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2016 06 23 The Jews (Litvaks) and other emigrants who left Lithuania during the interwar period and their descendants will be able to reinstate Lithuanian citizenship or acquire double citizenship without bureaucratic obstacles

On 23 June, 2016 Lithuanian Seimas adopted amendments to the Law on Citizenship which will ensure the right of Jews (Litvaks) who left Lithuania during the interwar period, as well as other emigrants and their descendants to reinstate Lithuanian citizenship. Initiation and adoption of these amendments was stimulated by the practice formed by the Migration Department, according to which the Migration Department used to require Lithuanian Jews (Litvaks) who themselves or their ancestors left Lithuania before 1940, to provide evidence proving that they had left Lithuania due to the actual threat, political or historical reasons, resistance to the occupation regime or persecution. Such documents were extremely difficult to provide, so as the result, many Lithuanian Jews (Litvaks) could not have Lithuanian citizenship reinstated.

2017 02 27 In Lithuania dual citizenship is planned to be legitimized in 2020

The Government of Lithuania plans legitimizing the dual citizenship in Lithuania. It is planned to legitimize dual citizenship in Lithuania within a period of 2.5 years, i.e. by the year 2020.

Today the draft plan of measures for implementation of the governmental programme has been presented to the governing majority and it points out that dual citizenship in Lithuania should be legitimized in the fourth quarter of the year 2019. The major institutions responsible for the said process will be the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior.

This intention of the Government of Lithuania is important for the whole Lithuanian World Community, Lithuanian emigrants and their progeny who are citizens of a foreign state and strive to preserve the citizenship of Lithuania.

Lithuanian citizenship through the ethnic descent

Lithuanian Citizenship for Persons Having Lithuanian Ancestry. Lithuanian Citizenship for Descendants of Lithuanians

One of the ways in which Lithuanian citizenship may be acquired is a reinstatement of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania. Lithuanian citizenship may be reinstated for a person, whose ancestors (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, or one of them) were citizens of Lithuania before 15 June 1940, or who himself/herself was a citizen of Lithuania before 15 June 1940.

Lithuania was established as an independent state in 1918. The first law regulating the institute of Lithuanian citizenship was the Provisional Law on Lithuanian Citizenship adopted on 09 January 1919. The Provisional Law on Lithuanian Citizenship dated 09 January 1919 establishes that the citizens of Lithuania shall be:

17 July. The World Lithuanian Unity Day

Lithuanians worldwidely celebrate this Day in their communities; however, it is celebrated for several years in turn also in Lithuania where various cultural events, expositions and concerts are arranged.

Lithuanian citizenship

Lithuanian citizenship is a permanent legal relationship of a person with The Republic of Lithuania, based on mutual rights and obligations.

Lithuanian Citizenship is acquired by:

1. birth;

2. citizenship restoration;

3. being granted Lithuanian citizenship.

Dual Citizenship in Lithuania

Dual (double) citizenship can be allowed in Lithuania in exceptional cases only.

The cases when dual citizenship is allowed in Lithuania include:

A person was deported from occupied Lithuania prior to 11 March 1990 or is a descendant (a child, a grandchild or a great-grandchild) of a person deported from occupied Lithuania prior to 11 March 1990;
A person left Lithuania prior to 11 March 1990 or is a descendant (a child, a grandchild or a great-grandchild) of a person having left Lithuania prior to 11 March 1990;
A child acquires dual citizenship at birth;
Child-adoption cases;
Marriage cases;
Acquisition of citizenship of Lithuania in exceptional cases or by a person having a status of a refugee.

Legal analysis of your options for obtaining Lithuanian citizenship

The lawyers of MIGRATION LAW CENTER offer a free legal analysis of your options for obtaining Lithuanian citizenship. To receive a detailed analysis, please complete an application form which you can find below.

Following a thorough legal analysis of your options that would allow to obtain Lithuanian citizenship, our lawyers will provide you with a written response (analytical results) regarding your options of obtaining Lithuanian citizenship and further requirements as well as procedure processes.

Immigration of persons of Lithuanian origin and persons having a right for restoration of Lithuanian citizenship

Persons of Lithuanian origin and persons having a right for restoration of Lithuanian citizenship are entitled not only to be granted a citizenship of Lithuania according to a simplified procedure and issued a document certifying their Lithuanian origin or a certificate confirming their right for restoration of Lithuanian citizenship, but also have a right to apply for issue a Temporary Residence Permit in Lithuania or a Permanent Residence Permit in Lithuania and for issue a Schengen visa.

Immigration of family members

One of the principal bases for immigration to Lithuania is family reunification. On the base of family reunification, a Temporary Residence Permit in Lithuania or a Permanent Residence Permit in Lithuania may be issued. Family members (such as the children, a spouse and the parents) of a citizen of Lithuania or an alien who satisfies the requirements provided in the legal norms may apply for issue a Residence Permit in Lithuania.

Legal assistance to persons of Lithuanian descent, emigrants and their descendants

Lithuanian citizenship may be acquired on certain bases provided in the Law of Republic of Lithuania on citizenship. Lithuanian descent is one of the bases for acquisition of Lithuanian citizenship.
Lithuanian origin should not be equalized to Lithuanian citizenship. Lithuanian origin is related to the ethnicity, the national affiliation of a person, his (her) belonging to a certain nation, ethnos or another historically developed group of people with common characteristics, such as language, culture, religion and so on, attributed to them. A person of Lithuanian origin can be not a citizen of Lithuania and a person of another origin (such as Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian etc.) can be a citizen of Lithuania. Following the relevant provisions of the Law of Republic of Lithuania on citizenship, a person of Lithuanian origin is a person whose parents or grandparents or at least one of the parents or the grandparents are or were of Lithuanian origin and who self-identifies as a Lithuanian and declares this by a declaration in writing.

Immigration to Lithuania

Annually, many persons come for residence in Lithuania from various states of the world. Some of them come to study, to work or to develop their business here, other intend to join their families and so on. The principal bases of immigration to Lithuania include: family reunification, employment, business, studies and so on.

Upon arrival in Lithuania

In a majority of large towns of Lithuania, Tourism information centers operate. They provide detailed information about the tourism services available in the relevant town to residents and visitors. The principal purpose of Tourism information centers in Lithuania is spreading information on the specific town and (or) district.