Temporary residence permit for an alien who has completed studies, a formal vocational training programme, or research and experimental development work in Lithuania, in order to look for work
Residency route facts
Identity
| Official name (local) | Leidimo laikinai gyventi išdavimas užsieniečiui, Lietuvos Respublikoje užbaigusiam studijas arba formaliojo profesinio mokymo programą, arba mokslinius tyrimus ir eksperimentinės plėtros darbus (49-4 straipsnis) as of 2026-07-01[4] Wording of the article (and, where given, the clause) of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens that creates the ground. |
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| Official name (English) | Temporary residence permit for an alien who has completed studies, a formal vocational training programme, or research and experimental development work in Lithuania, in order to look for work as of 2026-07-01[4] |
| Legal basis | Law on the Legal Status of Aliens No. IX-2206, art. 49-4, with the grounds provision at art. 40(1)(15) and the general conditions at art. 26 as of 2026-07-01[4] Consolidated text of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens in force from 1 July 2026. |
| Instrument type | residence permit as of 2026-07-01[4] |
Who can apply
| Nationals not served by this route | EU, EEA, EFTA as of 2026-07-01[4] Chapter IV of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens governs residence permits for third-country nationals. Citizens of EU, EEA and EFTA member states and their family members exercising the EU free-movement right reside under the Law's separate free-movement regime, so this ground is not open to them. |
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| Minimum age | Not established from a qualifying source No minimum age is stated for this ground in the sources read. |
| Criminal-record condition | Not established from a qualifying source |
Permit terms
| Initial duration | 12 months as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 49-4(2): the permit is issued for a period of 12 months. |
|---|---|
| How the initial term is set | fixed |
| Renewable | Not established from a qualifying source Art. 49-4 provides only for issue of a 12-month permit and states no change or extension. Art. 40(1) is headed "grounds for issuing and changing a temporary residence permit" and names this ground at art. 40(1)(15), so a change is not excluded on the face of the Law; nothing in the sources read settles it. |
| Maximum total duration | Not established from a qualifying source No aggregate ceiling is stated in art. 49-4. |
| Work rights | full as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 49-4(1): the permit is issued so that the alien may look for work and start working, or start activity as a self-employed person. Art. 58(4) gives the holder of a permit on the art. 40(1)(15) ground the right to work. |
Permanent residence and citizenship
| Counts toward permanent residence | Not established from a qualifying source Not sourced as a property of this ground; the country-level permanent-residence track applies. |
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Requirements
| Job offer required | No as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 49-4(1): the permit exists precisely so that the alien may look for work; no employer undertaking is required. |
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| Labour-market test | Not established from a qualifying source The Law states no labour-market test on this ground. |
| Qualification requirement | degree as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 49-4(1): the alien must submit a science and studies institution's confirmation that no more than one year has passed since the research and experimental development work was completed, or a confirmation from a science and studies institution, an education establishment or another education provider that no more than one year has passed since the qualification was acquired. A completed formal vocational training programme also qualifies, so "degree" understates the range of qualifying awards. |
| Employer sponsorship | No as of 2026-07-01[4] No employer is involved in the issue of this permit. |
| Own means requirement | 1 × minimum monthly wage per month as of 2026-07-01[3][4] Art. 26(1)(3) requires sufficient funds or regular income to live in Lithuania. Order No. A1-22 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of 29 January 2007 sets that sum in minimum monthly wages: 1 MMA for aliens generally, 0.5 MMA for those coming to study, learn, do a traineeship, improve a qualification or take vocational training, and 0.5 MMA for those under 18. This ground is not a study ground, so the general 1 MMA applies. |
| Job-search route | Yes as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 49-4 is a standalone job-search instrument: it is issued so that the holder may look for work, and requires no employer. |
Process
| Where to apply from | either as of 2025-11-02[1] |
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| Statutory processing time | Not established from a qualifying source |
| Fees |
|
| Quota |
Physical presence
| maximum consecutive absence | 6 months · to keep the permit as of 2026-07-01[4] |
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Family inclusion
| Family members may be included | Yes as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 43(1)(2), (5) and (6) provide the family-reunification grounds, but art. 43(6) conditions reunification on the sponsor having resided in Lithuania for the preceding 2 years, holding a permit valid for at least one year and having reasonable prospects of permanent residence. This ground is not on the art. 43(6) or 43(6-1) exemption lists. Art. 43(6-1)(1) exempts the family of an alien applying under art. 49-4 who completed second-cycle, residency or doctoral studies, or research and experimental development work, in Lithuania; an alien who completed first-cycle studies or a vocational programme is not on that list. |
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| Eligible relations | spouse, registered partner, minor child, parent as of 2026-07-01[4] Union of the relations art. 43(1) names: spouse or registered partner (art. 43(1)(5)), a minor alien joining a parent or a parent's spouse (art. 43(1)(2)), and a first-degree direct ascendant relative of a permit holder (art. 43(1)(6)). Art. 43(7) requires both spouses or registered partners to be at least 21. |
| Family may apply at the same time | No as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 40(6) allows a simultaneous family application only where the alien meets the art. 43(6) and 43(6-1) conditions, and this ground is not on either exemption list, so the sponsor must first have resided in Lithuania for the preceding 2 years, hold a permit valid for at least one year and have reasonable prospects of acquiring the right of permanent residence. Art. 43(6-1)(1) exempts the family of an alien applying under art. 49-4 who completed second-cycle, residency or doctoral studies, or research and experimental development work, in Lithuania; an alien who completed first-cycle studies or a vocational programme is not on that list. |
| Family members' work rights | full as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 58(1): an alien who holds, or applies to change, a temporary residence permit issued on the art. 40(1)(3) family-reunification ground has the right to work in Lithuania. No separate work permit or employer undertaking is required. |
Your next step
Read the requirements above considering your own situation: the income multiple, the absence limits, who you can bring. Check the country record for the reference figure those amounts are calculated from, and for anything that has changed recently.
The next step is your own case. That assessment is legal work. Create profile for our assistance in this.
Profile benefits
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Verification
| Sources cited | 4 |
|---|---|
| of which official (tier 1) | 4 |
| Oldest as-of date | 2024-07-11 |
| Newest as-of date | 2026-07-01 |
| Reviewed on | 2026-08-22 |
| Schema version | 1.1 |
Sources
- [1] Lietuvos Respublikos investicijų įstatymas (Law on Investments) No. VIII-1312, consolidated text in force from 2 November 2025
Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas (e-seimas.lrs.lt consolidated-law service) · statute · Tier 1 · Published 2025-11-02 · Accessed 2026-08-17 · Archived copy - [2] Valstybės rinkliavų sąrašas – Leidimai gyventi (state fee schedule for residence permits)
Migracijos departamentas prie Lietuvos Respublikos vidaus reikalų ministerijos · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Published 2024-07-11 · Accessed 2026-08-22 · Archived copy - [3] Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministro 2007 m. sausio 29 d. įsakymas Nr. A1-22 dėl pragyvenimo Lietuvos Respublikoje lėšų dydžio nustatymo
Lietuvos Respublikos socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministras (e-seimas.lrs.lt) · official guidance · Tier 1 · Published 2007-01-29 · Accessed 2026-08-17 · Archived copy - [4] Lietuvos Respublikos įstatymas dėl užsieniečių teisinės padėties (Law on the Legal Status of Aliens) No. IX-2206, consolidated text in force 1 July 2026 – 31 October 2026
Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas (e-seimas.lrs.lt consolidated-law service) · statute · Tier 1 · Published 2026-07-01 · Accessed 2026-08-17