EU Blue Card

Are you a non-EU citizen wishing to work as a highly-skilled employee in Lithuania?

You will be considered a highly-qualified worker if you possess a higher education qualification or, when it is provided for by Lithuanian laws, professional experience of at least 5 years, which is equivalent to a higher education qualification,

a temporary residence permit (“Blue Card”).

If your salary is going to be smaller than 3 most recently announced average monthly salaries in the whole economy, your future employer must notify the job vacancy to the local Employment Service Office. Within one month after this notification, your future employer may apply for a decision that your work will correspond to the demands of the Lithuanian labour market needs at the same local Employment Service Office.

Please note that your future employer may also apply for a decision that your work will correspond to the demands of the Lithuanian labour market needs while submitting your application for the issuance of a temporary residence permit at the Migration department.

Note that if your salary is higher than 3 most recently announced average monthly salaries in the whole economy, or your profession is included in the list of high professional qualification requiring professions with a shortage of employees or your temporary residence permit, issued for highly-qualified employment, is renewed and two years of your legal employment in Lithuania have lapsed, you are released from the requirement to obtain a decision from the labour exchange office on you meeting the Lithuanian labour market needs.

While your future employer is taking care of the decision on you meeting the needs of the Lithuanian labour market, you can apply for a residence permit.

the number of a mediation letter that was electronically filled in and submitted by your employer;

if your salary is higher than 3 most recently announced average monthly salaries in the whole economy, or profession is included in the list of high professional qualification requiring professions with a shortage of employees

the amount of your monthly salary is not less than the 1,5 most recently announced average gross monthly earnings in the whole economy

During the first 2 years of your work as a highly qualified worker in Lithuania you cannot change your employment nor employer without applying for a change of your employment or employer at the Migration Department . Having checked whether you fulfil the conditions of highly qualified employment, the Migration Department takes a decision concerning the change of your employment or the employer. After receiving this decision, you may change your employment or employer on the basis of the same residence permit.

In the third and subsequent years of employment in Lithuania as a highly qualified worker, you may change employers on the basis of the same residence permit without applying for a change of your employment or employer.

If you become unemployed for more than 3 consecutive months or more than once during the period of validity of the temporary residence permit, when you were granted a temporary residence permit as a highly qualified worker, your temporary residence permit will be canceled and you will have to leave the Republic of Lithuania.

You are immediately entitled to family reunification and do not need to wait for the two-year period of legal residence to be completed. Your family members may immediately apply for a temporary residence permit.

Residence permits are granted for 3 years and can be renewed. If your work contract lasts less than 3 years, the residence permit will be issued for the duration of your work contract and 3 more months.

Your temporary residence permit may be renewed on the same conditions. An application for the renewal of a temporary residence permit must be submitted to the Migration department’s Central Office. Application and required documents for the renewal of a temporary residence permit in general order shall be submitted at least 2 months in advance but not earlier than 4 months before the expiry of the current permit. Application and required documents for the renewal of the temporary residence permit on a matter of urgency shall be submitted at least 1 month before the expiry.

The decision to renew the residence permit is taken within 2 months at the latest. For an additional fee, the decision will be taken within 1 month at the latest.

If you have been residing legally and continuously for five years within the territory of the Union as an EU Blue Card holder out of which not less than two years legally and continuously in in Lithuania, you can obtain a permanent resident’s status. Basic knowledge of the language and of the Lithuanian Constitution will be tested.