If you are foreigner and want to work in Lithuania, you must, in general, obtain: 

• A work permit (when needed)
• A national long-term visa or a temporary residence permit. 

National visas D are issued only to seconded, seasonal workers or crew members of a ship.  

How to start working in Lithuania? 

• Start by finding a job in Lithuania and getting a job offer
• Give the necessary documents to your employer so he can ask for permission to employ you. These documents are usually proof of your qualifications for the job, such as previous professional experience and education
• Your employer will apply for your work permit to the Lithuanian Employment Service (when needed), and/or to provide a mediation letter to the Migration Department
• The Lithuanian Employment Service will issue the permit (when needed)
• Once you have your permit (when needed), and/or a number of this mediation letter (and your permit, when needed), you can apply for a national visa (D) or a residence permit

Who must get a permit to work in Lithuania? 

In Lithuania, the Public Employment Service (known as Užimtumo tarnyba – UŽT) issues work permits to foreigners.

A work permit in the Republic of Lithuania is required and issued to a foreigner if they are employed under an open-ended employment contract by a company established in a non-EU and non-EFTA country, temporarily posted to work in Lithuania by that company, and covered by social insurance in the home country. And seasonal work must be covered by a work permit.

Important changes from January 1, 2025

The Employment Service only issues work permits to:

• Seasonal workers
• Posted workers from third countries

Decisions on labor market needs assessments will no longer be made.

A quota will apply to all professions and sectors. It will cover all applications for a temporary residence permit based on employment.

Qualification requirements for foreigners  

To be eligible to work in Lithuania and apply for a temporary residence permit on the basis of employment, you must meet one of the following conditions: 

• qualifications relevant to the work to be done, AND one year of work experience in the last three years relevant to the work to be done, or 
• a monthly salary not less than the last published average monthly gross salary in the national economy (including wage data for individual enterprises) for the calendar year (currently €2,013.80)

What is Quota? 

To manage the flow of migrant workers, Lithuania has set up quotas. For 2025, there are 24 830 quotas available. You can see the current number of available quotas  here. With the quota it is easier for an employer to hire migrant workers. If the quota is exceeded, a temporary residence permit may still be issued if:

• The foreigner’s salary is at least 1.2 times the average gross monthly wage in Lithuania (currently €2,416.56),
• OR the salary is at least equal to the average monthly gross salary in the national economy (including wage data for individual enterprises) for the calendar year (currently €2,013.80) and the profession is included in the list of high value-added professions in shortage in Lithuania. 

Cost of work permit

To get a work permit (or a duplicate, if needed) in Lithuania, there’s a state fee that the employer or person hosting the foreigner needs to pay. This fee must be paid before you submit the application to the Employment Service.  

The amount of the fee is set by the Lithuanian Government. 

• Issuance of a work permit for up to 1 year – €121
• Issuance of a work permit for seasonal employment of up to 6 months – €34.
• Renewal of a work permit – €52
• Issuance of a duplicate work permit – €8.60

IMPORTANT: The fees for a work permit are paid by the employer. So, if someone asks you to pay for it, there's a good chance the permit isn't real. If that happens, it's a good idea to contact the Public Employment Service to make sure the permit is legitimate.