If your husband (wife) is a citizen of Lithuania, and you are a citizen of a foreign state, you can be issued with both a temporary and permanent residence of Lithuania by marriage. You can also acquire Lithuanian citizenship after 7 years of permanent residence with your husband (wife) in Lithuania.
A temporary residence permit in Lithuania is issued for 1 year and is renewed annually. After 5 years of permanent uninterrupted residence in Lithuania or other cases, a foreigner has the right to apply for the issue of a permanent residence permit in Lithuania, after 7 years – for the acquisition of Lithuanian citizenship.
Conditions for applying
A foreigner whose husband (wife) is a citizen of Lithuania may apply for a temporary residence of Lithuania by marriage if he/she intends to live with his spouse in Lithuania. The essential conditions for applying for a temporary residence permit in Lithuania are registration of marriage, declaration of the husband’s (wife’s) place of residence in Lithuania, the availability of sufficient means of living, and the availability of housing.
Before applying for a temporary residence permit in Lithuania, your husband or wife (citizen of Lithuania) must declare the address of residence in Lithuania. Usually, the place of residence is declared in the territory of service of which the person intends to declare his/her address of residence. The place of residence can also be declared in another municipal administrative unit or on the Internet.
Legal Conditions
The marriage of a foreigner with a citizen of Lithuania must be registered. If the marriage was contracted abroad, the document confirming the fact of the marriage must be translated into Lithuanian, legalized, or certified with an Apostille, unless otherwise provided in international agreements of Lithuania or the legislative acts of the European Union.
The foreign spouse must have sufficient funds to live in Lithuania. The minimum monthly living amount is equal to the minimum wage established by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. In the documents submitted, it must be justified that having funds for living will be sufficient for the next 12 months.
The person must also submit documents that justifiably state that the family will have a living space to live. According to the provisions of Lithuanian legislation, a person needs at least 7 sq. m of living space. An apartment, house, or room may belong to a family both by right of ownership and based on rent, gratuitous use, etc. In the case when the apartment, house, or room, where the husband and wife intend to declare their address, belong to another a person who requires the consent of such a person to declare the place of residence at the address of the immovable property belonging to him or the lease or gratuitous use agreement is subject to registration in the Register of immovable property.
After collecting the documents necessary for the issuance of a temporary residence of Lithuania by marriage, a foreigner who is the husband (wife) of a citizen of Lithuania, the foreigner should contact the migration service or the diplomatic mission or consular office of Lithuania abroad.
Documents
Documents that must be submitted when applying for a temporary residence permit in Lithuania:
- Statement;
- Passport;
- Visa;
- Documents confirming the fact of marriage;
- Documents confirming the availability of funds for living;
- Residence documents;
- Criminal record certificate;
- List of facts of departure from the country and residence in foreign countries;
- Medical insurance document;
- Photo 40×60 mm.
Documents issued by institutions of foreign countries are translated into Lithuanian; in addition, they must be certified with an Apostille or legalized following the established procedure, unless otherwise provided in international agreements of Lithuania or the legislative acts of the European Union.
The application and the documents attached to it are considered, and a decision can be made by the Migration Department within 2 months as a matter of urgency or within 4 months in a general manner.
Temporary residence
After a decision has been made to issue a temporary residence permit to a foreign spouse in Lithuania, his wife or husband (a citizen of Lithuania) should apply for a temporary residence permit in Lithuania (issuing a card). In this case, an application and other necessary documents are submitted to the migration service. The term of production of the card is up to 5-10 working days. After issuing a temporary residence of Lithuania by marriage, the address of the person’s place of residence in Lithuania must be declared.
A permanent residence permit in Lithuania may be issued to a foreigner who is the spouse of a Lithuanian citizen if the foreigner arrived with a Lithuanian citizen (his husband or wife) from a foreign state to reside in Lithuania. In this case, additional evidence should be provided.
Watch also: German Marriage Visa
