Lithuanian citizenship during years 1918-1940

The independent state of Lithuania was restored on 16 February 1918.

The citizenship of Lithuania during years 1919-1940 was regulated by Lithuanian laws, legal acts issued by public authorities and Lithuanian international contracts.

Lithuanian laws and legal acts issued by public authorities shall be referable to: 1) Constitution of Lithuania; 2) Provisional Law on Citizenship of Lithuania of 09 January 1919, Law on Citizenship of Lithuania of 08 August 1939; 3) Introductory Law on the Management of Vilnius City and its Area of 27 October 1939; 4) Statutes of Passports; 5) legal acts issued by the minister of the interior and by both the minister of the interior and minister of justice, and explanations on issues of citizenship; 6) circulars of the Department of Civil Rights Protection and the Department of Administration under the Ministry of the Interior, as well as explanations on issues of citizenship; 7) circulars of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on issues of citizenship.

Lithuanian international contracts regulating relations of citizenship shall be referable to the following contracts: Soviet-Lithuanian Peace Treaty (signed on 12 July 1920); Treaty on the Establishment of the Procedure for Opting for Lithuanian Citizenship between Lithuania and Russia (signed on 28 June 1921); Treaty on the Establishment of the Procedure for Opting for Lithuanian Citizenship between Lithuania and Ukraine (signed on 28 January 1921); Convention between Latvia and Lithuania regarding the Rights of the Citizens (signed on 14 May 1921); Declaration concerning the Protection of Minorities in Lithuania of 12 May 1922; Convention of the Klaipėda Region (signed on 08 May 1924); Agreement regarding the Execution of the Convention between Lithuania and Germany on the Klaipėda Region of 08 May 1924, Articles 8-10 (signed on 10 February 1925); Treaty on the Transfer of Klaipėda Region between the Government of Lithuania and the Government of Germany (signed on 22 March 1939); Treaty between the Republic of Lithuania and the German Reich on Citizenship of the Residents of the Town of Klaipėda (signed on 08 July 1939); Treaty on Naturalisation and Military Service between the Republic of Lithuania and United States of America (concluded on 18 October 1937).

The first legal act which regulated citizenship of Lithuania was the Provisional Law on Citizenship of Lithuania adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers on 09 January 1919.

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