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Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania
A person who has been granted citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania under the simplified procedure, through naturalisation, by way of exception or by restoring it, as well as on the grounds established by international treaties to which the Republic of Lithuania is a party, must take a public and solemn oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania.
You may apply due to an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania to the territorial office of the Migration Department or the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Lithuania, upon the direct arrival to the relevant institution, through an authorized person or other representative, or by electronic means.
If you will submit documents through an authorized person or other representative, or by electronic means, you must also submit copies of documents confirming that you are not a citizen of another state, if you had citizenship thereof upon acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, whereas the originals will have to be presented to the person taking an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania on the day of the oath thereof. At the same time, a copy of the document approving personal identity must be provided herewith.
Documents issued by foreign states, personal statement that a person renounces citizenship of another state, and its official translation into the state language of the country of which the person is a citizen shall be legalized or approved by a certificate (Apostille) in accordance with the procedure laid down by legislation, unless international treaties of the Republic of Lithuania or European Union legislation provide for otherwise.
In the Republic of Lithuania, a person shall take an oath of allegiance at the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania or at a diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Lithuania. If a person cannot arrive at the Ministry of the Interior due to the disability thereof, the oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania may be taken at home or in a medical institution.
A person’s oath at the Ministry of the Interior shall be administered by the Minister of the Interior or the Vice Minister authorised by the Minister of the Interior, whereas an oath at a diplomatic mission or consular post shall be administered by the head of the respective diplomatic mission or consular post.
The time period to take an oath of allegiance shall be as follows:
1. You must take an oath of allegiance within six months from the effective date of the decree of the President of the Republic on the granting of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, if you are:
a stateless person;
a person who is a citizen of a state under the law of which he/she shall lose citizenship of that state on acquiring citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania;
a person who has been granted citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania by way of exception.
2. You must take an oath of allegiance within two years from the effective date of the decree of the President of the Republic on the granting or restoration of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, if you are a person:
who has expressed his/her will in writing to renounce his/her citizenship of another state after he/she is granted citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania.
Underage and disabled persons shall have no obligation to take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania.
The determined date, time and place for an oath at the Ministry of the Interior or at the consular post shall be no later than:
within 2 months – if you are a stateless person;
within 4 months – if you are a person who has expressed his/her will to renounce his/her citizenship of another state.
A person shall be notified hereof in writing, by telephone or e-mail no later than within 5 working days from the time determined thereto.
If you are a person, who has expressed his/her will in writing to renounce his/her citizenship of another state, however, the law of another state whose citizen you are does not stipulate the procedures for renouncing or losing citizenship upon acquisition of citizenship of another state, or, in your opinion, these procedures do not meet the criteria of reasonableness.
You must provide the following documents:
1. An application to allow to take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania;
2. Document confirming personal identity;
3. Statement approved by the notary public that you renounce to have the citizenship of another state and its official translation;
4. Explanation with reasons why you cannot renounce citizenship of another state;
5. Statement (You undertake to immediately inform the competent foreign state institutions about the voluntary decision to become a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania and an oath of allegiance taken to the Republic of Lithuania that a decision on the loss of your foreign citizenship would be taken in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Citizenship of the foreign country and, no later than within one year from the date of the oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania was taken, submit to the Lithuanian authorities a document confirming the loss of citizenship of another state);
6. Documents confirming the reasons stated in your explanation;
7. Document evidencing the disability (if the person due to his/her disability cannot arrive to take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania).
Upon the decision of the Minister of the Interior to allow you to take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania having failed to provide evidence of the loss of the citizenship of another state, you will be informed in writing of the decision taken no later than the next working day after the decision is made, by sending you a copy of this decision. Then you will be invited to take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania.
You will become a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania and acquire rights, freedoms and responsibilities as a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania only after having taken the oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania.
You must choose one of the texts determined for an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania:
1) “I, (name, surname), on becoming a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania, do solemnly, without reservation, swear my allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania, to observe the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Lithuania, to defend the independence, territorial integrity and constitutional order of the State of Lithuania. I pledge to respect the state language, culture and customs of Lithuania, to strengthen the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law in Lithuania. So help me God.”;
2) “I, (name, surname), on becoming a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania, do solemnly, without reservation, swear my allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania, to observe the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Lithuania, to defend the independence, territorial integrity and constitutional order of the State of Lithuania. I pledge to respect the state language, culture and customs of Lithuania, to strengthen the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law in Lithuania.”
Applications for granting citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania repeatedly submitted by persons who failed to take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania shall not be considered, except for the cases when a person misses this term due to very important reasons.
MIGRATION LAW CENTER