Immigration of Ukrainian citizens to Lithuania. Issuance of a residence permit to Ukrainian citizens in Lithuania

Since 01 March 2022, a new order of the Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania has become effective, on the basis of which the Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war and arriving to Lithuania, who are willing to reside and work in the Republic of Lithuania, will be subject to mitigated migration conditions.

First of all, the Ukrainian citizens arriving to Lithuania shall register in a prescribed registration centre – located either in Alytus, Pramonės St. 1B, in Marijampolė, Parko St. 9., in Vilnius, Minties St. 3 or in Klaipėda, Paryžiaus Komunos St. 16A (provided they have no place to stay in Lithuania), or register in any migration division (provided they already have a place to stay in Lithuania).

Registered Ukrainian citizens will receive a special registration certificate. Lithuanian alien registration certificate may be issued to the Ukrainian citizens and their family members, also, to stateless persons who resided in Ukraine and were forced to leave due to war, even though having no passport with them, until their legal status in the Republic of Lithuania is resolved. Moreover, such individuals may be provided with accommodation, food, medical care.

Possibilities of Residing in Lithuania

After registration, the Ukrainian citizens may apply for the following documents for further residence in Lithuania:
- A temporary residence permit on humanitarian grounds, which may be issued for a period of 1 (one) year (a legal basis of such residence permit shall be not asylum, but inability to return to the country of origin due to humanitarian reasons);
- A national visa D on humanitarian grounds (to be issued for 1 (one) year and obtained only by those persons holding biometric passports).

When applying for visas or residence permits, the Ukrainian citizens will not be required to have a valid passport, health insurance or other documents usually granting the right to enter the Republic of Lithuania. The visa or residence permit will be issued free of charge.

Employment in Lithuania

The Ukrainian citizens, their family members, and stateless persons who resided in Ukraine, but fled to Lithuania as a consequence of war actions of the Russian Federation, may enjoy the facilitated employment conditions in the Republic of Lithuania.

The Ukrainian citizens, having registered after arrival in Lithuania, can start work immediately without a requirement to obtain a work permit in Lithuania, if:
- a visa-free regime is still effective, or they have a valid Schengen visa;
- they have a temporary residence permit on humanitarian grounds;
- they hold a national visa (D) issued on humanitarian grounds.

Besides, the Ukrainians may apply for a temporary residence permit on employment grounds, or for the EU Blue Card (a temporary residence permit for highly-qualified jobs to be issued for a period of 3 (three) years), and they are exempted from the liability to obtain a decision of the Employment Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania on the compliance of the work requiring aliens to the Lithuanian labour market needs.

The persons who have chosen to submit an application for asylum in the Republic of Lithuania, shall be entitled to work from the day of registering such application in the Lithuanian Migration Information System (previously, such right used to be acquired only after 6 (six) months).

It should be noted that the Ukrainian citizens, who arrived in Lithuania and received a temporary residence permit on humanitarian grounds, may register as self-employed persons at the State Tax Inspectorate under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania, and may obtain an individual activity certificate.

MIGRATION LAW CENTER