Can I hire when the quota is exhausted?

Yes, if you commit to paying at least 1.2 BDU, or 1 BDU where the occupation is on the High Value Added list. That salary applies for the whole validity of the permit.

Does the quota apply when extending a permit?

No. It does not apply to permit changes.

Does the quota apply to the Blue Card?

No. This is one of its most significant advantages this year.

How long does the whole process take?

Plan for 3 to 4 months from the mediation letter to the employee's first working day. The maximum processing time for the application alone is 3 months.

Can the employee travel to Lithuania once the application is submitted?

No. Submitting an application does not grant the right to stay.

Can Russian and Belarusian nationals apply through an external service provider?

No. While the state of emergency is in force, these nationals and dual nationals cannot submit applications through an external service provider.

What financial means must be proven?

The monthly amount equals the minimum monthly wage — EUR 1,153 in 2026. Half of that for minors and for applications on the basis of studies.

Do you work on single cases or only volume?

Both. One employee or twenty — the process is the same, only the scale differs.

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Residence permits for employees in Lithuania

We handle the whole process — from the mediation letter in MIGRIS to the permit card and the employment registration. You give us the candidate's details; we do the rest.

9 min read

What you need to know

The 2026 quota is exhausted. Hiring now requires a salary of at least EUR 2,893.68, or EUR 2,411.40 for occupations on the High Value Added list.
The EU Blue Card is exempt from the quota entirely.
Plan for 3 to 4 months from mediation letter to first working day.
The quota does not apply when extending an existing permit.

The 2026 quota is exhausted

Lithuania set a quota of 24,706 for 2026. As of 21 August 2026, 22,552 units had been used and a further 5,577 applications were pending — in practice, the quota is gone.

What this means for you. Since 1 September 2026, the mediation letter must state that the employee will be paid at least 1.2 BDU (EUR 2,893.68), or at least 1 BDU (EUR 2,411.40) if the occupation is on the List of Occupations Requiring High Value Added Skills in Short Supply. If this is not stated, the letter is returned for correction, and rejected if not corrected. The salary must be paid for the entire validity of the permit.

EUR 2,893.68

Salary required, occupation not on the list

EUR 2,411.40

Salary required, occupation on the High Value Added list

The quota does not apply when an existing permit is changed or extended.

These figures apply to work-based permits. The EU Blue Card has its own, higher salary thresholds — see the comparison below.

BDU is the last published national average monthly gross salary. As of 12 May 2026 it is EUR 2,411.40.

Who we work with

Companies hiring a third-country national for the first time
Companies extending permits before they expire
Companies changing an employee's employer or job function
Companies whose mediation letter or application was returned or rejected
Construction, transport, manufacturing and service businesses hiring in continuous flows

Work permit or EU Blue Card?

Most employers default to the standard work-based permit without checking whether the candidate qualifies for a Blue Card. With the quota exhausted, the difference in salary is often small — but the conditions for the employer are considerably better.

	Work-based permit (quota exhausted)	EU Blue Card
Occupation on the High Value Added list	1 BDU — EUR 2,411.40	1.2 BDU — EUR 2,893.68
Occupation not on the list	1.2 BDU — EUR 2,893.68	1.5 BDU — EUR 3,617.10
Quota	Applies	Does not apply
Qualification requirement	Qualification, experience or a salary commitment — one condition is enough	High professional qualification required
Minimum employment commitment	6 months	6 months
Changing job function with the same employer	Requires permission from the Migration Department	No permission required
Changing employer	Requires permission from the Migration Department	After 12 months, no permission required at all
Permit duration	Up to 2 years	3 years

Look at the numbers. If the candidate's occupation is not on the list, a standard work-based permit requires exactly the same EUR 2,893.68 salary as a Blue Card does for an occupation that is on the list. Same cost — but the Blue Card is exempt from the quota, needs no separate permission when the job function changes, and lets the employee move to another employer after 12 months with a simple notification. If your candidate holds a higher education degree or sufficient experience, check this route first.

What counts as high professional qualification:

a higher education degree; or
at least 5 years of professional experience equivalent to a higher education qualification and required for the specific occupation or sector; or
for managers and specialists in information and communication technology, at least 3 years of professional experience gained in the last 7 years.

What the Blue Card gives your employee

This is not a formality. It is an argument when you are competing for a candidate who is also looking at Poland, Germany or the Netherlands.

The family comes too.

The Blue Card holder's immediate family — spouse and minor children — can apply for residence permits under family reunification on easier terms than those available to a standard work permit holder. For a candidate with a family, this is often the deciding factor.

The spouse can work.

Family members who arrive gain access to the labour market, so the household does not move to Lithuania on a single income.

Losing a job does not mean leaving.

A Blue Card holder who loses their job has time to find a new one and does not have to leave the country. A standard work-based permit is revoked when the employment ends.

Access to the employment service and unemployment benefit.

A Blue Card holder can register with the Employment Service and, with sufficient insurance record, claim unemployment benefit. A standard work-based permit holder cannot, because the legal basis for staying in the country is gone.

Equal treatment.

Blue Card holders are treated on the same terms as nationals in working conditions, education, recognition of qualifications and social security.

Self-employment is allowed

alongside employment — relevant for specialists who run their own projects on the side.

A faster route to permanent residence.

A Blue Card holder's family member can obtain a permanent residence permit after 5 continuous years in the EU, of which at least 2 continuous years in Lithuania.

Mobility within the EU.

After six months as a Blue Card holder here, your employee can move to another member state and obtain a Blue Card there — a real tool for companies with sites in several countries.

Breaks do not end the status.

Up to 12 months of not meeting the Blue Card conditions is permitted due to illness, disability or parental leave, provided the employment relationship continues.

Issued for three years.

A Blue Card is issued or renewed for three years, or for the contract duration plus three months where the contract is shorter. A standard work-based permit runs for a shorter period, so you deal with renewals less often.

Work can start on the day of application.

A foreign national already legally in Lithuania can begin high-qualification work from the date the Blue Card application is submitted, without waiting for the decision.

How the process works

1
Case assessment
We check whether the occupation and the proposed salary meet the requirements, whether the occupation is on the High Value Added list, and whether the company meets the conditions set for employers. If the case will not work, we say so immediately rather than three months later.
2
Mediation letter in MIGRIS
We prepare and submit the mediation letter through MIGRIS. In it, the employer commits to employing the person for at least 6 months on a full-time basis. One letter per employee. The state fee is EUR 50, paid when the letter is completed.
3
Document package
We collect and prepare the documents: qualification and work experience evidence with translations, and proof of sufficient financial means. We arrange legalisation or apostille where required.
4
Application to issue or change the permit
We complete the electronic application in MIGRIS, attach digital copies and book the appointment. Submitting an application does not grant the right to stay in Lithuania — a common misunderstanding we clear up with the employee straight away.
5
Appointment and biometrics
We prepare the employee for the appointment: what to bring, what to expect, which originals are needed. Applications to issue a permit can be submitted through an external service provider abroad; applications to change a permit are accepted only at Migration Department offices in Lithuania.
6
Decision and employment
We track the decision — in MIGRIS it appears alongside the mediation letter you submitted. Once the permit is issued, we draw up the employment contract and file the 1-SD notification with Sodra no later than one working day before the start date. Residence is declared after the permit is issued, not in advance — but it cannot be forgotten either.

Timelines and fees

	Timeline	State fee (Migration Department)
Mediation letter	Assessed separately	EUR 50
Application to change a permit, standard	2 months	EUR 160
Application to change a permit, urgent	1 month	EUR 320
Application via external service provider (standard only)	up to 3 months	EUR 120

3 months

Maximum application processing time

EUR 50

State fee for the mediation letter

6 months

Minimum employment commitment

The maximum processing time is 3 months. Plan the employee's arrival with that window in mind.

An application to change a permit can be submitted no earlier than 6 months before expiry and no later than 1 working day before.

Where employers go wrong

The occupation title does not match. In the mediation letter the employer selects an occupation from the official list, and it must match the occupation the employee states in their own application. A mismatch stalls the case.

A service agreement is signed instead of an employment contract. A work-based residence permit is issued only where an employment contract exists or is intended. A service agreement is not a valid basis.

The wrong person submits the letter. The mediation letter is submitted by the company's manager or an authorised representative connected to the company through employment, bookkeeping, or shareholding. That person must be a citizen of Lithuania, the EU or EFTA with a declared address in Lithuania, or a foreign national holding a valid residence permit and a declared address.

Employer notification duties are missed. The law sets deadlines for notifying the Migration Department about the employee being hired or not hired. Missed deadlines end in the permit being revoked.

What we handle

Case and occupation assessment before the process starts
Preparation and submission of mediation letters in MIGRIS
Salary threshold analysis (1 / 1.2 / 1.5 BDU) and drafting of the commitment
Blue Card eligibility assessment and case preparation
Document collection, translation, legalisation, apostille
Applications to issue and change permits, appointment booking
Preparing the employee for the appointment and biometrics
Employment contracts and internal HR documents
Sodra notifications and residence declaration
Monitoring permit validity and timely renewal
A calendar of employer notification duties

Questions we are asked

Can I hire when the quota is exhausted?: Yes, if you commit to paying at least 1.2 BDU, or 1 BDU where the occupation is on the High Value Added list. That salary applies for the whole validity of the permit.
Does the quota apply when extending a permit?: No. It does not apply to permit changes.
Does the quota apply to the Blue Card?: No. This is one of its most significant advantages this year.
How long does the whole process take?: Plan for 3 to 4 months from the mediation letter to the employee's first working day. The maximum processing time for the application alone is 3 months.
Can the employee travel to Lithuania once the application is submitted?: No. Submitting an application does not grant the right to stay.
Can Russian and Belarusian nationals apply through an external service provider?: No. While the state of emergency is in force, these nationals and dual nationals cannot submit applications through an external service provider.
What financial means must be proven?: The monthly amount equals the minimum monthly wage — EUR 1,153 in 2026. Half of that for minors and for applications on the basis of studies.
Do you work on single cases or only volume?: Both. One employee or twenty — the process is the same, only the scale differs.

Let's start with your case

Tell us the role you are filling and the country the candidate is coming from. Within one working day we will tell you whether the permit is achievable, how long it will take, and what salary commitment it requires.

Discuss your case