Granting the citizenship of Lithuania according to the simplified procedure

The institute of the simplified procedure of granting the citizenship of Lithuania is applicable to persons of Lithuanian origin: it provides them a right to become citizens of Lithuania upon exclusion of the naturalization process. A person may apply for granting the citizenship of Lithuania according to the simplified procedure, if he (she) is of Lithuanian origin and has the relevant evidences.  According to provisions of Lithuanian legal norms, a person of Lithuanian origin is considered a person whose parents and grandparents or at least one of them are or were Lithuanians, that believes to be a Lithuanian and declares the same by an affidavit. A citizenship of Lithuania may be granted according to the simplified procedure to a person of Lithuanian origin that never was a citizen of Lithuania up to present time. In case of granting the citizenship of Lithuania according to the simplified procedure, the person should renounce his/her citizenship of the foreign state.

The documents for granting the citizenship of Lithuania according to the simplified procedure shall be submitted to the President of Lithuania via the Migration Department, a Migration Service or a diplomatic mission/a consular institution of Lithuania in a foreign state:

1. The application;
2. The passport;
3. The evidences of Lithuanian origin of the applicant;
4. The document certifying that the applicant is not a citizen of another state;
5. A declaration of the applicant on renouncing the citizenship of the other state after granting the citizenship of Lithuania,
6. A certificate on absence of convictions.
7. A document evidencing the change of name or surname where such personal data have been changed.

The documents shall be executed in Lithuanian.  If documents are executed in a language other than Lithuanian they shall be translated onto Lithuanian. Copies of the documents shall be certified according to the procedure provided in laws. 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 Migration Department shall transfer the application for granting the citizenship of Lithuania according to the simplified procedure and the enclosed documents with appendices to the Citizenship Board under the Ministry of Justice of Republic of Lithuania no later than within 3 months. The citizenship of Lithuania shall be granted to the person by a decree of the President of Lithuania and the person shall swear an oath of allegiance to Lithuania. After the oath, the rights and duties of a citizen of Lithuania appear for the person.