Temporary residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania

  • 2011-08-03
  • By Marius Matiukas, Associate lawyer

ECOVIS Miškinis, Kvainauskas ir partneriai advokatų kontora

A temporary residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania means a document granting an alien the right to temporary residence in Lithuania for a period specified in the permit. The alien has the right to choose his place of residence in Lithuania, to change it, to depart from and return to Lithuania during the period of validity of the residence permit. The alien must give notice of a change in his place of residence to a migration office of a public police division at a territorial police agency and should not forget that, under the Law on Declaration of the Place of Residence, a person must declare his departure when leaving Lithuania for a period exceeding six months.

A temporary residence permit in Lithuania is issued to an alien who is a citizen of a non-EU member state. It is usually issued for a period of one year, though it may also be issued for a shorter period. In respect of the persons of Lithuanian descent and aliens who have retained the right to citizenship of Lithuania, the temporary residence permit is issued for a period of five years.
Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, which regulates the legal status of aliens, stipulates the following grounds for the issuance of temporary residence permits to aliens. A temporary residence permit may be issued to an alien if:

- the alien has retained the right to citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania;
- it is a case of family reunification;
- the alien intends to work in Lithuania;
- the alien intends to engage in lawful activities in Lithuania;
- the alien intends to study;
- the alien has been put under guardianship/custody;
- the alien is or has been a victim of human trafficking and co-operates with the pre-trial investigation body or with the court in the fight against trafficking in human beings or in combating the offenses linked to trafficking in human beings;
- the alien intends to carry out scientific research;

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