No Arrival in Lithuania Is Required to Submit Documents for Reinstatement of Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania (MFA) has submitted a proposal to the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania to allow Lithuanian emigrants and descendants thereof to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, only if they come to the Republic of Lithuania to submit such applications physically. It should be noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania has denied this fact by issuing a notice pleading an error as regards thereof.

In accordance with the Republic of Lithuania Law on Citizenship, persons who held citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania before 15 June 1940 and their descendants shall have a right to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania. Whereas the persons shall have a right to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania without renouncing the held citizenship of another state, provided they are persons who held citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania before 15 June 1940 and exiled from the occupied Republic of Lithuania or left the current territory of the Republic of Lithuania before 11 March 1990, and descendants of such persons.

Due to an increased number of applications for reinstatement of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania in several regions of the world – South Africa and Latin America, a decision was made to encourage foreign Lithuanians, who are willing to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, to visit the Republic of Lithuania, get acquainted with its history and culture, thereby inducing them to participate in the activities of the Lithuanian community abroad.

Following the discussion and dissatisfaction concerning such obligation emerged between the Lithuanian emigrants, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania has submitted an official clarification on the submission of documents of persons seeking to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, wherein it approved that persons willing to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania and submit documents in this regard to competent authorities of the Republic of Lithuania, will not be obliged to arrive in the Republic of Lithuania. It should be noted that such a procedure is not provided for and arrival in person to the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania for the matter of reinstatement of citizenship shall remain not an obligation, but rather an opportunity.

Pursuant to information provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, persons entitled to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania and seeking to do hereof, will be able to continue doing this by choosing a more convenient way – coming to the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Lithuania or directly to the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania.

The proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania was related to implementation of a new procedure for submitting documents regarding citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania offers that a person will have to fill in applications regarding citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, in Lithuanian or English, through the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS) and attach supporting documents to the application. The person should come to the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Lithuania and submit the originals of these documents only after receiving the confirmation of the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, that the application was submitted through MIGRIS and supporting documents thereof are acceptable. Thereby, a repeated arrival to the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Lithuania for submission of supporting documents would be avoided.

MIGRATION LAW CENTER