What is a work permit?
A work permit in the Republic of Lithuania means a document granting you the right to work in the Republic of Lithuania for a period specified therein.
Do you need a work permit?
Any person other than a national of the Republic of Lithuania or other European Union member state who intends to work in the Republic of Lithuania must obtain a work permit before entering the country,
Exemptions:
People holding a permanent residence permit and in cases provided for in subparagraphs 1 to 3, 7, 9, 10 of paragraph 1 of Article 40 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens are exempt from the requirement of holding a work permit. In addition, according to the Order of the Minister of Social Security and Labour No A1 - 118 of 24 April 2006, a foreign national or a stateless person is exempted from obligation to obtain a work permit in certain cases.
Note:
- A work permit may be issued to you if there is no specialist in Lithuania meeting the employer’s qualification requirements.
- Your pay shall not be less than that paid to a resident of the Republic of Lithuania for performing equal work.
- Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania, The Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and legal acts of the European Union shall regulate your employment relationship.
- Your employment contract shall be concluded in two copies; one in Lithuanian and the other one in a language that you as a foreign national understand.
Conditions for Issuing a Work Permit
A work permit should be obtained when;
- You intend to work in the Republic of Lithuania under an employment contract or;
- If you are sent for temporary employment in the Republic of Lithuania when your permanent place of employment is in a foreign country.
Documents Required for Issuing a Work Permit
The employer who is willing to employ a foreign national has to submit an application with required documents to the same local labour exchange where the job vacancy was registered. The required documents for the work permit application differ according to the type of work permit:
An employer needs to submit the required documents when applying for temporary employment in the Republic of Lithuania for the foreign national whose permanent place of employment is in a foreign country and the foreign national is sent for.
An employer wanting to employ a foreign national needs to submit the required documents on the basis of an individual employment contract when applying for a work permit in the Republic of Lithuania.
All the documents have to be translated in to Lithuanian language and approved by notary or another order of the same status.
Place of Issue
The employer who is willing to employ a foreign national has to submit an application with required documents to the same local labour exchange where the job vacancy was registered.
The Minister of Social Security and Labour, in conjunction with the Minister of the Interior, shall set the conditions and procedure where under a national foreigner may be issued a work permit during his/her stay in the Republic of Lithuania.
A work permit shall be issued to a foreign national and withdrawn by the Lithuanian Labour Exchange under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania.
Case processing times
An application to issue a work permit in the Republic of Lithuania shall be examined within two moths from the date of the receipt of the application at the Lithuanian Labour Exchange.
An application to issue a work permit when the applicant’s permanent place of employment is a foreign country, or when an applicant is highly qualified, the application shall be examined within one month from the date of receipt of the application at the local labour exchange.
Validity of a Work Permit
A work permit shall be issued to an applicant for a period of up to two years specifying the job (position) and enterprise, agency or organisation where the applicant will be employed. Work permit issued to an applicant working on the basis of individual working contract cannot exceed two years.
An applicant who enters the Republic of Lithuania to take up seasonal employment shall be issued a work permit for an up to six-month period in a year from the first day of entry in the Republic of Lithuania.
An applicant who enters the Republic of Lithuania for employment as an intern or trainee shall be issued a work permit for a period of one year and its period of validity may be extended on an exceptional basis, when the period of internship or traineeship is longer than one year and the extension is necessary for acquiring qualification in an appropriate area.
Conditions and Reasons for Rejecting and Withdrawing a Work Permit
In certain cases, a work permit might be rejected or withdrawn.
Consular costs
In order to get a work permit, a receipt or a copy of payment transfer certifying that the fee has been paid to the State Tax Inspectorate has to be provided to the Lithuanian Labour Exchange with; The fee, which now is 420 litas for issuance of a one year permit and 520 litas for a two year permit. This can be paid at any Vilnius branch of stock company Swedbank or by a payment transfer for Swedbank, account No LT 24 7300 0101 1239 4300, purpose of payment – 5710.
