Lithuanian citizenship

Lithuanian citizenship

Reinstatement of the Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania

ATTENTION! All applications for the reinstatement of the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania shall be submitted electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS) personally by the applicant. 

If a person, when filling in the application for the reinstatement of the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, indicates in MIGRIS that he or she will come to the consular post to submit the originals of the uploaded documents, the Migration Department will perform a preliminary assessment of the documents. If there are no deficiencies, the Migration Department will send a message to the person via MIGRIS stating that the person must personally visit the consular post within 4 months and submit the originals of the uploaded documents. Only upon receipt of such notification will the person be able to register for the visit to the Embassy of Lithuania in Ottawa.

Right to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania

Persons who held citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania before 15 June 1940 and their descendants (children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren) have an indefinite right to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, irrespective of whether they are permanently resident in the Republic of Lithuania or in any other state. The requirement to renounce citizenship of another state (e.g. Canada) does not apply to persons who may be citizens of both the Republic of Lithuania and another state at the same time, i.e.:

• persons who were exiled from the occupied Republic of Lithuania before 11 March 1990 and their descendants (children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren); OR
• persons who left Lithuania before 11 March 1990 and their descendants (children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren).

Required documents

1. Valid passport(s) of an applicant.
2. Documents indicating directly that an applicant (or at least one of his/her parents, grandparents or great-grandparents) held a citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania before 15 June 1940). For further information and examples, please refer to the Migration Department’s website (see "Reinstatement of Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania").
3. Documents proving that the person (or one of his/her parents, grandparents or great-grandparents) was exiled or left Lithuania before 11 March 1990. For further information and examples, please refer to the Migration Department’s website (see "Reinstatement of Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania").
4. Documents indicating relation between the applicant and the person who held Lithuanian citizenship prior to 15 June 1940 (e.g. birth certificates) and documents evidencing the change of name or surname if a person’s or his/her ancestors' name or surname were changed or modified (e.g. marriage certificates, court decisions, naturalization certificates and other official documents, etc.).

If none of the aforementioned documents are available, you may request documents from Lithuanian archives:

• Lithuanian Central State Archives – for documents confirming that an individual held Lithuanian citizenship prior to 15 June 1940
• Lithuanian State Historical Archives – for certificates of records (birth, marriage and death) prior to 15 June 1940
• Lithuanian Special Archives – for certificates regarding deportation, criminal convictions, forced labor relocation, and persecution by repressive structures

IMPORTANT:

• Applications must be submitted together with all required supporting documents.
• All foreign documents (except passports) must be translated into Lithuanian. Translations should be official.
• All foreign documents (for example, Canadian birth certificate, marriage certificate; except passports) must bear Apostille or be legalized. Information about authentication services in Canada, including the institutions that provide this service, can be found on the Global Affairs Canada website. If a foreign document was issued by another country, you may contact the closest diplomatic post of that foreign country and ask for guidance.
• Enclosed documents shall be originals or copies validated by a public notary. Public notary's signature/stamp should be additionally legalized or certified with Apostille.
• Detailed information regarding Lithuanian Citizenship related issues is published on the website of the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior: https://www.migracija.lt/
• Please note that the Embassy cannot provide updates or comments on the processing of applications. For all inquiries related to submitted applications, please contact the Migration Department directly via the MIGRIS system, by phone +370 5 271 7112, or by email info@migracija.gov.lt