Important Changes to Lithuanian TRP Application Rules from 1 November 2026

Applications submitted in Lithuania

Foreigners, applying for a TRP on the basis of work, will no longer be able to submit their applications in Lithuania if they are staying in Lithuania on the basis of a Schengen visa or a national visa issued by another country.

Work-based TRP applications may be submitted in Lithuania only by foreigners who:

• hold a valid Lithuanian TRP;
• hold a Lithuanian national visa;
• hold a residence permit issued by another EU/Schengen Member State; or
• have entered and are staying in Lithuania under the visa-free regime.

Applications submitted abroad

From 1 November 2026, Lithuanian TRP applications will no longer be accepted through external service provider VFS Global offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.At the same time, Belarusian nationals will be permitted to submit applications for Lithuanian work-based TRPs through VFS Global offices in Armenia and Georgia.

Practical implications for business

These changes will have a significant practical impact on the recruitment and relocation of certain third-country nationals.In particular, currently nationals of India, Azerbaijan, Ghana, Cambodia, Mongolia are unable to apply for a standard Lithuanian work-based TRP from abroad, as no eligible external application channel is available to them.

From 1 November 2026, they will therefore generally be able to apply for a work-based TRP only if they have a legal basis permitting submission of the TRP application in Lithuania : hold a valid Lithuanian TRP, Lithuanian national visa or a residence permit issued by another EU/Schengen Member State.

These restrictions will not apply to highly qualified foreigners (Blue card applicants), whose hiring procedures remain highly flexible.Employers planning to recruit third-country nationals should therefore assess in advance:

• foreigner’s legal basis of stay in Lithuania;
• whether the TRP application may be submitted in Lithuania or must be submitted abroad; and
• the availability of an eligible VFS Global office abroad through which the employee may submit work-based TRP application.

We recommend taking these changes into account when planning recruitment timelines, immigration procedures and employee relocation to Lithuania from 1 November 2026.