There are several different options to apply for a residence permit in Lithuania for business line clients that we will describe below:

  1. Company ownership
  2. Internal transfer
  3. Employment

Company ownership

You may qualify for a two-year residence permit under the basis of owning a company in Lithuania that has been operating in Lithuania for at least 6 months before you apply for a residence permit. The company employs at least two full-time citizens of Lithuania. The employees’ total monthly salary is at least twice the average monthly gross salary in Lithuania (Average salary as of 2023 is 2’000Eur/month gross). The company’s own capital is at least €28,000, and at least €14,000 of that is your own invested funds. You are either the manager of the company or a shareholder with a nominal value of at least 1/3 of the authorized capital. Application processing time is 45 to 90 calendar days.

Under such company structure a total 4 adult persons may qualify for a residence permit in Lithuania and also bring their dependent family members to come together to Lithuania.

To sum up to qualify for a residence permit under the basis of company ownership in Lithuania the applicant has to meet following requirements:

  1. Own a company with at least of 28’000Eur of share capital
  2. Run the company for at least six months prior to application
  3. Prepare a business plan
  4. Have employees who are paid in total not less than 4’000Eur/month brutto (as of 2023 data)
  5. Police clearance certificate

Internal transfer

Transfer within the company – temporary sending of a foreigner, who at the time of submitting the application for a temporary residence permit, lives in a foreign country that is not a member state of the EU, and works under an employment contract in a company established in a foreign country that is not a member state of the EU, for work or training purposes to the host company, established in the Republic of Lithuania, and the movement of this foreigner between host companies established in EU member states.

A foreign company which is registered outside EU can register their branch company in Lithuania and transfer their employees to work in a branch company registered in Lithuania for a maximum period of 3 years, then the employee will have to return to the home country. You may apply for a new residence permit for three years after 3 months of expiring the last residence permit. Also, it is allowed to bring dependent family members to come together to Lithuania. Application processing time is 15 to 30 calendar days.

There are two options of internal transfer: as a managing director of a branch company or regular employee.

Documents required to internally transfer managing director:

  1. Employment contract with a foreign company with at least of 6 months work experience in the company.
  2. Letter of appointment of a foreign company.
  3. Employment contract with a branch company.
  4. Document proving that the managing director will have subordinate personnel.
  5. Education diploma, Curriculum Vitae (CV).
  6. Police clearance certificate

Documents required to internally transfer regular employee:

  1. Employment contract with a foreign company with at least of 6 months work experience in the company.
  2. Letter of appointment of a foreign company.
  3. Employment contract with a branch company.
  4. Education diploma, Curriculum Vitae (CV).
  5. Police clearance certificate

Employment

While having a company registered in Lithuania it is possible to bring employees from abroad to work in your company and apply them for a residence permit in Lithuania issued for two years. The application processing time varies 45 to 90 calendar days. Unfortunately, this category of residence permit holders are not allowed to bring dependent family member together to live in Lithuania. There are two options to apply for a residence permit under the employment basis.

The first one option is to apply under the occupation category which is in shortage supply in Lithuania in this case following requirements will have to be met:

  • The employee has the qualification documents or one year work experience in the last three years or he will get paid an average salary of Lithuania.
  • Police clearance certificate.

The second option is to apply for any other occupation category which is not included in the shortage supply in Lithuania. In this case following requirements will have to be met:

  • The employee has the qualification documents or one year work experience in the last three years or he will get paid an average salary of Lithuania.
  • Permission from the labor of exchange department to employ a foreigner
  • Police clearance certificate