Visa & residence permits
EU STUDENTS
If you are an EU national, you do not need to obtain any documents to come to Lithuania for studies. You can stay in Lithuania for up to 3 months from the day of arrival without applying for a residence permit. However, you cannot surpass staying in Lithuania for more than 3 months in a half a year with a travel visa, so you must obtain a Temporary residence certificate (TRC) within the 3 month-period and declare your place of residence.
How to apply:
Go to the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS) to fill in the request to issue or renew the temporary residence certificate and include digital copies of the required documents being added to this request from the following list: I want to get a temporary residence certificate - Migracijos departamentas. To submit the application, you do not need a mediation letter number from the Academy.
When filling out the TRC application, you must indicate your personal information exactly how it is written on your passport (with no additional spacing). Please also refer to the following details about the VDA when filling out your TRC application:
The Academy address: Maironio St. 6, Vilnius, LT-01124, Vilnius
Company/registration: code 111950439
Contact person in the TRC application: Lina Košeleva, lina.koseleva@vda.lt
NON-EU STUDENTS
If you want to study at a university/college in Lithuania, you need to get a Temporary residence permit (TRP) and apply as early as possible. Go to Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS) to fill in the request to issue or renew the residence permit and include digital copies of the required documents being added to this request from the following list: I'm a student - Migracijos departamentas.
How to apply:
When filling out the TRP application, you must indicate your personal information exactly how it is written on your passport (with no additional spacing). Please also refer to the following details about the VDA when filling out your TRP application:
The Academy address: Maironio St. 6, Vilnius, LT-01124, Vilnius
Company/registration: code 111950439
Contact person in the TRP application: Lina Košeleva, lina.koseleva@vda.lt
In order to submit your TRP application, you will need a mediation letter number, which the International Relations Office of the VDA will send you. In order to get the mediation letter number, please contact us through the email international@vda.lt and attach your valid passport copy to the email.
After filling out the request and booking an appointment time via "MIGRIS", within 4 months from the day of submitting the request you must personally address regards to the issuance (changing) of the temporary residence permit, submit biometric data, and original documents.
LONG-TERM RESIDENCE
Regarding the long-term residence, you must live in the Republic of Lithuania without interruption for 5 years with a residence permit or national visa. During your stay in Lithuania, you can travel abroad for a short time, but trips from the territory of Lithuania may not last longer than 6 months in succession, and may not exceed 10 months in a consecutive and total period of 5 years.
IMPORTANT! Do not postpone migration questions or the residence permit renewal/issues to the last minute because migration processes take a long time and there are a lot of foreigners studying/working in Lithuania. The TRC or TRP issuing process may take up to 4 months, hence, plase plan the documents in advance.
- The documents for the residence permit application must be issued no sooner than 6 months prior to the day of submitting the application regarding the residence permit.
- You must stay legally in Lithuania throughout whole your study term and avoid being forced to return to your home country or be deported.
- You must obtain health insurance throughout the entire duration of your studies in Lithuania. EU citizens have basic health insurance, while non-EU students must obtain health insurance through their home country or outside of their home country.
- When applying through the Migration's department website, you must connect to an online call organised by Migration. If you are unable to join at the time assigned to you, the Migration Department will send you another time. However, if you do not join in both times, the application through the Migration department will be postponed or cancelled, and you will able to submit it only after 4 months.
Please be aware that it is students' personal responsibility to apply for applicable migration documents and present all required documents in a timely manner throughout their studies at Vilnius Academy of Arts. We are not responsible for the activities, or services provided to you by the third-party companies mentioned above.
STEP 1: Mediation letter issuing (though the VDA International Relations Office). Write to international@vda.lt
You will use the mediation letter number to finish your Temporary residence permit (TRP) application.
STEP 2: Create an account on MIGRIS.
You will need to choose the following:
• Application provided by – personally
• Requested body – external service provider
• Procedure for processing the application – general order (within 2 months) / urgent order (within 1 month)
STEP 3: Apply with the documents from the following list: I'm a student.
Please refer to the following details about the VDA when filling out your TRP application:
The Academy address: Maironio St. 6, Vilnius, LT-01124, Vilnius
Company/registration: code 111950439
Contact person in the TRP application: Lina Košeleva, international@vda.lt
When filling out the TRP application, you must indicate your personal information exactly how it is written on your passport (with no additional spacing).
STEP 4: Book an appointment at the VFS Global Center.
STEP 5: Arrive at the VFS Global Center on your scheduled time:
- Provide all original documents;
- Pay the fees.
All documentation provided with your application has to be genuine and valid.
STEP 6: VFS Global Center collects the documents and forwards them to the Migration department of Republic of Lithuania.
STEP 7: When the Migration department receives your documents, they will invite you to a motivational online interview.
Do not miss the notification about the interview, as not being able to reach you twice, the Migration deparment will decline your application and you will be able to apply only after 4 months from the notification day.
STEP 8: Decisions on the issuance (or non-issuance) of a TRP are made by specialists of the Migration department. It takes from 1-4 months to review the application and make the decision.
STEP 9: You will receive the TRP card through a courier/arrival at the center and only then will you be able to come to Lithuania.
If you have visa-free entry to Lithuania, you can pick up the TRP card upon your arrival to Lithuania, in which case you do not need to order a courier service.
Once you receive the TRP, kindly forward its copy from both sides to the VDA International Relations Office (international@vda.lt) for your file.
Services of the Migration department abroad:
International full-time students in order to legally enter and stay in Lithuania, will have to apply not for obtaining a temporary residence permit (TRP) in Lithuania. It can be obtained not only in Lithuania, upon arrival at the Migration Department, but also in 34 centers of the company “VFS Global” operating in foreign countries.
- The decision to issue TRP— will be within 1-2 months.
- It will take additional time to send the document abroad and time during which the external service provider will contact the foreigner to deliver the document.
- The foreigner will come to Lithuania with the TRP (no additional visas will be required).
- However, it is possible to order TRP abroad and pick it up in Lithuania (convenient for those foreigners who do not need visas to enter Lithuania).
- All foreigners can contact the external service provider of the Migration department in a specific country, regardless of whether they reside in that country or not.
Please watch short video tutorials (English) on how to Book a visit, and Apply/Renew the residence permit online in Lithuania:
1. MIGRIS. How to login to the system for e-resident?
3. Submitting a request for a TRP (Temporary Residence Permit) via an External service provider
4. MIGRIS. Apply for a Residence permit
5. HOW TO APPLY FOR TRP OF LITHUANIA 2023 | DETAILED VIDEO | DOCUMENTS NEEDED
These documents shall be added to the request:
NON-EU GRADUATES
Students, who have completed their studies in Lithuania can get a temporary residence permit valid for 12 months for job search and employment, or work as a self-employed person. With this permit, the former student (after you graduate) can start working immediately after getting employed.
First of all, when you find the job, you must fill out the request electronically via the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS) to issue or change the residence permit and include digital copies of the documents being added to this request.
After filling out the request and booking the visitation time via MIGRIS, within 4 months from the day of filling-out the request via MIGRIS you must personally address in regards to the issuance (changing) of temporary residence permit and submit the biometric data, as well as original documents.
Then you need to arrive within your pre-booked timeslot at a relevant territorial office of the Migration Department. Upon arriving at the Migration Department at the booked time, your presence in Lithuania must be lawful, so do not postpone that, because the decision and processing usually take up to 2 months.
During the temporary residence permit, you can only work with the employer who has undertaken to employ you.
If You want to change your employer or even if you want to move to a different position with the same employer, you must contact the Migration Department and inform them about these changes.
