EU citizens have преимущественное right to employment. If none of them want to take the vacant position, the search for applicants among immigrants and citizens of other countries begins. First of all, each vacancy in Lithuania, which is planned to be filled with a foreign worker in the future, is posted on specialized websites or in print media. If within 30 days no Lithuanians or EU residents are found who want to take it, then the company has the opportunity to hire a foreign worker to work in Lithuania. To do this, its representatives send a letter of inquiry to the labor exchange, to which a set of documents is attached:

1. A statement that a foreign national will be hired.
2. A copy of the applicant's passport.
3. A copy of documents confirming the applicant's qualifications (for example, a diploma); the receiving party will require proof of the diploma's authenticity, so an international "Apostille" stamp must be placed on the copy. The authenticity of a Belarusian diploma can only be confirmed by the Ministry of Education of Belarus.
4. Documentary evidence that the applicant's work experience in the profession over the past three years is at least two years. To do this, you need to take an extract from the work record book.
Please note that absolutely all copies must be translated into Lithuanian and certified by a notary.
5. If available, additional documents indicating that the applicant has completed advanced training courses or graduated from any educational institution in Lithuania.

There are some professions for which this is not enough. For example, those applying for vacancies in the field of medicine or education need not only to provide a diploma, but also to confirm their qualifications in the country.

The decision on issuing a work permit in Lithuania is made within 60 days. If the application is approved, then no later than 2 months, the employment contract is sent to the labor exchange for registration and approval. At this time, the applicant is obtaining a work visa at the Lithuanian Consulate in their country (for example, a Belarusian in the Republic of Belarus)

A work permit in Lithuania is usually issued for two years, but it can be extended after expiration. Belarusians taking up seasonal work cannot stay in Lithuania for more than 6 months a year.

There are a number of exceptional cases when Belarusians do not need permission to work in Lithuania. Without it, people related to sports, volunteers, scientists, university professors, religious clergy, as well as managers of foreign companies can work.

Work visa to Lithuania

In order to work in Lithuania, Belarusians need not only appropriate permission, but also a visa. If a long stay in the country is planned, it will be a multiple-entry national visa (type D), which can be issued for a year.

To obtain a work visa, you must provide a number of documents:

- A completed application for a visa of type "D" (fill out the visa application only online on the site. You can see a sample of the visa application by following the link:
https://visa.vrm.lt/epm
http://dely.by/dokumenty/anketa-na-vizu-v-litvu
- A passport that must have been issued within the last 10 years and at the time when the visa is scheduled to expire, it must be valid for at least 3 months. The passport has at least two blank pages intended for visas;
- A color photo measuring 35*45 mm;
- A letter of petition (original) from a Lithuanian company requesting a multiple-entry long-term "D" visa;
- A work permit in Lithuania issued by the Labor Exchange of the Republic of Lithuania (original and copy or a copy certified by a notary);
- An employment contract with a Lithuanian company (original and copy);
- A certificate confirming the place of residence in Lithuania;
- Health insurance against accidental injury (the minimum coverage amount of the insurance policy must be 30,000 euros)

P.S. When submitting documents for a visa, the consular fee is not charged from the following categories of citizens: citizens of the Republic of Belarus requesting a national visa of type "D". A foreign national with a national visa of type "D" can freely move and stay in other Schengen countries for up to 90 days within 6 months.

Registration for submitting documents at the consulate for a national visa (D) is carried out online. More information: https://evas2.urm.lt/ru/

Please note that when filling out the registration form, you must indicate visa type D.
The result of the application for a work visa will be known in 10-14 days. In addition to the submitted documents, employees will ask you to submit fingerprints. In some cases, additional information may be required upon request.

Obtaining a residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania.

Documents for obtaining a residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania can be submitted either in the territory of the Republic of Belarus by contacting the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania, or in the territory of Lithuania, respectively, by contacting the Migration Service of the Republic of Lithuania. The period for consideration of documents is up to 6 months.

For the first time, when issuing a residence permit to a foreign national, a temporary residence permit is usually issued, except in cases established by the Law on the legal status of foreign nationals.

It is possible to apply for a residence permit for the purpose of work if there is an employment contract concluded with the employer for a period of at least 6 months, or to have an employer's obligation to employ a foreign national under an employment contract for a period of at least 6 months.

You can familiarize yourself with the list of documents required to obtain a temporary residence permit in Lithuania for the purpose of work (using the example of an "international truck driver"), which a citizen of the Republic of Belarus must submit to the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania, by following the link https://by.mfa.lt/by/ru/konsul-jskaaa-iformatsiaa/sootbetstbuyushaaa-informatsiaa/vid-na-zhitel-jstbo.

Blue Card: how does it work in Lithuania?

The European Blue Card is the equivalent of the US Green Card and is a work permit and residence permit for foreigners from non-EU/EEA countries. The main purpose of the Blue Card is to provide labor and social guarantees for immigrants, as well as the opportunity to reunite with their families and stay permanently in the EU.

Lithuania is one of the countries committed to issuing the EU Blue Card. Any applicant can receive it here:

• is not an EU citizen;
• has a higher education;
• has received a formal job offer or entered into an employment contract in the EU.

The Blue Card is a residence permit with the right to work, intended specifically for highly qualified specialists from non-EU countries. The validity period is 3 years, after which it can be extended for another 3 years. It provides the opportunity for family members to move. This concept includes relatives of three categories:

• Spouse or civil partner (for civil partners, a registered civil partnership agreement must be provided).
• Minor children, including adopted ones.
• Dependents. They can only be first-degree relatives who have been dependent on you for at least a year and cannot receive support from other family members living abroad. For example, an elderly parent who cannot support themselves will be recognized as a dependent.

To qualify for a Blue Card, you need to provide a diploma of higher education or a document confirming five years of work experience that matches the qualifications of higher education and is important for working in the profession (sector) specified in the employment contract or in the job offer with obligations (issued by the Ministry of Economy).

If you remain unemployed for more than 3 months, or if you are fired more than once during the validity period of the Blue Card, you will no longer be able to stay in Lithuania. Moreover, if you want to change jobs within the first two years of staying in Lithuania, you need to obtain special permission from the migration department.

All documents, except for the passport, must be translated into Lithuanian and notarized.

The validity period of the Blue Card is the same for the specialist and members of his family.

After the 3-year period of the Blue Card has ended, you can extend your residence permit. The process is identical to the initial application. The Blue Card allows you to apply for permanent residence after 5 years.

General instructions on how to get an EU Blue Card.

http://www.eubluecard.lt/ru/how-to-get

If your monthly salary is equal to 1.5 average salaries in Lithuania (~ 1200 euros), follow these instructions: 1. Required documents:

• completed application and an age-appropriate photo (40x60mm)
• valid passport
• certificate of no criminal record issued by the authorized state body of the last country of residence
• documents confirming high professional qualifications:
• higher education diploma
• confirmation of the Higher Education Qualifications Assessment Centre of the academic recognition of foreign qualifications (the process takes about a week)

Or:

• a document confirming five years of work experience that corresponds to higher education qualifications and is important for working in the profession (sector) specified in the employment contract in the job offer with obligations (issued by the Ministry of Economy)
• an intermediary document from the employer containing obligations to employ a foreign specialist according to the employment contract, or an employment contract
• Schengen visa (category C) (if the application is submitted to the Migration Department)
• notarially оформленное consent of the owner of real estate in Lithuania, where the foreign specialist will temporarily reside. The document can be provided at the stage of obtaining a residence permit
• health insurance policy (minimum coverage 5,792.4 euros). The document can be provided at the stage of obtaining a residence permit
• certified list of foreign countries in which the applicant has lived or visited.

2. The consideration process

(Submitting documents to the diplomatic mission/migration department and the Lithuanian Labour Exchange happens simultaneously):
1. Submission of necessary documents to the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Lithuania abroad or the Migration Department:
Urgent consideration 1 month – €172
Standard consideration 2 months – €86

2. Submission by the employer of the necessary documents to the Lithuanian Labour Exchange:

• completed application
• copy of passport
• confirmation of the Higher Education Qualifications Assessment Centre of the academic recognition of foreign qualifications (the process takes about a week)
• documents confirming that the employer has been looking for an employee on the local labour market
• state fee: €28; consideration process takes: 1 month.

You can also ask us a question by writing to our email address bpwbrest@mail.ru Please indicate your name, gender, age and citizenship.