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Temporary residence permit for an alien intending to establish a start-up in Lithuania and carry on its activity

Route status

Active as of 2026-07-01[3]

Open to new applications under the rules recorded below.

Residency route facts

Identity

Identity
Official name (local)Leidimo laikinai gyventi išdavimas užsieniečiui, kuris ketina Lietuvos Respublikoje steigti startuolį ir vykdyti jo veiklą (45-1 straipsnis) as of 2026-07-01[3]
Heading of art. 45-1 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens.
Official name (English)Temporary residence permit for an alien intending to establish a start-up in Lithuania and carry on its activity as of 2026-07-01[3]
Legal basisLaw on the Legal Status of Aliens No. IX-2206, art. 45-1, with the grounds provision at art. 40(1)(5-1) and the general conditions at art. 26 as of 2026-07-01[3]
Consolidated text in force from 1 July 2026; art. 45-1(5) was amended by law No. XV-945 of 14 May 2026.
Instrument typeresidence permit as of 2026-07-01[3]

Who can apply

Who can apply
Nationals not served by this routeEU, EEA, EFTA as of 2026-07-01[3]
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 enter and reside under a separate regime (the Law's free-movement chapter), so this ground is not open to them. Investment Law art. 13(1) para. 3 and art. 15(7) para. 5 state the exclusion in the same terms in their own text.
Minimum ageNot established from a qualifying source
No minimum age is stated for this ground in the sources read.
Criminal-record conditionNot established from a qualifying source

Permit terms

Permit terms
Initial duration2 years as of 2026-07-01[3]
Art. 45-1(4): the permit is issued for 2 years.
How the initial term is setfixed
RenewableYes as of 2026-07-01[3]
Art. 45-1(4): the permit may be changed for 3 years once the authorised institution confirms that the alien meets the art. 45-1(1) requirements.
Renewal duration3 years as of 2026-07-01[3]
Art. 45-1(4).
Maximum total durationNot established from a qualifying source
No aggregate ceiling is stated in art. 45-1.
Work rightsNot established from a qualifying source

Permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residence and citizenship
Counts toward permanent residenceNot established from a qualifying source
Not sourced as a property of this ground; the country-level track applies.

Requirements

Requirements
Minimum capitalNot established from a qualifying source
Business plan requiredYes as of 2026-07-01[3]
Art. 45-1(1): the authorised institution must confirm that the alien has the necessary qualification, financing and business plan for the intended activity.
Endorsement requiredYes as of 2026-07-01[3]
Art. 45-1(1): written confirmation from an institution authorised by the Minister of the Economy and Innovation is a condition of issue.
Innovation criterionYes as of 2026-07-01[3]
Art. 45-1(2): the assessment procedure, set by the Minister of the Economy and Innovation in agreement with the Minister of Education, Science and Sport and the Minister of the Interior, establishes whether the intended start-up's activity has large and innovation-based business development potential.
Jobs to be createdNot established from a qualifying source
No job-creation condition is stated in art. 45-1.

Process

Process
Where to apply fromeither as of 2025-11-02[1]
Statutory processing timeNot established from a qualifying source
Fees
    • Kind: application
    • Amount: EUR 160 as of 2024-07-11[2]
      Standard procedure; EUR 320 expedited.
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Paid by: applicant
    • Condition: standard procedure
    • Kind: expedite
    • Amount: EUR 320 as of 2024-07-11[2]
      Expedited procedure.
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Paid by: applicant
    • Condition: expedited procedure
Quota
  • Quota exists: Yes as of 2026-07-01[3]
    Art. 45-1(1) final sentence: no more than 4 aliens may be participants of the start-up. This is a per-start-up cap on founders rather than a national annual quota, which is why annual_cap is left unknown.
  • Annual cap: Not established from a qualifying source
    No national annual cap is stated for this ground. The cap in art. 45-1(1) is 4 alien participants per start-up.
  • Cap exists but is not published as a single figure: No
Stages
    • Label: Written confirmation from the institution authorised by the Minister of the Economy and Innovation that the alien has proved the start-up activity, and has the necessary qualification, financing and business plan
    • Label: Application for the temporary residence permit to the Migration Department
    • Label: Establishment of the start-up and commencement of its activity within 120 days of the permit being issued, or becoming a participant of an already-established start-up within 60 days
    • Statutory clock: up to 120 days as of 2026-07-01[3]
      Art. 45-1(3): the alien must establish the start-up and begin the activity stated in its incorporation documents no later than 120 days from the day the permit was issued. Where the start-up was established by some but not all of the intended participants, an alien arriving to become a participant of the already-established start-up must do so within 60 days.

Physical presence

Physical presence
maximum consecutive absence6 months · to keep the permit as of 2026-07-01[3]

Family inclusion

Family inclusion
Family members may be includedNot established from a qualifying source

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.

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Verification

Verification
Sources cited3
of which official (tier 1)3
Oldest as-of date2024-07-11
Newest as-of date2026-07-01
Reviewed on2026-08-22
Schema version1.1

Sources

  1. [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. [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. [3] 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

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