Lithuania Startup Visa

Lithuania’s Startup Visa is a government-backed route for non-EU founders who want to build an innovative startup in the country. It’s not a travel visa. If you’re approved, you’re looking at a temporary residence permit with work rights and a real obligation to keep developing the business.

The program is aimed at founders planning to introduce new technologies or innovations that matter to Lithuania’s economic and social development. Startup Lithuania reviews the business concept first, then the Migration Department handles the residence permit side through the MIGRIS system or, if you’re applying from abroad, through VFS centers.

The core advantage is time. The initial temporary residence permit is issued for 2 years and it can be renewed for another 3 years, giving you up to 5 years in total if the startup keeps moving forward. That renewal isn’t automatic, though, because you’ll need to submit a progress report showing how the company has developed and what’s next.

Family members can also come under the program. Spouses and children may qualify for residence permits based on the founder’s status, which makes the visa more practical for people relocating with family rather than alone.

• Who it’s for: Non-EU/EEA startup founders
• Main purpose: Building an innovative business in Lithuania
• Initial TRP validity: 2 years
• Renewal period: 3 more years
• Key requirements: Proof of sufficient means of subsistence and health insurance
• Where you apply: MIGRIS or VFS centers abroad

The latest official guide also confirms the current subsistence threshold, fee levels, legalization and translation rules and processing times. Standard applications are handled in 1 month, while urgent cases take 15 days. The process is still paperwork-heavy, so it’s streamlined, not effortless.

The Lithuania Startup Visa is for non-EU founders who want to build an innovative, scalable startup in Lithuania. It’s not a tourist or short-stay visa. If you’re approved, you can apply for a temporary residence permit and actually live in the country while you work on the company.

To qualify, your startup has to be approved by the Startup Visa Lithuania program first. The official category in the Migration Department system is “Legal activity, I am a start-up,” and that approval is the gatekeeper for the residence permit application.

There isn’t a published minimum age beyond the normal need to have legal capacity and the official guidance doesn’t set out any specific nationality bans. The real test is whether your startup is innovative and whether it matters for Lithuania’s economic and social development. That part is evaluated through the startup approval process, so weak ideas don’t get very far.

• Subsistence funds: You need proof of enough money for at least one year. The minimum is €1,038 a month, so you must show access to €12,456 for 12 months.
• Health insurance: Coverage must be at least €30,000, valid for 12 months, valid in the EU and include repatriation costs if you get sick or have an accident.
• Police clearance: You need a certificate of non-conviction. If it’s a government document, it may need an apostille or legalization, depending on the country that issued it.
• Document handling: Bank statements must be notarized and anything not in Lithuanian or English must be translated by a certified translator.

You don’t have to secure housing in Lithuania before applying. The application lets you say you’ll declare your place of residence after arrival, usually within one month of getting the residence permit. That’s one less thing to sort out before filing, which is nice because the rest of the paperwork is already enough.

There’s one more practical limit to keep in mind, the route is for people who actually need a residence permit to stay in Lithuania. EU citizens can open a business there without this visa, so they’re not the target group for this program.

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The Lithuania Startup Visa isn't just a travel stamp. Once your startup is approved, you're applying for a temporary residence permit, which gives you a 2-year initial stay and can be renewed for 3 more years, so the paperwork needs to be clean from the start.

The official path runs through MIGRIS or through a VFS center abroad if you're submitting outside Lithuania. You need to book the right route in the system, then show up with all documents and biometrics in one go. Missing paper usually means wasting your slot.

• Approved Startup Visa Lithuania application: You need the positive program decision before the residence permit application can move forward.
• TRP application in MIGRIS: File under the start-up route, not a tourist or generic legal activity category.
• Valid passport: Bring the original and make sure it stays valid for the permit process.
• Means of subsistence: Show at least €1,038 a month or €12,456 for a year, with documents explaining where the money comes from, such as official bank statements or an employment contract.
• Health insurance: It needs at least €30,000 coverage, 12 months of validity, EU-wide validity and repatriation cover if you get sick or injured.
• Certificate of non-conviction: Police clearance has to come from the right authority and, depending on the country, may need apostille or legalization.
• Accommodation proof: A proper housing document is required, though the guidance says this can initially be replaced by a commitment to declare your address within one month after the permit is issued.

Translations matter. Anything not in Lithuanian or English needs a certified translation and documents from government bodies need apostille or legalization rules applied correctly. Non-government papers, such as bank statements, must be notarized.

If family members are coming too, add a marriage or domestic partnership certificate for a spouse or partner, plus birth certificates and relevant medical files for children. Those should also be translated into Lithuanian.

After the permit is issued, you’ve got 120 days to establish the company and then email Startup Lithuania with the registration certificate and incorporation agreement or an equivalent document showing the shareholders. That deadline is easy to miss and the process doesn't forgive sloppiness.

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The money side of the Lithuania Startup Visa isn’t huge, but it isn’t zero either. The main government charge is the temporary residence permit fee and applicants may also face extra costs for insurance, document preparation and, if they apply through VFS Global, a service charge.

• State fee for the temporary residence permit: €160 for the general procedure or €320 for the urgent procedure.
• VFS Global service fee: €30 to €120, depending on the country where you file through a VFS center.
• Health insurance: You need a policy with at least €30,000 coverage for 12 months and EU validity. The price depends on the insurer and the official guide doesn’t give a fixed amount.
• Document costs: Budget for legalization or apostille, notarization of non-government documents and certified translations for anything not in Lithuanian or English.

The official guide doesn’t list a separate government fee for the startup visa evaluation itself. The fees it names are tied to the temporary residence permit application and its processing by the Migration Department.

There’s also a practical cost that catches people off guard, especially founders filing from abroad. If your documents need apostilles, notarization or translations, those bills can add up fast before you’ve even reached the application stage.

Family members applying for dependent residence permits are generally subject to similar state fees, but the guide doesn’t break out exact per-person amounts for dependants. If you’re budgeting for a move with a spouse or children, don’t assume their costs are included in your own fee.

The Lithuania Startup Visa starts with program approval, then moves to the temporary residence permit or TRP. That second step is filed through the Migration Department’s MIGRIS system and you’ll need to pick the right route, “Legal activity, I am a start-up.”

You can apply from inside Lithuania if you’re already legally in the country or from abroad through a VFS center. The application path in MIGRIS asks you to choose your citizenship, request a temporary residence permit and then select the startup route.

What you need to do

• Fill in the online application: Log in to MIGRIS and start the TRP request under the startup category.
• Choose the requesting body: Pick the Migration Department if you’re in Lithuania or an external service provider if you’re applying from abroad.
• Provide your residence details: You can enter an address in Lithuania or declare one within one month after you get the permit.
• Show means of subsistence: The form asks for your funds and the source of those funds.
• Deal with health insurance: Upload proof or say you’ll present it when you submit your documents and biometrics.
• Book your submission slot: After the online filing, schedule a visit to the Migration Department in Lithuania or a VFS Global center abroad.

At the appointment, you submit all original documents and give your biometric data at the same time. After that, you get an email confirmation. If the decision is positive, you collect the TRP card and then have 120 days to set up your company in Lithuania and tell Startup Lithuania that it’s registered.

The official processing time is 1 month under the standard procedure or 15 days under the urgent one. If you apply abroad, that timing doesn’t include the extra time needed to send the card to your country. The current guidance also confirms a 2-year initial permit, renewable for 3 more years.

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The Lithuania Startup Visa starts with a 2-year temporary residence permit. If the business is moving in the right direction, that permit can be renewed for 3 more years, which gives founders a maximum of 5 years under this route.

That renewal isn't automatic. Startup Lithuania asks for a business progress report that shows what you’ve achieved during the first years and what you plan to do next. If your company has stalled, the renewal case is weaker. The route is meant for founders building something real in Lithuania, not for people who just want a long stay.

Once the permit is approved, you also have a deadline to act. You must establish the company in Lithuania within 120 days and notify Startup Lithuania with the registration documents. The guidance doesn’t spell out every consequence of missing that step, but it’s clearly a bad idea if you want renewal later.

Family members are generally tied to the same timeline. Their temporary residence permits are usually issued for 2 years too, then can be renewed for 3 years. They can stay in Lithuania as long as the main founder keeps valid status, unless they qualify for a permit on another basis.

The fee structure is plain, if not cheap. Renewal uses the same state fees as the initial temporary residence permit application:

• Standard processing: €160
• Urgent processing: €320

The official guidance gives processing times for standard and urgent TRP applications, but the exact renewal timeline can depend on the procedure you choose. If you’re filing through the Migration Department’s MIGRIS system or a VFS center abroad, plan ahead. A renewal request is a lot easier when your company records, progress report and residence status are all in order.

The Startup Visa itself doesn’t come with a special tax break. Lithuania’s official Startup Visa guidance covers residence, health insurance and business setup, but it doesn’t lay out any reduced tax regime for founders or any visa-specific treatment of foreign income, double taxation or reporting.

That means you should expect to fall under Lithuania’s ordinary tax rules if you live and work there. In general tax guidance, tax residency is tied to factors like spending more than 183 days in Lithuania or having a permanent home there, but the Startup Visa materials don’t spell out a separate rule for visa holders.

The practical takeaway is simple, if a little dull: don’t assume the visa changes your tax position. Your personal tax status and your company’s tax obligations, still need to be checked under Lithuania’s standard system with the State Tax Inspectorate.

• No Startup Visa tax holiday: the official guidance doesn’t mention any special founder tax relief.
• Residency can matter: general Lithuanian tax guidance links residency to 183 days or a permanent home.
• Normal rules apply: founders are expected to follow Lithuania’s standard personal and corporate tax rules.

Health insurance is part of the picture too. The guide says residents are covered by the compulsory health insurance system and that non-EU startup founders who aren't legally employed must buy private health insurance. That’s not a tax, but it's a real cost you’ll need to budget for.

If you’re planning to split time between countries, get advice before you move money or start billing clients. The official Startup Visa pages don’t give detailed guidance on foreign-earned income or treaty relief, so you’ll want to confirm your setup with a tax adviser rather than guess and hope for the best.