Lithuania · For your nationality or ancestry
Lithuanian citizenship restoration
Restoration of Lithuanian citizenship for pre-1940 citizens and their descendants (Law on Citizenship Article 9)
First checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Lithuanian citizenship restoration is a for your nationality or ancestry route for Lithuania. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- You held Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940, or you are a child, grandchild or great-grandchild of such a person.
- The right to restore citizenship is indefinite and can be used once.
- You may keep another citizenship only if you or your ancestor fled Lithuania before 11 March 1990 and settled abroad; otherwise you must not hold another citizenship.
- Restoration is refused where a disqualifying circumstance under Article 22 exists.
Steps1
- Applications are filed in writing through the authorised institutions; a repeat application is accepted no earlier than one year after a refusal.
When you become tax resident
How Lithuania decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a tax periodPresent in Lithuania, continuously or with breaks, 183 days or more in the tax period makes the person a permanent resident.
- At least 280 days in a two successive tax periodsPresent 280 days or more over successive tax periods, with at least 90 days in one of them.
- Foreign-source income
Worldwide, treaty exception
Permanent residents of Lithuania are taxed on income from Lithuanian and foreign sources: 20% up to 36 average wages, 25% from 36 to 60 average wages and 32% above 60 average wages (average wage as set for state social insurance contributions).
All tax rules for Lithuania Tax records checked
Full official text
People who held Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940, and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, have an indefinite right to restore citizenship. Keeping another citizenship is allowed only for those who fled Lithuania before 11 March 1990 and their descendants; others must give up their current citizenship. 1
Requirements
- You held Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940, or you are a child, grandchild or great-grandchild of such a person. 1
- The right to restore citizenship is indefinite and can be used once. 1
- You may keep another citizenship only if you or your ancestor fled Lithuania before 11 March 1990 and settled abroad; otherwise you must not hold another citizenship. 1
- Restoration is refused where a disqualifying circumstance under Article 22 exists. 1
- Applications are filed in writing through the authorised institutions; a repeat application is accepted no earlier than one year after a refusal. 1
Stay
- Citizenship is permanent once acquired; it is not a time-limited permit.
Nationality
Open to pre-1940 Lithuanian citizens and their descendants to the great-grandchild generation; dual citizenship only for those who fled before 11 March 1990 and their descendants.
Work
A Lithuanian citizen may live and work in Lithuania and, as an EU citizen, across the EU and EEA.
Family
Each descendant applies in their own right.
Official sources
- Republic of Lithuania Law on Citizenship (No XI-1196 of 2 December 2010), Articles 2, 7 and 9 · Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (e-seimas.lrs.lt) · checked 2026-10-11
Lithuanian citizenship restoration and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithuanian citizenship restoration | – | – | – |
| CPLP residence Portugal | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Spanish nationality by descent and option Spain | – | – | – |
| Italian citizenship by descent Italy | – | – | Yes |
| Greek citizenship by descent Greece | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Lithuanian citizenship restoration?
Citizenship is permanent once acquired; it is not a time-limited permit.
Can I work on the Lithuanian citizenship restoration?
A Lithuanian citizen may live and work in Lithuania and, as an EU citizen, across the EU and EEA.
Can I bring my family on the Lithuanian citizenship restoration?
Each descendant applies in their own right.
How are Lithuanian citizenship restoration holders taxed in Lithuania?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Lithuanian citizenship restoration. The standard rules apply: Permanent residents of Lithuania are taxed on income from Lithuanian and foreign sources: 20% up to 36 average wages, 25% from 36 to 60 average wages and 32% above 60 average wages (average wage as set for state social insurance contributions).
More in Lithuania
Nationality or ancestry visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 1 official source. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Republic of Lithuania Law on Citizenship (No XI-1196 of 2 December 2010), Articles 2, 7 and 9 · Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (e-seimas.lrs.lt) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.