Temporary residence permit for an alien intending to study or learn – admitted to a science and studies institution under a study programme
Residency route facts
Identity
| Official name (local) | Leidimo laikinai gyventi išdavimas užsieniečiui, kuris ketina mokytis (46 straipsnio 1 dalies 1 punktas) – priimtas studijuoti į mokslo ir studijų instituciją pagal studijų programą 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. |
|---|---|
| Official name (English) | Temporary residence permit for an alien intending to study or learn – admitted to a science and studies institution under a study programme as of 2026-07-01[4] |
| Legal basis | Law on the Legal Status of Aliens No. IX-2206, art. 46(1)(1), with the grounds provision at art. 40(1)(6) and the general conditions at art. 26 as of 2026-07-01[4] Consolidated text in force from 1 July 2026. Art. 46 was amended by law No. XV-945 of 14 May 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. |
|---|---|
| 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 | up to 2 years as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 46(2): the permit is issued for the period of studies but for no longer than 2 years; where it is issued or changed for the final year of studies, it runs for a period up to 6 months longer than the expected study period. |
|---|---|
| How the initial term is set | matches the course |
| Renewable | Yes as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 40(1) provides for the issue and the change of a temporary residence permit on this ground, and art. 46(2)-(4) state the periods for which it is changed. |
| Maximum total duration | up to 8 years as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 46(2): the combined validity of permits issued or changed on the art. 46(1)(1) and 46(1)(5) grounds may not exceed 8 years, except where the alien studies in a residency or doctoral programme. |
| Work rights | hours capped as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 58(1-1) gives the holder the right to work; art. 46(6) caps a first-cycle student in the 1st or 2nd year at 20 hours a week, apart from the summer-holiday periods and the practice periods the institution sets during the study period. From the 3rd year the cap in art. 46(6) no longer applies on its own terms. |
Permanent residence and citizenship
| Counts toward permanent residence | Not established from a qualifying source |
|---|
Requirements
| Enrolment status required | admitted as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 46(1)(1) turns on the alien having been admitted or invited, not on enrolment having been completed. |
|---|---|
| Means requirement | 0.50 × 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, made under art. 27 of the Law, sets the sum in minimum monthly wages: 0.5 MMA a month for an alien coming to study, learn, do a traineeship, improve a qualification or take part in vocational training; 0.5 MMA for an alien under 18; and 1 MMA for all other aliens. The order states multiples, not euro amounts, so the figure is stored as a multiple of the lt-mma reference figure and never pre-multiplied. |
| Work-hours cap | 20 as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 46(6): 20 hours a week, for a student in the 1st or 2nd year of first-cycle studies only, excluding summer holidays and institution-set practice periods. |
| Post-study route exists | Yes as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 49-4 with art. 40(1)(15): an alien who completed studies, a formal vocational training programme, or research and experimental development work in Lithuania may be issued a 12-month permit to look for work and start working or start activity as a self-employed person, on a confirmation that no more than one year has passed since completion. |
| Post-study permit duration | 12 months as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 49-4(2). |
Process
| Where to apply from | either as of 2025-11-02[1] |
|---|---|
| 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] |
|---|---|
| registration only | to keep the permit as of 2026-07-01[4] Art. 26(1)(4) requires a written undertaking to declare a place of residence in premises giving at least 7 square metres of living space per adult declaring residence there; art. 26(3-1) lowers that to 4 square metres per person for an alien to whom a temporary residence permit is issued or changed for study or learning. |
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
- A 30-minute call with our consultant, who reads your profile first.
- An offer for legal support built around your case, covering the whole process.
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