Lithuania closes in-country filing on Schengen visas: work and study permits only via VFS Global

In brief

• From 1 November 2026 foreigners who entered on a Schengen visa issued by Lithuania or another Schengen state cannot apply in Lithuania for a temporary residence permit for work or undergraduate study.
• The same applies to those who entered on another country's national visa.
• Holders of a Lithuanian permit, a Lithuanian national visa, a permit from another EU or Schengen state, and visa-free travellers can still apply in the country.
• Everyone else applies through VFS Global centres outside Lithuania.
• Highly qualified workers and renewals of existing work permits are not affected.

What changed on 1 November

Until November many foreigners used a simple scheme: get a Schengen visa, enter Lithuania and apply on the spot for a temporary residence permit based on an employment contract or studies. The Schengen visa was often issued by another Schengen country. The amendments close this option for the two most common grounds, work and undergraduate study.

According to the Lithuanian Migration Department, only four groups of foreigners may now apply inside the country. Everyone else must go to VFS Global centres, which accept documents on behalf of the Lithuanian authorities in other countries:

The change concerns where you apply, not the permit conditions themselves. Requirements for the employment contract, salary, university and documents remain the same. But for the applicant the difference is large: instead of filing in Vilnius you must travel to a country with a VFS Global centre and wait for the decision outside Lithuania.

What this means for you. If you planned to enter Lithuania on a Schengen visa and apply for a work or study permit on the spot, that plan no longer works. Apply via VFS Global in your own country or the country where you legally reside.

Who is affected and who is not

The change hits nationals of countries that need a visa to enter Schengen hardest: workers from Asia and Africa, students, and Russian and Belarusian citizens. For them "Schengen visa plus in-country filing" was the fastest route. Now that step has to happen abroad.

Nationals of visa-free countries (for example Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and Latin American countries) can apply in Lithuania as before. Holders of a permit from another EU or Schengen country also keep the right to apply inside the country. This is an important detail: someone with a Polish, Latvian or German permit can move to work in Lithuania without a trip to VFS Global.

The legislator also made exceptions. They cover renewals and highly qualified specialists:

Highly qualified specialists are mainly EU Blue Card holders and similar categories. Lithuania has kept in-country filing for them if they are lawfully present. This matches the general logic of European countries: easing the path for skilled staff and tightening it for mass categories. Options for specialists are collected in our section on residence for talent.

For students: the level of study matters

The Migration Department's explanation mentions undergraduate study. The statement sets no separate restriction for master's or doctoral studies. If you are enrolling in a master's programme, check the filing procedure with the university and the Migration Department before entry: it decides whether you need a trip to a VFS Global centre.

Undergraduate applicants now need to plan admission with a buffer. Enrolment, filing through VFS Global abroad, the decision and entry on a national visa take longer than entering on a Schengen visa and filing on the spot. Lithuanian universities usually tell international students when to start the paperwork, and that advice is worth following.

If you are already in Lithuania on a Schengen visa

Those who entered on a Schengen visa before 1 November and have not filed have nothing to wait for: a work or undergraduate study application on the spot is no longer possible. It is important not to overstay the visa. Overstaying leads to a fine and may end in a Schengen entry ban, which would also block a future application through VFS Global.

The right order is: leave before the visa expires, book an appointment at a VFS Global centre in the country where you legally reside, and apply there. An employer waiting for a new hire should build time for filing abroad and for the national visa into the hiring schedule. By our estimate this takes several weeks, longer during student intake season.

Russian and Belarusian citizens

For Russian citizens the change adds to already strict rules. Lithuania has long restricted visas for Russian citizens, and many countries now issue Schengen visas to Russians less often and for shorter periods. We covered EU visa policy in our analysis of Schengen visas for Russians in 2027 and in our reports on single-entry visas and visas with limited territorial validity.

Lithuania made a separate arrangement for Belarusian citizens. They can apply for a work permit at VFS Global centres in Armenia and Georgia. This responds to the fact that Lithuanian visa centres in Belarus operate with restrictions. In practice it means a trip to Yerevan or Tbilisi, but not necessarily a return to Belarus.

Why Lithuania is doing this

The "enter on a Schengen visa and apply on the spot" scheme is convenient for applicants but deprives the state of prior screening. A consulate checks a person for a short trip, and a few days later they apply for long-term status. When filing goes through VFS Global abroad, the authorities see the documents before entry and decide whether to admit the person for work or study.

Lithuania is not alone. Neighbours are also tightening rules for foreign workers: Finland is limiting processing times for work permits, and Poland requires proof of funds on entry and is raising the salary threshold for foreigners. Latvia, by contrast, is opening permanent residence to Ukrainians. The regional direction is clear: fewer spontaneous in-country applications, more screening before entry.

There are counter-examples in the EU too. Since 30 October France has cut the residence decision deadline to 90 days and allowed a change of employer after six months. Both measures come from the same European framework: countries agree on workers' rights but decide for themselves where and how to accept applications.

How to apply through VFS Global

Filing through VFS Global is similar to filing a visa application. First you need a basis: an employment contract or an employer's hiring decision, or university admission. Then you book an appointment at a VFS Global centre that handles Lithuania, submit the file and biometrics, and wait for the Migration Department's decision.

• Choose a VFS Global centre in the country where you legally reside. Book early: queues grow during student intake periods.
• Prepare documents according to the Migration Department's list: passport, basis for the permit, proof of housing, health insurance, certificates.
• Foreign documents are translated and, where needed, legalised or apostilled. A translation error or missing apostille is a common cause of delay.
• After a positive decision you enter Lithuania on a national visa or as specified in the decision and collect your residence card.

The main advice: do not enter Lithuania on a tourist Schengen visa hoping to "somehow apply on the spot". Since 1 November that will not work, and your visa stay is limited. Our team prepares and checks documents to the Lithuanian authorities' requirements so the file is accepted the first time.

If you plan a business in Lithuania

The change concerns the "work" and "undergraduate study" grounds. Entrepreneurs who set up a company in Lithuania and plan to obtain residence as its managers should check separately on what grounds and where they apply. Company registration is described on our Lithuania company registration page, and other business immigration options in the EU in our section on business residence.

What to choose if filing abroad is inconvenient

For those who want to apply while already in the country, Lithuania has become less convenient. But the EU still offers choice. A holder of a permit from one EU country may apply in Lithuania on the spot, so for some clients it makes sense to obtain status first in a country with a clear procedure and then move within the Union. Such a route must be chosen around citizenship, profession and family: there is no universal answer.

For employers in Lithuania this adds a new step to hiring: recruiting a foreign employee now includes choosing the country where they will file. The sooner the company and the candidate agree on a schedule, the lower the risk that the position stays empty for months.

What to do now

If you are comparing countries for work or relocation, see our residence catalogue and how to get a work permit in Hungary. Our glossary explains what a residence permit is and how it differs from a visa. We will review options for your situation in an online consultation.