Temporary Residence for Employment in Lithuania in 2026

Lithuania's ordinary employment route is based on a Lithuanian temporary residence permit rather than a generic short-stay “work visa”.

2026 quota status

The Migration Department confirmed that the 2026 employment quota of 24,706 has been exhausted.

After quota exhaustion, a work-based temporary residence permit can generally be issued only where the proposed monthly salary reaches at least 1.2 BDU — currently EUR 2,893.68, or, for a profession on the current high-value shortage list, at least 1 BDU — currently EUR 2,411.40.

These are current September 2026 figures and can change when the official BDU benchmark changes.

Residence permit requirement

Since 1 July 2024, most third-country nationals who work in Lithuania need a Lithuanian temporary residence permit. Visa-free entry, a Schengen visa or a residence permit issued by another country does not normally authorize employment in Lithuania, subject to statutory exceptions.

Employment residence, an employment contract, labour-market/quota rules and tax residence are separate legal questions.

Official guidance: Temporary Residence for Employment.

Related: Lithuania immigration hub, methodology, and the legal disclaimer.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Lithuania