Lithuania facilitates invitation procedures for foreigners

VILNIUS – Lithuania's Migration Department is introducing changes as of July 1 and is facilitating invitation procedures for foreigners and is merging residence permit issuance procedures.

According to the department, people inviting a foreigner will no longer be required to confirm the invitation at the migration service as all procedures related to the confirmation of a foreigner's invitation will be automated.

The inviter will no longer have to submit a request to confirm the invitation as well as the accommodation owner's consent to accept the foreigner.

To get a Schengen visa, the inviter will only submit an intermediary letter that will confirm the inviting person's commitment to take care of the incoming person's needs.

Invitations for foreigners to come to Lithuania are free and their number is not restricted.

Lithuania is also amending the procedure for issuing and amending residence permits for foreigners. The procedures of processing of applications to issue or amend residence permits, decision-making and issuing residence permits will be merged.

Upon the merger of the procedures, a foreigners' biometric data will be taken once an application to issue or amend a residence permit will be submitted, and once a positive decision is made, the permit's production will be initiated automatically.

A foreigner will be required to pay a state-set fee before submitting an application to issue or amend a resident permit, excluding cases when people are exempt from such a fee pursuant to a procedure defined by laws.

The Migration Department also warns that payments for document formalization will have to be made when submitting an application for a residence permit or its amendment.