More and more foreigners are coming to Lithuania these days in search of work. Although the process of employment and residence in Lithuania is quite simple for European Union citizens, third country nationals need to carry out a number of actions that may not always be clear or well explained.

In general, in order for a foreigner to come to Lithuania on the basis of employment, the following list of actions must be implemented:

Find a job/employer

In most cases, this can be done by searching for a job on a variety of websites that continuously upload advertisements for employees. Read more about how to find a job in Lithuania. How to get a job in lithuania can be found here work permit in Lithuania

Obtain a work permit

After an employer/placement is found, the employer must go through a specific procedure at the Employment Service (unless the alien is highly skilled, or will be working in a profession that is on the list of professions popular in Lithuania). An alien must submit special documents to the employer (e.g. documents certifying his/her qualifications, personal information, etc.). This procedure usually takes about one month, but there may be exceptions based on certain work requirements.

Visa or residence permit

Once a foreigner has obtained a work permit or a similar document from the Labour Office, he may apply for a visa or residence permit. The type of document depends on his work and qualifications, for example, in the majority of cases, workers who have obtained a work permit will apply for a long-term visa that allows them to stay in Lithuania for one year (and then possibly extend the work permit and obtain a new visa/permit to settle in Lithuania). A residence permit is granted to co-workers who will work in professions that are included in the list of professions prevalent in Lithuania, and workers who earn over 1.5 average Lithuanian salaries.

A third country national may come to Lithuania for employment if he/she possesses the following three documents

A work permit;



A decision to meet the needs of the labour market;



a decision that the place of work, which requires high professional qualifications, meets the labour market needs of the Republic of Lithuania.



Each document establishes both specific requirements for the employee or the employment contract and the period for which a foreigner can legally reside in Lithuania (permits/decisions issued by the Employment Service do not grant the right to settle in Lithuania, which is why a visa or residence permit must be in addition to them).

It must be said that a person who entered Lithuania on the basis of a Schengen visa is not eligible for employment in Lithuania.