Lithuania · Business / Startup
Lithuania Startup visa
First stay: 2 yrs
Temporary residence permit – startup founder (Startup Visa)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Startup visa is a business / startup route for Lithuania. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Processing
- Up to 90 days
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Shown, not spent€1,153+/mo ≈ $1,290
- EUR 1,153 a month (≈ $1,290)Funds of 1 minimum monthly wage (EUR 1,153 (≈ $1,290) gross in 2026) for each month of the requested permit; the figure is the 2026 minimum monthly wage set by Government Resolution No 700.
RenewalRenewable
Issued for 2 years and can be changed for a further 3 years with Innovation Agency confirmation.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
A permanent residence permit is available after 5 years of lawful, uninterrupted residence in Lithuania; the state language and Constitution exams are required.
CitizenshipAfter 10 years of residence
Naturalisation needs the last 10 years of lawful, uninterrupted residence in Lithuania on any residence document (a year counts when at least six months of it were spent in Lithuania), the right of permanent residence when applying, the state language and Constitution exams, a lawful source of income, and giving up other citizenship unless it is lost automatically (Law on Citizenship XI-1196, Arts. 2(18) and 18).
ProcessingUp to 90 days
A first temporary residence permit decision is due within 3 months of the application.
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- No more than 4 foreigners can be participants of the startup.
What you must show2
- Funds of 1 minimum monthly wage (EUR 1,153 (≈ $1,290) in 2026) are shown for each month of the requested permit.
- The state fee is EUR 220 (≈ $250) (decision within 1 month) or EUR 440 (≈ $490) for urgent processing (15 days).
Documents4
- An Innovation Agency (VšĮ Inovacijų agentūra) confirmation of the startup activity, qualification, funding and business plan is submitted.
- Health insurance for the permit period or at least one year is submitted.
- Living space of at least 7 m2 per adult is shown.
- A clean criminal record is shown.
After you arrive2
- The startup must be established within 120 days of issue, or the applicant must join an existing startup within 60 days.
- The Innovation Agency is notified within 7 working days of establishing or joining the startup.
When you become tax resident
How Lithuania decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
2 years at first, renewable
- 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
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Health insurance for the permit period or at least one year is submitted
- Police certificate and civil documents
A clean criminal record is shown
- Money to show
This route asks for savings of €1,153+ a month ≈ $1,290.
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Permit for founders planning to set up and run a startup in Lithuania, with confirmation from the Innovation Agency that the applicant develops the startup activity, has the qualifications, funding and business plan, and that their presence in Lithuania is necessary. The startup must be established within 120 days of issue (or the applicant must join an existing one within 60 days) and the Agency notified within 7 working days. 1 2
What you must show
- Savings of at least EUR 1,153 a month (≈ $1,290) · Funds of 1 minimum monthly wage (EUR 1,153 (≈ $1,290) gross in 2026) for each month of the requested permit; the figure is the 2026 minimum monthly wage set by Government Resolution No 700. 1 3
Requirements
- No more than 4 foreigners can be participants of the startup. 2
- Funds of 1 minimum monthly wage (EUR 1,153 (≈ $1,290) in 2026) are shown for each month of the requested permit. 1 3
- The state fee is EUR 220 (≈ $250) (decision within 1 month) or EUR 440 (≈ $490) for urgent processing (15 days). 1
- An Innovation Agency (VšĮ Inovacijų agentūra) confirmation of the startup activity, qualification, funding and business plan is submitted. 1
- Health insurance for the permit period or at least one year is submitted. 1
- Living space of at least 7 m2 per adult is shown. 1
- A clean criminal record is shown. 1
- The startup must be established within 120 days of issue, or the applicant must join an existing startup within 60 days. 2
- The Innovation Agency is notified within 7 working days of establishing or joining the startup. 2
Stay
- Issued for 2 years; can be changed for a further 3 years with Innovation Agency confirmation.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Run the startup.
Family
Spouse or registered partner, dependent unmarried minor children and parents supported for at least a year may apply at the same time.
Official sources
- MIGRIS: Esu startuolis (startup residence permit) · Migration Department, Ministry of the Interior (MIGRIS) · checked 2026-10-10
- Law on the Legal Status of Aliens No IX-2206, consolidated text valid 2026-07-01 to 2026-10-31 (Lithuanian) · Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (e-seimas) · checked 2026-10-11
- Government Resolution No 700 of 16 October 2025 on the minimum wage applied in 2026 · Government of the Republic of Lithuania (e-seimas) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2025-10-16
- Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania No XI-1196, consolidated text from 2024-01-01, Arts. 2, 18 and 19 · Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (e-seimas) · checked 2026-10-12
Startup visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup visa | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Entrepreneur D visa | Needs an investment of €14k+ ≈ $16k | 1 yr | – |
| Company manager · €500k | Needs assets of €500k+ ≈ $559k | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Company shareholder · €28k | Needs an investment of €14k+ ≈ $16k | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Startup Visa Portugal | Needs savings of €6,446+ ≈ $7,200 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Startup visa?
Savings of at least EUR 1,153 a month (≈ $1,290). Funds of 1 minimum monthly wage (EUR 1,153 (≈ $1,290) gross in 2026) for each month of the requested permit; the figure is the 2026 minimum monthly wage set by Government Resolution No 700.
How long can I stay on the Startup visa?
Issued for 2 years; can be changed for a further 3 years with Innovation Agency confirmation.
How long does the Startup visa take to process?
A first temporary residence permit decision is due within 3 months of the application.
Can I work on the Startup visa?
Run the startup.
Can I bring my family on the Startup visa?
Spouse or registered partner, dependent unmarried minor children and parents supported for at least a year may apply at the same time.
Does the Startup visa lead to permanent residence in Lithuania?
Time on the Startup visa counts toward permanent residence in Lithuania, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Startup visa counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
How are Startup visa holders taxed in Lithuania?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Startup visa. 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
Business / startup 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 2026-10-12 against 4 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
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.
- MIGRIS: Esu startuolis (startup residence permit) · Migration Department, Ministry of the Interior (MIGRIS) · checked 2026-10-10
- Law on the Legal Status of Aliens No IX-2206, consolidated text valid 2026-07-01 to 2026-10-31 (Lithuanian) · Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (e-seimas) · checked 2026-10-11
- Government Resolution No 700 of 16 October 2025 on the minimum wage applied in 2026 · Government of the Republic of Lithuania (e-seimas) · checked 2026-10-11
- Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania No XI-1196, consolidated text from 2024-01-01, Arts. 2, 18 and 19 · Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (e-seimas) · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. 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.