Lithuania · Startup Visa
Startup Visa Lithuania for Non-EU Founders
Lithuania's Startup Visa is an expert-reviewed path for non-EU founders with innovative business ideas. A positive evaluation brings a confirmation letter from Innovation Agency Lithuania, which backs an application for a temporary residence permit with the Migration Department.
- Startup route
- Startup Visa Lithuania
- Minimum capital
- No fixed minimum; Innovation Agency confirmation required
- Permanent residence
- 5 years of uninterrupted lawful residence
- Citizenship
- 10 years of residence, holding permanent residence
Startup Visa Lithuania
Startup Visa Lithuania is a talent-attraction scheme rather than a separate visa category. Founders apply online through the program website with details of the team, product and strategy, and a panel of experts drawn from the public and private sectors judges whether the business idea fits. Successful applicants receive a confirmation letter from Innovation Agency Lithuania, acting as the institution authorised by the Minister of the Economy and Innovation. The letter is filed with a temporary residence permit application in the MIGRIS system, but it does not by itself secure a permit. Founders on this route do not have to meet the capital or employment thresholds that apply to other business residence grounds.
- Evaluation
- Expert panel with public and private sector members
- Founders per startup
- Up to 4 foreign participants
- Company deadline
- Establish the startup within 120 days of the permit
- Government fee
- Varies; confirm with the Migration Department
- Health insurance
- At least EUR 30,000 cover, valid 12 months in the EU
- Leads to
- Temporary residence permit for 2 years, renewable for 3
Requirements
- Non-EU citizenship.
- An innovative startup idea with growth potential that the expert panel accepts.
- A completed online application covering founders, team, product and strategy, with a mandatory pitch deck.
- Proof of subsistence funds for at least 12 months at the monthly amount set for that year.
- Health insurance of at least EUR 30,000, valid for 12 months in the EU and covering repatriation.
- Government-issued documents legalized or apostilled, and papers not in Lithuanian or English translated by a certified translator.
How to apply
- Submit the application and pitch deck on the Startup Visa Lithuania website.
- Wait for the expert panel to assess the business idea.
- Receive the Innovation Agency Lithuania confirmation letter if the assessment is positive.
- Apply for the temporary residence permit in MIGRIS under the start-up category, then give biometrics in Lithuania or at a VFS centre abroad.
- Register the company within 120 days of receiving the permit and inform the program team.
How the evaluation works
The expert panel looks at the founders, the product and the growth plan rather than at a fixed investment amount. Its members represent public bodies and the private startup community. The agency's part ends when it confirms in writing that the foreigner is developing a startup, has the qualifications, resources and business plan required, and is essential to the project. From that point the Migration Department decides on residence. The Law on the Legal Status of Aliens caps a single startup at four foreign participants, which matters for larger founding teams.
Hiring non-EU staff later
Founders who later need to recruit from outside the EU can use the separate Startup Employee Visa. A company qualifies when it meets the legal definition of a startup, a micro or small enterprise with strong innovation-based growth potential registered for no more than five years, and is listed in Startup Lithuania's startup database. Startup Lithuania then issues a certificate confirming eligibility, which unlocks a facilitated migration procedure with the Migration Department for highly qualified workers.
Questions and answers
Is the Lithuanian Startup Visa an actual visa?
Not in the technical sense. It is a program that confirms a founder's startup through an expert evaluation. The confirmation letter from Innovation Agency Lithuania is then used to apply for a temporary residence permit, and family members may hold a national visa while the residence permit application is being considered.
How many co-founders can relocate under one startup?
The Law on the Legal Status of Aliens allows up to four foreigners to be participants of one startup on this residence ground. Each participant needs a residence permit of their own, backed by the confirmation from the authorised institution, and each must meet the subsistence, insurance and document rules individually.
What has to happen after the permit is issued?
The founder must establish the startup company and begin the activities set out in its incorporation documents within 120 days of the permit being issued, then report the registration to the program team. Program guidance recommends a private limited liability company (UAB), which needs EUR 1,000 of share capital, while a small partnership (MB) needs no starting capital.
Can founders apply from outside Lithuania?
Yes. Applications are registered in the Migration Department's MIGRIS system. Founders already in Lithuania with a valid visa or permit submit documents at a Migration Department office, while those abroad submit documents and biometric data through an external service provider (VFS) centre, which charges its own service fee on top of the state fee.
Official sources
- Visa+Employee - Startup Lithuaniawww.startuplithuania.com
- Startup Visa Lithuania Guide: All relevant information for program participantsstartupvisalithuania.com
- Entry to Lithuania - Get a startup visa or employee visa - Startup Lithuaniawww.startuplithuania.com
- Law on the Legal Status of Aliens (English translation) - Seimas of the Republic of Lithuaniae-seimasx.lrs.lt
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in Lithuania.
Startup visa
Innovation Agency Lithuania confirmation letter after an expert review
02Temporary residence
2-year residence permit, renewable for 3 years on re-confirmation
03Permanent residence
After 5 uninterrupted years, with language and Constitution exams
04Citizenship
10 years of residence plus permanent status; prior citizenship renounced