Procedure for issuing work permits to foreigners
An employer intending to employ a foreigner to work under an employment contract must register a vacancy with an employment office in the Employment Service.
The employer may submit the employment documents of the alien to the employment department of the Employment Service, in the territory of which he registered the vacancy, 1 month after the expiration of the advertisement.
Attention!
An employer’s request to issue a work permit in the Republic of Lithuania to an alien is not accepted if the employer:
- 5 working days prior to the submission of the application to the employment office, employer had not registered a vacancy according to the procedure established by legal acts. The requirement to register a vacancy does not apply to an employer who intends to employ an alien as a trainee or trainee;
- wants to hire an alien who already has a valid permit to work in another company;
- submitted not all the documents specified in the description of the conditions and procedure for the issue of work permits to foreigners.
Employers’ attention!
2019 January 1 The amendment to Article 58 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens entered into force on 1 January 2019. This law returns the obligation for foreigners to purchase work permits in Lithuania. An alien whose permanent place of work is abroad and who is sent to work temporarily in the Republic of Lithuania must obtain a work permit.
Description not applicable:
- Citizens of the Member States of the European Union and of the European Free Trade Association, members of their families and other persons enjoying the right of free movement of persons under European Union law;
- for shareholders, managers, shareholders of a joint stock company or private limited company.
- for an alien who is exempt from the obligation to obtain a permit to work in accordance with the provisions of Article 58 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens of the Republic of Lithuania.
Documents submitted to the Employment Service
Employing an alien under an employment contract
The following documents are required (documents of foreign states must be legalized or certified according to the established procedure (Apostile), unless the other legal acts provide otherwise. Translation of the documents drawn up in non-Lithuanian language into the Lithuanian language must be approved by the translator who has performed it. company signature and seal.):
- application for employment permit for foreigners;
- a copy of the alien’s valid travel document;
- employer information about the alien’s qualifications and at least one year of work experience according to his or her qualifications in the last two years (the employer must include the alien’s qualifications, the current and/or former alien’s workplace) has worked for the last 2 years in the profession, period and position in the job(s);
- an obligation to employ an alien for a period of at least 6 months and an employee’s average wage if the company has more employees working for the same job as the work permit requested;
- a copy of the payment order or receipt confirming the state fee for the issue of the work permit issued by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
Authorization to work for a trainee or trainee
The following documents are required (documents of foreign states must be legalized or certified according to the established procedure (Apostile), unless the other legal acts provide otherwise. Translation of the documents drawn up in non-Lithuanian language into the Lithuanian language must be approved by the translator who has performed it. company signature and seal.):
- a request for a work permit for a trainee;
- a copy of the alien’s valid travel document;
- a copy of the alien’s diploma or other document certifying the person’s qualification;
- a copy of the recommendation of the Center for Quality Assessment in Higher Education on the assessment of the qualification of an alien together with a copy of the diploma or other document confirming the qualification of the alien, if the profession is not regulated in the Republic of Lithuania, but higher education is required.
- the decision of the competent authority on the recognition of a person’s professional qualifications, as established by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, September 14 by Decree no. 1069 „On the Recognition of Third-Country Nationals Regulated Professional Qualifications“,
- a certificate issued by a foreign higher education institution confirming the studies of an alien in a higher education institution (presented in place of the documents referred to in 3-4) if the alien is still studying at a higher school;
- a certificate from the employer giving a brief assessment of the foreign language proficiency of the foreigner (to the extent necessary to work) and information on the average wage of the employee, if there are more employees working in the enterprise for the same job as the work permit for the foreigner.
- a copy of the payment order or receipt confirming the state fee of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for issuing the work permit.
An alien who wishes to be employed as a trainee or trainee must meet the following conditions:
- be at least 18 and not older than 30;
- have a higher education or study at a higher education institution;
- seek to deepen the knowledge of the Lithuanian language or their professional competence or gain additional competence.
Recruiting a foreigner in international agreements between the Republic of Lithuania on youth exchanges
These documents are needed. Copies of the documents must be signed and stamped by the head of the company.
- an application for a work permit for foreigners under youth exchange programs;
- a copy of the alien’s valid travel document, a copy of the multiple national visa;
- a copy of the employment contract and the average wage of the employee
The employer or alien may apply for the issue of a work permit in the cases specified in the international agreements of the Republic of Lithuania on youth exchange.
Recruiting an alien who is or has been a victim of trafficking or illegal labor
The following documents are required (documents of foreign states must be legalized or certified according to the established procedure (Apostile), unless the other legal acts provide otherwise. Translation of the documents drawn up in non-Lithuanian language into the Lithuanian language must be approved by the translator who has performed it. company signature and seal.):
- an application for a work permit for foreigners;
- a copy of a temporary residence permit issued in the Republic of Lithuania pursuant to the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Legal Status of Aliens: Article 40 (1) (12);
- employer information about the alien’s qualifications and at least one year of work experience according to his or her qualifications in the last two years (the employer must include the alien’s qualifications, the current and/or former alien’s workplace) has worked for the last 2 years in the profession, period and position in the job(s);
- an obligation to employ an alien for a period of at least 6 months and an employee’s average wage if the company has more employees working for the same job as the work permit requested;
- a copy of the payment order or receipt confirming the state fee for the issue of the work permit issued by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
Employing a foreigner to work under a distance contract
The following documents are required (documents of foreign states must be legalized or certified according to the established procedure (Apostile), unless the other legal acts provide otherwise. Translation of the documents drawn up in non-Lithuanian language into the Lithuanian language must be approved by the translator who has performed it. company signature and seal.):
- an application for a work permit for foreigners;
- a copy of the alien’s valid travel document;
- information about the qualification of the alien and the experience of at least one year of the qualification held by the employer in the last two years (the employer’s letter must contain the qualification of the alien, the current and former employment of the alien, where the alien has been employed for the last 2 years, the period and responsibilities of working there.
- a statement by the employer on the necessity of employing an alien, the average salary of the employee, if there are more employees in the enterprise, who work the same job as the work permit requested for the foreigner;
- a copy of the payment order or receipt confirming the state fee for the issue of the work permit issued by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
Recruiting a foreigner to work temporarily in the Republic of Lithuania
The following documents are required (documents of foreign states must be legalized or certified according to the established procedure (Apostile), unless the other legal acts provide otherwise. Translation of the documents drawn up in non-Lithuanian language into the Lithuanian language must be approved by the translator who has performed it. company signature and seal.):
- request for permission for temporary work to be sent to LR;
- a copy of the alien’s valid travel document;
- a certified copy of the contract for the provision of services or performance of works between the company in the Republic of Lithuania and the sending company.
- a certified copy of the registration certificate of the sending company or extract from the foreign register
- a certified copy of the alien’s employment contract of the sending company;
- a document issued by a competent authority of a foreign state confirming that the alien has been insured with social insurance in that foreign country for at least the last 3 months and that he remains insured with social insurance in that foreign state during the period of posting to the Republic of Lithuania.
- the information on the qualification of the alien held by the sending company;
- a copy of the payment order or receipt confirming the state fee for the issue of the work permit issued by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
ATTENTION!
For the issue of a work permit (if necessary a duplicate), an extension of the validity period of the work permit is taken from the state fee established by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, which is paid by the employer before the date of submission of the application for the work permit to the administrative unit of the Employment Service, unless the work permit (duplicate) is issued an alien who arrives in the Republic of Lithuania under international agreements on youth exchanges.
Also, the employer can find out about the decision made by calling the Methodology and Monitoring Department of the Department of Labor Market and Employment Support Policy of the Employment Service tel. 8 (5) 2 36 07 75.
Government Fee established by Government:
For a work permit of up to 1 year – 121 EUR,
Extension of work permit – 52 EUR
For a work permit of up to 2 years – 150 EUR,
For a work permit for 1 year under youth exchange programs, with bilateral agreements of the Republic of Lithuania – 34 EUR,
EUR 8.60 for a duplicate work permit.
Details of the fees for issuing work permits to foreigners in Lithuania:
BENEFICIARY: State Tax Inspectorate under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania
RECEIVER CODE: 188659752
ACCOUNT NUMBER AND BANK:
Account number | Bank code | Bank name | SWIFT code |
LT74 4010 0510 0132 4763 | 40100 | AB DNB bankas | AGBLLT2X |
LT05 7044 0600 0788 7175 | 70440 | AB SEB bankas | CBVILT2X |
LT32 7180 0000 0014 1038 | 71800 | Akcinė bendrovė Šiaulių bankas | CBSBLT26 |
LT74 7400 0000 0872 3870 | 74000 | Danske Bank A/S Lietuvos filialas | SMPOLT22 |
LT12 2140 0300 0268 0220 | 21400 | Nordea Bank AB Lietuvos skyrius | NDEALT2X |
LT24 7300 0101 1239 4300 | 73000 | „Swedbank“, AB | HABALT22 |
LT42 7230 0000 0012 0025 | 72300 | Uždaroji akcinė bendrovė Medicinos bankas | MDBALT22 |
Taxes, fees and other contributions paid to the State Revenue Inspectorate’s budget revenue collection accounts may also be paid to institutions providing payment collection services and their or their intermediary units:
- AB Lietuvos paštas Post Offices;
- through the Internet portal of UAB EVP www.mokėjimai.lt .;
- SOLO, UAB intermediary in the box office of MAXIMA LT, UAB;
- UAB Mažeikių Butų ūkis;
- JSC „Payment terminal systems” payment self-service terminals FOXBOX;
- UAB “Perlo paslaugos” terminals;
- JSC „Virtualių paslaugų operatorius“ at press kiosks
In the payment order, paying taxes, fees and contributions to the State Revenue Inspectorate’s budget revenue collection accounts, it is necessary to specify:
the name of the recipient;
the billing account number;
payer identification number (Lithuanian legal entity – Legal entity registry code, Lithuanian resident’s personal code, foreign legal person or organization – taxpayer identification number);
payer’s name or surname;
payment code;
amount;
the purpose of the payment for the work permit (name of the alien being employed).
CONTRIBUTION CODE: 5801
IMPORTANT TO KNOW!
Working permit employer or foreigner can receive at employment service department which they registered
Termination of employment contract or termination of employment with a foreign employer
The employer must send a written notice in 3 days to the Employment Service about the expiry of the employment contract before the expiry of the contract.
Requirments for employment contracts:
- the employment contract with the foreigner must be made in writing according to the form approved by the Minister of Social Security and Labor of the Republic of Lithuania;
- the contract must be drawn up in two languages: the Lithuanian language and the language understood by the alien;
- an alien cannot work in a job other than that specified in the work permit, to perform other job functions (for a particular profession, qualification, specialty, job or to hold a certain position), except for the person who has been issued a work permit.
- an alien’s wage may not be less than the same work as a resident of the Republic of Lithuania working for the same employer
Renewal of work permit
Conditions:
- if necessary;
- only if the work permit has been issued for a period of less than 2 years;
- in all cases, the period of validity of the authorization may not exceed 2 years;
- In order to extend the period of validity of the work permit, the employer must submit the application to the administrative department of the Employment Service and attach the necessary documents to the employment unit of the Employment Service at least 1 month before and at least 5 months before its expiry.
The following documents are required to extend a work permit:
- extension of work permit for foreigners;
- a copy of the alien’s valid travel document;
- Employer’s certificate on the work of the alien at that workplace, specifying the employee’s job functions, the length of time he worked, the amount of the salary, the calculated and paid taxes and the state social insurance contributions.
An application for an extension of the period of validity of a work permit shall be submitted no later than within 6 working days from the date of its receipt by the Employment Service.
© Employment Service Under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour
Budgetary authority.
Geležinio Vilko str. 3A, LT-03131, Vilnius
Legal entity code: 190766619
Phone 1883 or (+370) 5 250 0883
Fax.: (8 5) 236 0788, (8 5) 274 5883
Email: info@uzt.lt, eures@uzt.lt
Quoting is authorized with appropriate reference.