Temporary residence permit for an alien engaged in and intending to continue lawful activity – member of a traditional or state-recognised religious community, or a cleric of another religious community or association having legal personality in Lithuania
Residency route facts
Identity
| Official name (local) | Leidimo laikinai gyventi išdavimas užsieniečiui, kuris užsiima ir ketina toliau užsiimti teisėta veikla (45 straipsnio 1 dalies 6 punktas) – tradicinės ar valstybės pripažintos religinės bendrijos narys arba kitos religinės bendruomenės ar bendrijos dvasininkas as of 2026-07-01[3] 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 engaged in and intending to continue lawful activity – member of a traditional or state-recognised religious community, or a cleric of another religious community or association having legal personality in Lithuania as of 2026-07-01[3] |
| Legal basis | Law on the Legal Status of Aliens No. IX-2206, art. 45(1)(6), with the grounds provision at art. 40(1)(5) and the general conditions at art. 26 as of 2026-07-01[3] Consolidated text in force from 1 July 2026. Art. 45(4) was amended and art. 45(5-1) inserted by law No. XV-945 of 14 May 2026. |
| Instrument type | residence permit as of 2026-07-01[3] |
Who can apply
| Nationals not served by this route | EU, 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 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 | 2 years as of 2026-07-01[3] Art. 45(2): the permit is issued and changed for 2 years, or for the period of the alien's lawful activity in Lithuania where that will last less than 2 years. The 3-year term in art. 45(3) applies only to the art. 45(1)(2-1) and (2-2) grounds. |
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| How the initial term is set | fixed |
| Renewable | Yes as of 2026-07-01[3] Art. 45(2) provides for the permit to be issued and changed on the same terms. |
| Renewal duration | 2 years as of 2026-07-01[3] Art. 45(2). |
| Maximum total duration | Not established from a qualifying source No aggregate ceiling is stated in art. 45. |
| Work rights | own activity only as of 2026-07-01[3] Art. 58(9): an alien coming to Lithuania to engage in the lawful activity referred to in art. 45(1)(3)-(8) has the right to work. The right attaches to that activity; art. 58 does not extend it to employment generally. Art. 45(4): an alien who ceases the lawful activity must leave Lithuania unless art. 11(2)-(5) applies or a permit is issued on another ground. |
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 | Not established from a qualifying source |
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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 | none as of 2026-07-01[3] Art. 45(1)(6): the ground applies where the leadership of the religious association mediates for the alien's arrival and confirms that he will have funds sufficient to live in Lithuania. |
| Employer sponsorship | No as of 2026-07-01[3] No employer undertaking is required by art. 45(1)(6). The religious association's leadership must mediate and confirm sufficient funds, which is a sponsorship of a different kind and is recorded in the note rather than in this field. |
| Job-search route | No as of 2026-07-01[3] |
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[3] |
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Family inclusion
| Family members may be included | Yes as of 2026-07-01[3] 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)(6) exempts only the art. 45(1)(1) to (2-2) grounds from the two-year prior-residence condition, so the art. 45(1)(3)-(8) grounds are not exempt. |
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| Eligible relations | spouse, registered partner, minor child, parent as of 2026-07-01[3] 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[3] 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)(6) exempts only the art. 45(1)(1) to (2-2) grounds from the two-year prior-residence condition, so the art. 45(1)(3)-(8) grounds are not exempt. |
| Family members' work rights | full as of 2026-07-01[3] 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.
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Verification
| Sources cited | 3 |
|---|---|
| of which official (tier 1) | 3 |
| 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] 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