or in greenhouses. Education, skills, experience, knowledge of languages ​​are not important.

Working hours are irregular, 7–10 hours a day. The salary is piecework, on average it ranges from 500 to 900 EUR. Accommodation is often provided free of charge near the farm. Meals “in the field” are also organized and paid for by the employer.