Proposed Amendments to the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania

On 21 May 2021, the Commission of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian World Community adopted the Resolution “Regarding Exercise and Improvement of the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania”, where, following the foreign practice when an institute of multiple/dual citizenship is considered an exception relating to the retained rights and obligations to the motherland, and drawing attention to the fact that those citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who live abroad pass to the future generations experience of statehood, acquired maturity, and provide the necessary guarantees of historical survival, the aforementioned Commission requested the President, the Seimas and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania the following:

1. To approve the Draft Law No XIVP-430 Amending Article 2 of the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania No XI-1196, whereby it sets up the concept of a person who held citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania before 15 June 1940.

2. To amend the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania by adding new circumstances to a list of special merits for the State of Lithuania, in order to retain Lithuanian citizenship, by way of exception, after acquiring citizenship of another state.

3. To provide for the possibility for the relevant institutions to assess individual applications of Lithuanian citizens for retention of Lithuanian citizenship after acquiring citizenship of another state, by carrying out the assessment of negative consequences after the loss of citizenship, following the principle of proportionality of the EU law.

4. To amend Article 38(4) of the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania No XI-1196, by expanding a list of documents evidencing that a person held Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940.

5. To postpone a preparation of documents concerning the loss of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania and adoption of resolutions relating thereto, until the planned Referendum on the retention of Lithuanian citizenship to be held in 2024.

MIGRATION LAW CENTER