The New Description of the National Visa Issuance Procedure Has Come into Force Since 01 July 2023: There Are No More So-Called Waiting Visas

From 01 July 2023, there are no longer any visas that were issued to foreigners, who have applied for the issuance or renewal of a residence permit or a family member card of an EU citizen, for the period while the application is being processed.

Also, there are no more national visas for individuals intending to work in Lithuania: visas will be only available for seasonal workers, posted workers, and ship crew members.

Practice shows that due to busyness of the Migration Department the process of issuing a residence permit may last 1-3 months and more while the foreigner will obtain a residence permit. Temporary Schengen visas for the foreigners are issued for the period of 3 months. Until now, after a submission of documents for a residence permit, an individual could apply for the waiting visa (national visa D), which allowed the foreigners to stay in a country while their application for issuance of a residence permit is being processed.

As such visas are no longer available, the process became more complicated, i.e., the foreigners will have to depart from a country for the period during which the application is being processed and then return when they obtain a residence permit, as temporary visas are issued for 3 months, however, migration processes may take longer.

The altered procedure may lead to a more frequent handling of documents not in Lithuania, as it used to be, but through the external service providers abroad (in VFS Global offices).

It is strongly recommended to closely follow the expiry date of the held residence permits in Lithuania and do not wait until the very last day for applying for renewal of such permits. If a deadline for submitting applications for renewal of a residence permit is missed, an individual will be able to apply for a national visa, but an application for its issuance must be grounded by objective reasons, for which an individual must stay in a country while his/her application as to issuance of a residence permit is being processed (family circumstances, health, etc.). However, only practice will bring clarity whether the Migration Department will recognise those reasons as substantial, because legislation has not yet provided for any clear criteria.

MIGRATION LAW CENTER