A reinstatement of citizenship of Lithuania is a process of a obtaining of citizenship of Lithuania for a person in one of the available ways.

A citizenship of Lithuania may be reinstated for a person, if such a person was a citizen of Lithuania prior to 15 June 1940. In addition, a citizenship of Lithuania may be reinstated for descendants of persons who were citizens of Lithuania prior to 15 June 1940. This provision is applicable to three generations of descendants, i.e. to children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

If a person wishes to reinstate his/her citizenship of Lithuania, he/she can renounce a citizenship of the other state or choose a double (dual) citizenship. A dual citizenship may be provided in Lithuania in exceptional cases only, for example, to a person having left Lithuania prior to 11 March 1990 or was exiled as well as to descendants of such a persons, in marriage cases, adoption and otherwise. 

Reinstatement of Lithuanian Citizenship While Retaining the Current Citizenship (Dual Citizenship)

The requirement to renounce citizenship of a different state is not applied to persons who can be citizens of both the Lithuania and a different state, in accordance with the Law on Lithuanian Citizenship article 7 subsections 2, 3, and 4, i.e.:

1. the person who was exiled from the occupied Republic of Lithuania prior to 11 March 1990 and has acquired citizenship of a different state;

2. the person who left Lithuania prior to 11 March 1990 and acquired citizenship of a different state;

3. the person who is a descendant of a person mentioned above.

Dual Citizenship in Lithuania can be Acquired by persons who:

1. gained Lithuanian citizenship and citizenship a different state by birth;

2. gained a foreign citizenship by virtue of marriage to a citizen of a different state;

3. they were adopted by a citizen (-s) of Lithuania before reaching 18 years of age and, as a result of the adoption, acquired Lithuanian citizenship;

4. they, being citizens of Lithuania, were adopted by a citizen (-s) of a different state before reaching 18 years of age and, as a result of the adoption, acquired citizenship of that state;

5. acquired Lithuanian citizenship by way of exception while being a citizen of a different state;

6. is a person who has retained Lithuanian citizenship or to whom Lithuanian citizenship has been returned due to the fact that he or she has special merits for the State of Lithuania;

7. acquired Lithuanian citizenship while having a refugee status in Lithuania;

8. is a person, who acquired Lithuanian citizenship by birth, and acquired the citizenship of another state before the age of 18 not by birth.

The process of preparation of documents for a reinstatement of citizenship of Lithuania starts from collection of the required data and documents. In case of lack of any data and documents, a search for them shall be carried out at Lithuanian archives and other state institutions as well as other sources. If a search is arranged according to the established procedure, it continues for about a month; in urgent cases, it may be completed within 5 workdays or within 10 workdays.

After collection of the required documents, any documents executed in a language other than Lithuanian shall be translated into Lithuanian; copies of the documents shall be notarized. Documents issued in foreign states shall be certified by Apostille or legalized, unless otherwise is provided by international treaties of Lithuania or legal norms of the European Union.

The documents shall be submitted personally to the Migration Department of Lithuania or to a diplomatic mission or a consular institution of Lithuania in a foreign state.

A person shall submit the following documents:

1. The application for reinstatement of citizenship of Lithuania completed in Lithuanian;
2. The person’s identification document;
3. The document certifying that the person was a citizen of Lithuania prior to 15 June 1940 or is a descendant of a person who was a citizen of Lithuania prior to 15 June 1940;
4. A document evidencing the change of name or surname where such personal data have been changed;
5. The document certifying that the person is not a citizen of another state, except of cases when the person may be simultaneously a citizen of another state;
6. The documents certifying that at least one of the provisions specified in the Subparagraphs 2, 3 and 4 of the Article 7 of the Law of Republic of Lithuania is satisfied, if the person is a citizen of another state.
According to the relevant norms of Lithuania, a decision on reinstatement of citizenship of Lithuania shall be passed no later than within 6 months; in practice, the process may last for about 9-12 months and even longer in certain cases.

FREE analysis of your options for obtaining Lithuanian citizenship

The lawyers of MIGRATION LAW CENTER offer a free legal analysis of your options for obtaining Lithuanian citizenship. To receive a detailed analysis, please complete an application form by clicking this link – FORM.

Following a thorough legal analysis of your options that would allow to obtain Lithuanian citizenship, our lawyers will provide you with a written response (analytical results) regarding your options of obtaining Lithuanian citizenship and further requirements as well as procedure processes.

Read more:  

Dual Citizenship in Lithuania
Granting the citizenship of Lithuania according to the simplified procedure
Certificate of Lithuanian descents
A certificate certifying a right for reinstatement of the citizenship of Lithuania
A citizenship of children
Dual children citizenship
The citizen of a spouse (a husband or a wife)
Lithuanian citizenship through the ethnic descent
Lithuanian Citizenship for Persons Having Lithuanian Ancestry. Lithuanian Citizenship for Descendants of Lithuanians
Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania for those exiled from Lithuania. Dual citizenship in Lithuania
Lithuanian citizenship. Reinstatement of Lithuanian Citizenship without renouncing existing one (Dual Citizenship)
Lithuanian passport. Order of issuing and deadlines
Retention of dual citizenship in the case of the departure from Lithuania after 11 March 1990
Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania
Reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship and service in Lithuanian armed forces. Military service in Lithuania
For reinstatement of citizenship of Lithuania, it is necessary to retain citizenship of Lithuania on 1940 06 15
The Jews (Litvaks) and other emigrants who left Lithuania during the interwar period and their descendants will be able to reinstate Lithuanian citizenship or acquire double citizenship without bureaucratic obstacles

If you have any questions regarding Lithuanian citizenship or should you require more information or help, please contact us by e-mail: info@migration.lt or phone: + 370 6 1861886. We will gladly help you.

Reinstatement of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania

Reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship is a process during which a person acquires citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania in one of the ways of acquiring Lithuanian citizenship.

Who can have Lithuanian citizenship reinstated?

Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania may be reinstated to a person who already held citizenship of this country before 15 June 1940. Also, reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship is possible for descendants of persons who held Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940. The Lithuanian citizenship can be acquired by the descendants of the specified persons up to the fourth line of kinship, i.e., children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Acquisition of the Lithuanian citizenship is possible irrespective of the country in which a person is currently residing.

In order for Lithuanian citizenship to be reinstated, a person will either have to renounce the citizenship of another state that he currently holds or have dual citizenship. However, dual citizenship in Lithuania is possible only in exceptional cases (presented below in the text).

Reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship without renouncing the current citizenship

The requirement to renounce citizenship of another state is not applicable to a person who pursuant to Clause 2, 3 or 4 of Article 7 of the Republic of Lithuania Law on Citizenship can be a citizen of both the Republic of Lithuania and another state at the same time:

1. a person who was exiled from the occupied Lithuania before 11 March 1990 and who acquired citizenship of another state;
2. a person who fled Lithuania before 11 March 1990 and who acquired citizenship of another state;
3. is a descendant of the foregoing persons.

A dual (multiple) citizenship may also be held by a person who:

• has acquired citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania and citizenship of another state at birth;
• by virtue of marriage to a citizen of another state he has ipso facto acquired citizenship of that state;
• is a person adopted by citizen (citizens) of the Republic of Lithuania before he turned 18 and therefore acquired citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania;
• is a person – a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania, who was adopted by citizen (citizens) of another state before he turned 18 and therefore acquired citizenship of that state;
• has acquired Lithuanian citizenship by way of exception while being a citizen of another state;
• is a person who has retained Lithuanian citizenship or who has citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania restored for his outstanding merits to the Republic of Lithuania;
• has acquired citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania while having refugee status in the Republic of Lithuania;
• is a person who acquired Lithuanian citizenship by birth and acquired citizenship of another state until he turned 18 in other way than by birth.

Collection of documents and data necessary for reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship

Reinstatement of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania starts from the collection of data and documents. The search for lacking documents and data is carried out in Lithuanian archives, other public authorities, and reliable sources. In general procedure, this process takes about 1-2 months, as a matter of urgency – within 5 or 10 business days.

If the documents are not in Lithuanian, they must be translated into Lithuanian. Copies of the collected documents must be certified by the notary. The documents which are issued in foreign states should be certified with a certificate (Apostille) or legalised, unless the international treaties of the Republic of Lithuania or the legal acts of the European Union provide otherwise.

Where should I submit documents? In Lithuania, documents are submitted at the Migration Department, whereas in foreign states – in Lithuanian diplomatic missions or consular offices.

Reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship: which documents should be provided?

A person willing to reinstate Lithuanian citizenship must provide the following documents:

1. An application for the reinstatement of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania which is drawn up in Lithuanian (application shall be submitted through the system MIGRIS);
2. An identity document;
3. Documents confirming that a person held citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania before 15 June 1940 or is a descendant of a person who held Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940;
4. Documents approving change of name or surname, if such personal data was changed;
5. A document confirming that a person is not a citizen of another state, except for cases where a person can have dual (multiple) citizenship. If you currently hold the citizenship of another state and do not meet the conditions for dual citizenship, you must submit a written application stating that you will renounce the citizenship of another state in case you are granted citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania;
6. If a person is a citizen of another state, he must provide documents approving that he meets at least one of conditions specified in Clause 2, 3 or 4 of Article 7 of the Republic of Lithuania Law on Citizenship.

How long does it take to make a decision on the reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship?

In accordance with legislation of the Republic of Lithuania, a decision on the reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship must be made no later than 6 months after the submission of all documents. However, the practice shows that this process may take up to 9-12 months, and in some cases even longer. It is highly important that the Lithuanian citizenship can be reinstated only once.

Free-of-charge analysis of your possibilities to acquire Lithuanian citizenship

The lawyers of the Migration Law Center hereby offer you a free legal analysis during which your possibilities to acquire citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania are to be assessed. If you would like to take this opportunity, please fill in and send to us the questionnaire, which is available by clicking on the following link – FORM. Having carried out a thorough analysis, our lawyers will provide you with results of the analysis in writing. Also, they will outline further requirements and the course of the procedure.

FREE analysis of your options for obtaining Lithuanian citizenship

The lawyers of MIGRATION LAW CENTER offer a free legal analysis of your options for obtaining Lithuanian citizenship. To receive a detailed analysis, please complete an application form by clicking this link – FORM.

Following a thorough legal analysis of your options that would allow to obtain Lithuanian citizenship, our lawyers will provide you with a written response (analytical results) regarding your options of obtaining Lithuanian citizenship and further requirements as well as procedure processes.

Read more:  

Dual Citizenship in Lithuania
Granting the citizenship of Lithuania according to the simplified procedure
Certificate of Lithuanian descents
A certificate certifying a right for reinstatement of the citizenship of Lithuania
A citizenship of children
Dual children citizenship
The citizen of a spouse (a husband or a wife)
Lithuanian citizenship through the ethnic descent
Lithuanian Citizenship for Persons Having Lithuanian Ancestry. Lithuanian Citizenship for Descendants of Lithuanians
Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania for those exiled from Lithuania. Dual citizenship in Lithuania
Lithuanian citizenship. Reinstatement of Lithuanian Citizenship without renouncing existing one (Dual Citizenship)
Lithuanian passport. Order of issuing and deadlines
Retention of dual citizenship in the case of the departure from Lithuania after 11 March 1990
Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania
Reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship and service in Lithuanian armed forces. Military service in Lithuania
For reinstatement of citizenship of Lithuania, it is necessary to retain citizenship of Lithuania on 1940 06 15
The Jews (Litvaks) and other emigrants who left Lithuania during the interwar period and their descendants will be able to reinstate Lithuanian citizenship or acquire double citizenship without bureaucratic obstacles

If you have any questions regarding Lithuanian citizenship or should you require more information or help, please contact us by e-mail: info@migration.lt or phone: + 370 6 1861886. We will gladly help you.