RELOCATE to Europe. NO WORK PERMIT NEEDED

Who needs a work permit in Lithuania?

Third-country nationals who don’t have permanent residency in Lithuania, need to obtain a work permit to be legally employed in the country.

However, there are several exceptions whereby non-EU nationals who don’t have permanent residency in Lithuania can work in Lithuania without a work permit.

When are foreigners not required to obtain a work permit or a decision on compliance?

• A foreigner whose profession is included in the list of professions for which there is a shortage of workers in the Republic of Lithuania, according to the type of economic activity (in this case, quotas are applied. Once the quota is exhausted, foreigners who intend to work in the Republic of Lithuania must obtain a work permit.
  • You can monitor the established quotas here ).
  • The list of the 2023 shortage occupations in demand in Lithuania is published here).
• Nationals of EU and EFTA countries.
• Foreigners with a permanent residence permit.
• Third-country nationals who are family members of citizens of the Republic of Lithuania and have a residence permit issued on the basis of family reunification.
• Third-country nationals who have obtained residence permits on the basis of studies.
• The salary to be paid to the foreigner will be no less than three average monthly gross wages.
• A foreigner who intends to work as a trainee or an intern.
• A foreigner who works remotely in Lithuania under an employment contract with a company operating in Lithuania.
• A foreigner applying for a Blue Card.

A visa (to live in Lithuania) or residence permit is also required.

The professionals needed in Lithuania. A list of the most in-demand professions in Lithuania

In Lithuania, the unemployment rate falls annually and employers more and more frequently speak about a particular lack of certain professionals.

The Labour Exchange of Lithuania approves a list of the most in-demand jobs. 

LIST OF PROFESSIONS WITH A LACK OF EMPLOYEES IN THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA BY TYPE OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FOR THE YEAR 2023

Construction sector

1. 711102 Wide profile builder
2. 711202 Bricklayer
3. 711203 Fire brick mason, fire hardener
4. 711405 Concrete reinforcement worker
5. 711407 Concrete worker
6. 711511 Carpenter fitter
7. 711518 Window and/or Door Installer
8. 711911 Scaffolder
9. 711912 Scaffold builder
10. 711916 Road repairer
11. 711917 Asphalt paver
12. 711919 Wayfarer
13. 712203 Paver
14. 712207 Tiler
15. 712212 Tiler
16. 712213 Tiler, finisher
17. 712301 Plasterer finisher
18. 712302 Plasterer
19. 712305 Plasterer with decorative plaster
20. 712306 External plasterer
21. 712307 Installer-finisher of plasterboard partitions
22. 712401 Insulator
23. 712402 Boiler and pipe insulator
24. 712403 Building heater
25. 712406 Installer of thermal insulation of boilers and pipes
26. 712407 Installer of thermal insulation
27. 712408 Installer of waterproofing
28. 712602 Pipe fitter
29. 712605 Ship piping installer
30. 712606 Sewer installer
31. 712610 Pipeline jointer
32. 712611 Pipelayer
33. 712612 Main (main) pipelayer connector
34. 712613 Plumber
35. 712617 Plumbing and heating system equipment installer
36. 712619 Installer of plumbing systems and devices
37. 712621 Installer of domestic plumbing pipes and equipment
38. 712622 Plumber
39. 712623 Installer of technological pipelines and devices
40. 721206 Welder
41. 721210 Contact welder
42. 721212 Electric welder
43. 721213 Gas welder
44. 721214 Gas and electric welder
45. 721215 Manual electric welder
46. 721218 Spot welder
47. 741101 Electrician
48. 741104 Building electrical installation electrician
49. 834108 Mechanizer
50. 834201 Road marking equipment operator
51. 834202 Bulldozer driver
52. 834204 Excavator driver
53. 834205 Road grader and scraper driver
54. 834206 Plentvoli machinist
55. 834213 Ground handling equipment operator
56. 834218 Paver operator
57. 834221 Asphalt spreader operator
58. 834320 Tower Crane Operator

Industry sector

1. 711911 Scaffolder
2. 712406 Installer of thermal insulation of boilers and pipes
3. 712408 Installer of waterproofing
4. 712602 Pipe fitter
5. 712605 Ship piping installer
6. 712606 Sewer installer
7. 712610 Pipeline jointer
8. 712611 Pipelayer
9. 712612 Main (main) pipelayer connector
10. 712613 Plumber
11. 712617 Pipeline and heating system equipment installer
12. 712622 Plumber
13. 712623 Installer of technological pipelines and devices
14. 713106 Ship hull painter
15. 713202 Painter of industrial products
16. 721206 Welder
17. 721210 Contact welder
18. 721212 Electric welder
19. 721213 Gas welder
20. 721214 Gas and electric welder
21. 721215 Manual electric welder
22. 721218 Spot welder
23. 721402 Assembler (installer) of steel structures
24. 721403 Installer of metal structures
25. 721407 Structural metalworker
26. 721410 Installer of ship metal structures
27. 721411 Steel structure shop worker
28. 721418 Assembler of metal ship hulls
29. 721419 Metal structure assembly locksmith
30. 722301 Metal driller
31. 722322 Tuner of automatic lines
32. 722324 Wide profile machinist
33. 722329 Software control machine operator
34. 722333 Milling machine
35. 722342 Operator of a metalworking machine center
36. 722344 Metalworking machine operator
37. 722346 Armature Manufacturing Machine Operator
38. 722348 Metal bending machine operator
39. 722359 Metal Cutting Machine Operator
40. 722364 Metal Stamping Machine Operator
41. 722367 Tool Lathe Operator
42. 722373 Operator of machines for the production of metal products
43. 722374 Metal Milling Machine Operator
44. 722385 Metal stamping press operator
45. 722396 Automatic machine line operator
46. 723302 Repair locksmith, locksmith repairman
47. 723310 Industrial equipment locksmith assembler
48. 723328 Industrial equipment mechanic
49. 723348 Locksmith welder
50. 723351 Ventilation and air conditioning systems locksmith
51. 723361 Device assembly locksmith repairman
52. 731818 Sorter of products, semi-finished products and materials
53. 741101 Electrician
54. 741104 Building electrical installation electrician
55. 741203 Electrician
56. 741220 Refrigeration and air conditioning equipment electrician
57. 751104 Butcher
58. 751107 Fish cutter
59. 751108 Meat cutter
60. 751109 Meat maker
61. 751110 Poultry meat preparer
62. 751113 Preparer of fish fillets
63. 751114 Preparer of fish semi-finished products
64. 751115 Technical raw material preparer
65. 751116 Sausage producer
66. 751125 Nervemaker
67. 751126 Ripper
68. 751128 Meat smokehouse worker
69. 751131 Sausage workshop worker
70. 751133 Raw material shredder (Malay)
71. 751139 Meat cutter
72. 751201 Baker
73. 751203 Bread baker
74. 751234 Packer (food industry)
75. 751239 Preparer of semi-finished products
76. 752310 Tuner operator of wood milling machines
77. 752319 Woodworking machine operator
78. 752325 Furniture manufacturing machine operator
79. 752331 Wood product manufacturing machine operator
80. 753102 Tailor of women’s clothes
81. 753113 Tailor
82. 753120 Tailor of men’s clothes
83. 753126 Tailor
84. 753220 Hairdresser
85. 754303 Quality controller
86. 811224 Stone processing plant operator
87. 815301 Sewing Machine Operator
88. 815305 Garment Sewing Machine Operator
89. 816005 Fish processing plant operator
90. 816010 Operator of meat products production facilities
91. 816040 Bread Baking Equipment Operator
92. 816080 Operator of the technological line for the production of food products
93. 818312 Filling and packing machine operator

Service sector

1. 413203 Computer scientist
2. 833102 Trolleybus driver
3. 833103 Driver of an international passenger transport vehicle
4. 833209 International freight transport vehicle driver

Agriculture, forestry, fisheries sector

1. 611202 Qualified fruit tree and shrub farm worker
2. 611308 Mushroom grower
3. 611317 Skilled horticulture worker
4. 612128 Qualified worker of a mixed livestock farm
5. 612133 Milking Equipment Operator
6. 834108 Mechanizer
7. 834202 Bulldozer driver
8. 834204 Excavator operator

I intend to work under an employment contract and my profession is on the shortage occupations list

The list of professions in the Republic of Lithuania shortage occupation list is approved by the Employment Service 

You need the assessment of conformity to the needs of Lithuanian labor market.

As long as the quota on aliens, who arrive to Lithuania in order to work as per their vocation, determined for the calendar year is still not yet depleted, then you can work in Lithuania without a work permit.

First of all, you must electronically via the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS) fill-out the request to issue or change the residence permit and include digital copies of the documents being added to this request. After filling-out the request and booking the visitation time via MIGRIS, within 4 months from the day of filling-out the request via MIGRIS you must personally address in regards to the issuance (changing) of temporary residence permit and submit the biometric data, as well as original documents. These documents shall be added to the request:

	List of documents (to issue)
	List of documents (to renew)

1. Valid travel document; Documents affirming the issuance (changing) of the temporary residence permit:
2. Number of the mediation letter submitted by the employer via the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS) (shall be indicated when filling-out the request regarding temporary residence permit via ‘MIGRIS’);

If a multi-employer contract is to be concluded or has been concluded, the first employer submits the mediation letter via MIGRIS, indicating the other employers.

The mediaton letter shall:

• state whether you are covered by a multi-employer contract;
• confirm that your qualifications are relevant to the work to be performed.

The employer must make sure that you have documents confirming your qualifications (diploma, certificate, etc.); or

• confirm that you have at least one year’s work experience in the last three years relevant to the work to be done.

The employer must make sure that you have documents proving that you have at least one year’s work experience in the last three years relevant to the work to be done (work book, certificate from your current and/or former employer); or

confirmation that you will be paid (are paid) a monthly salary of at least the last published average monthly gross salary for the calendar year

3. If the facilitation letter indicates that your monthly wage is less than 1 MMW, the document about sufficient subsistence funds;

The value of subsistence funds is one minimum wage per month. This can be the bank certificate.

4. The undertaking (confirmation) that you will declare your residence in a dwelling with a living area of at least 7 square metres for each adult person declaring a residence therein (to be confirmed by completing the application via MIGRIS);

The residential area requirement for the suitable dwelling shall not be applied, if the employer:

• Will employ you in accordance to the employment contract to perform work, which is associated with continual driving on international routes; or
• You are sent to work in another EU or EFTA Member State under a contract for the provision of services or works in that Member State during the period of your employment there.

5.   Certificate regarding conviction/non-conviction;

It shall be needed only when you are for the first time addressing in regards to the residence permit.

These are the certificates issued by the competent institutions of foreign countries, wherein you lived prior to entering the Republic of Lithuania or have been living for the past 2 years (save for those cases when you were living in the foreign country less than 6 months within 12 months period) affirming that you were/were not convicted therein.

The translated in to Lithuanian language, as well as legalized and/or certified (Apostille), when this is needed, certificates must be issued no sooner than 6 months prior to the day of submitting the application regarding the residence permit.

If you were convicted, the certificate must indicate when and for which criminal activity you were convicted, what was the sentence awarded and has it been carried-out;

The certificate stating that you were not convicted may be submitted in English or a certified-by-the-interpreter’s-signature translation to English from a different language may be submitted.

The certificate is not required if you have a valid temporary residence permit and you have declared your residence in the Republic of Lithuania.

You must pay the public fees:

• For the acceptance, review of the request to issue/change the temporary residence permit, adoptions of decisions and issuance of the temporary residence permit;
  • Based on the general procedure – 120.00 EUR;
  • Based on the urgent procedure – 240.00 EUR.

For obtaining of a temporary residence permit you are requested:

• to arrive within your pre-booked timeslot at a relevant territorial office of the Migration Department; or

• you able to apply for a temporary residence permit through an external service provider  when you are absent from Lithuania.

For renewal of a temporary residence permit you are requested:

• to arrive within your pre-booked timeslot at a relevant territorial office of the Migration Department.

The decisions regarding temporary residence permits are accepted and temporary residence permits issued:

• Regarding the issuance of permit:
  • Based on the general procedure – within 3 months;
  • Based on the urgent procedure – within 45 calendar days;
• Regarding the changing of permit:
  • Based on the general procedure – within 2 months;
  • Based on the urgent procedure – within 1 month.

Important:

• Upon arriving to the Migration Department at the booked time, your presence in Lithuania must be lawful;
• Upon submitting the request to issue or change the temporary residence permit, you may be issued a national visa, the validity duration of which is no more than 5 months from the day of submitting the request regarding the issuance or changing of the temporary residence permit in Lithuania
• If a national visa, which is valid for 1 year, or a couple of national visas, the total validity period of them is 1 year, was/were issued for you and you intend to submit a request regarding the issuance of temporary residence permit, then in order to be able to stay in Lithuania for the duration of the review of request you should submit this request upfront – 2-4 months until the end of the validity period of the national visa.