Description of the Procedure for Submission and Examination of Documents Relating to Lithuanian Citizenship Approved

On 22 September 2021, by the Resolution No 761, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania has changed the Resolution No 280 of 03 April 2013 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania “On the Grant of Authority while Exercising the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania and Approval of the Description of the Procedure for Preparing Documents Relating to Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania” and set forth it in a new version, and approved the Description of the Procedure for Submission and Examination of Documents Relating to Lithuanian Citizenship.

The Description of the Procedure for Submission and Examination of Documents Relating to Lithuanian Citizenship alongside other matters regulates the procedure for submitting applications for Lithuanian citizenship and notices, by stipulating the following:

Applications for citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, notices, applications for permission to swear an oath to the Republic of Lithuania, as well as applications for issuance or change of the certificate of the right to reinstate citizenship, and applications for issuance or change of the certificate of Lithuanian origin must be completed in Lithuanian or English through the Lithuanian Migration Information System (hereinafter – MIGRIS). Moreover, the documents enclosed to these applications or notices, except for travel documents, must be drawn up in Lithuanian or a translation of such documents into Lithuanian is to be provided, which must be certified by a person or institution having a right to attest a translation from one language to another.

Further, each individual document issued by the foreign states and each individual document approved by the foreign state under the notarial or equivalent procedure must be legalized or certified by Apostille, unless otherwise specified in International Treaties of the Republic of Lithuania, or EU legislation.

When filling in an application for Lithuanian citizenship through MIGRIS, the persons shall submit data specified in the Procedure and annex digital copies of original documents or copies of such originals certified under the notarial or equivalent procedure.

If a person is willing that his or her application for reinstatement of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania would be examined by using documents annexed to an application for Lithuanian citizenship of other person, he or she shall submit a signed application of free form, wherein this person indicates that he or she requests to examine his or her application for reinstatement of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania by using documents annexed to an application for Lithuanian citizenship of other person, and specifies this person (name, surname, date of birth).

If the representative authorized by the person will submit original documents to the Migration Department, he or she has to additionally append a representation agreement or a certified copy thereof (where the original documents are provided by lawyers), or the power of attorney certified by the notary public (where the original documents are provided by other authorized representatives).

Finally, the Description of the Procedure for Submission and Examination of Documents Relating to Lithuanian Citizenship also regulates the procedure for acceptance and examination of applications for Lithuanian citizenship and notices, the decision-making procedure, as well as the procedure for collecting a certificate of the right to reinstate Lithuanian citizenship or certificate of Lithuanian origin, and the procedure for recognizing these certificates invalid.

MIGRATION LAW CENTER