Work Visa with a Job Offer in Lithuania

A work visa with a job offer, more often searched as a Lithuania work permit, an employment visa or a job visa, lets a non-EU citizen take up a job with a Lithuanian employer. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Work Visa with offer of Employment”. In Lithuania the result is normally a temporary residence permit for work (leidimas laikinai gyventi), and depending on the job it is preceded by a work permit (leidimas dirbti) or a decision of the Employment Service (Užimtumo tarnyba) that the job meets the needs of the labour market. Applications are filed in Migris and decided by the Migration Department (Migracijos departamentas).

Who needs it

Non-EU citizens with a signed employment contract (darbo sutartis) or a firm offer from a Lithuanian company, for example drivers, builders, welders, IT staff or hospitality workers, and the employers who hire them. Highly qualified jobs with a high salary may fit the EU Blue Card better. Without an offer, a work-based permit is generally not available.

Steps in Lithuania

1. The employer checks whether the occupation is on the shortage list (trūkstamų profesijų sąrašas), whether a quota applies and which Employment Service step is needed.
2. Where required, the Employment Service issues the work permit or the labour market decision.
3. The employer confirms the job in Migris and the worker files the residence permit application, or a national D visa to start earlier, and gives biometric data in Lithuania or at a visa centre abroad.
4. After arrival the employer registers the start of work with Sodra, the social insurance fund, and the worker declares a place of residence.

Points to watch

• Lithuania has set annual quotas for workers from non-EU countries, with exceptions; the quota and its rules have changed since they were introduced.
• Salary conditions and the shortage list are revised regularly.
• The permit is linked to the employer and the job; changing either may need approval or at least a notice.
• Agencies that charge for a “work visa” or a job are not the Lithuanian authorities; the procedure always starts with a real employer.

What a lawyer does

A lawyer checks the contract and the job against the current rules, tells the employer which Employment Service step applies, prepares the Migris applications, collects documents such as the criminal record certificate and diplomas, and handles a change of employer, a renewal or a refusal. If a conflict with the employer arises later, the lawyer can help with unfair dismissal and employment disputes.

Questions and answers

Can I get a Lithuanian work visa without a job offer?

A work-based permit needs a Lithuanian employer. People without an offer look at other grounds, such as studies, a business or family; none of them replaces a job offer.

Who applies, the employer or the worker?

Both take part. The employer starts the procedure and confirms the job in Migris; the worker files the application and gives biometric data.

How long does a Lithuania work permit take?

Processing times depend on the Employment Service step, the quota and the Migration Department’s workload, and they change. A lawyer gives a current estimate.

Can my family come with me?

Usually later, through family reunification, once the conditions on residence and means are met.