Applying for a Schengen visa to Lithuania

1 comment1 question answered

Lithuania joins Schengen

• May tours
  around the world
• Last minute tours
  around the world

Lithuania, as well as the other Baltic countries, is not as convenient for visits by Russian tourists as it could be - Russian citizens need a visa to enter. You can submit documents for its registration at the consular department of the Lithuanian Embassy in Moscow, visa centers in the capital and 13 cities of Russia and the Consulates General of Lithuania in cities of the Russian Federation. The requirements for the package of documents are the usual “general Schengen” ones; the visa application form must be filled out online. A pleasant moment is the opportunity to visit other Schengen countries with a single visa.

Types of visas

• A Schengen visa is received by all citizens of the Russian Federation who are going to Lithuania for a short period of time: on a tourist trip, for work, for an internship, to visit friends, at the invitation of relatives. And also when transiting through the territory of Lithuania.
• National visa “D” - for long-term stay in Lithuania (up to 1 year). Only official representative offices - embassies and consulates - are authorized to issue it. Students and specialists working under a contract are usually issued a multiple-entry visa, but there are also single-entry visas for Russians temporarily or permanently residing in Lithuania.
• Simplified transit document (STD) - issued to citizens of the Russian Federation who need to get to the Kaliningrad region and back to Russia through the territory of Lithuania. The document can only be issued at the embassy, ​​its validity period does not exceed 24 hours, and the number of border crossings is unlimited. To obtain it, you need to provide justification for regular trips: papers confirming the presence of relatives or property in the Kaliningrad region, as well as economic or social ties with the region.

UPTD-Railway is a permit that allows you to travel through Lithuania on a transit train connecting the Russian Federation and Kaliningrad.

• 

  Read also:  Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation dated July 22, 2014 N 693 Moscow “On the provision of other interbudgetary transfers from the federal budget to the budgets of constituent entities of the Russian Federation for

Main types of visas

Lithuania issues Schengen (C) or national (D) visas to Russian citizens. The type is determined by the permitted time of stay in the republic.

The most popular is the Schengen visa to Lithuania, type C. An application for it is submitted by those who plan to stay in the territory of the republic for no more than 90 days. Days of stay are counted for six months. The Lithuanian visa officer can issue a Schengen type C visa for a single trip of several days or for multiple visits to Lithuania over several years. However, the requirement for counting days 90/180 remains unchanged.

Schengen visa to Lithuania

To travel to the Kaliningrad region from the Russian Federation and back, Russians are issued simplified documents. They come in two types and are equivalent to a transit visa. The first allows you to cross the territory of the Republic of Lithuania only by train (simplified railway travel document) for 6 hours. The second is called a simplified transit document (STD) and allows you to travel repeatedly through the territory of Lithuania by any land transport. Moreover, the time of each transit is no more than 24 hours.

The national Lithuanian visa D allows you to stay in the republic for up to 1 year, as well as freely travel to other Schengen countries within 90/180 days. Lithuanians issue a multiple-entry national visa to those who confirm their intention to work, study, engage in professional activities or for family reunification in the republic.

Applying for a visa yourself

Most Lithuanian Schengen applicants come to the visa center - it’s more convenient, faster, and the service fee is small. But no one canceled the opportunity to contact the embassy or consulate directly, especially if the attempt to obtain the coveted stamp through an intermediary failed.

Whatever method the applicant for Lithuanian Schengen chooses, he needs to collect the necessary documents in advance. At the visa center they can make copies of passports, photographs, and issue a policy (representatives of several insurance companies are always present in the hall). The embassy and consulates do not provide these services.

Pre-registration is required at the official representative offices of Lithuania and the Moscow visa center. In regional offices located in Irkutsk, Ufa, Omsk, Saratov, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Krasnodar, Saratov, Yekaterinburg, Perm, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, applications are submitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The official time frame for obtaining a Lithuanian Schengen visa is about two weeks, but in reality it takes 5-9 days.

Obtaining and obtaining a tourist Schengen visa

Example of a tourist Schengen visa to Lithuania

Lithuania, being a real treasury in terms of historical and natural attractions, has long attracted tourists both from the former USSR and from other countries of the world. In order to see the glorious Vilnius with your own eyes, visit the remains of pagan fortresses and enjoy the views of the legendary Baltic Sea, Russians need a tourist visa to Lithuania.

In order for a visa to Vilnius to be issued without delay, the applicant undertakes to provide the following documents to the diplomatic staff:

• visa application form (you can fill it out in both Russian and Lithuanian) ();

  

  Sample of filling out an application form for obtaining a visa to Lithuania

• a “fresh” foreign passport (and high-quality photocopies of current pages);
• passport;
• medical insurance, both original and high-quality photocopy (the amount should not be less than thirty thousand euros);
• hotel room reservation;

  

• certificate of financial solvency;
• document from the place of official employment ();
• booking tickets in both directions;
• consent to the processing of personal data;
• one high-quality color photograph (download a list of photo requirements here).

From the outside it may seem that a Vilnius visa for Russians involves a complex, multi-level application process. In fact, everything is much simpler than it seems. The application process begins with filling out a visa application. After the application form has been completed, the applicant begins to collect the necessary documents.

After the documents have been prepared, the applicant pays the consular and service fees. Then the application form and documents are handed over by the applicant to the embassy or CC staff. At the visa center, consent to the processing of personal data is signed (). After this, you need to wait for the results of the consideration of the issue. The last step is to obtain a passport. All manipulations can be carried out either independently or with the help of qualified specialists.

Issue cost

The price of a visa document in 2021 is thirty-five euros. If a visa is needed urgently, the cost doubles. A multiple visa to Lithuania also costs thirty-five euros. If the document is needed urgently, the additional payment is also doubled.

It is important to remember that if a visa is needed urgently, and the issue, for some reason, does not involve a quick solution, you need to ask for help from qualified specialists.

Applying for an annual multiple visa to Lithuania

Reviews from travelers claim that an annual visa to the Republic of Lithuania can be issued only when the foreign passport already contains a previously obtained single-entry visa for this country. It is important to remember that if a foreigner requires a Lithuanian multiple visa, he must take care of obtaining more expensive annual health insurance.

This is what travel health insurance looks like

The photo for a visa to Lithuania must be of high quality. It is necessary for the application form attached to the package of documents. Sufficient contrast and sharpness of the photograph is assumed, the size of the color photograph is 3.5x4.5 cm.

sample photo for applying for a Lithuanian visa

Registration deadlines

Feedback from people who have already traveled to the territory of the Republic of Lithuania states that diplomatic officials consider issuing visas within 5 working days.

VC employees give a refusal or give the applicant a positive solution to the issue within 10 working days.

In some very complex or high-profile situations, the period for consideration of the issue is extended by about a month. This must be taken into account and, when interested in the question of how to obtain a visa document, keep in mind the possibility of timely submission of all necessary certificates. When an applicant is interested in urgently obtaining a visa document, he must notify the consular department or VC staff in advance.

In this case, the issue can be considered out of turn and resolved within three working days.

Reasons for refusal

In some cases, the applicant is faced with a visa refusal. Reviews say that this often happens when you apply for a visa yourself. Also, entry into the country may be prohibited to anyone who:

1. Submitted incorrect documents.
2. Once I violated the visa regime.
3. He cannot decide what specific purpose he is pursuing when traveling to Lithuania.
4. Did not provide a return ticket reservation.
5. Has a “dark” past.
6. Cannot document the source of its funding.

The reason for refusal may also be incorrect filling out of the form. Also at risk are people who are free from children and family responsibilities or who are crossing the border for the first time.

Documents for a visa to Lithuania

Required documents to obtain Schengen category C:

1. Foreign passport
   Valid for at least 3 months from the date of expiration of the requested visa, with at least 2 blank pages and photographs of children over 6 years old included in it;
2. An application form
   in Russian or Lithuanian, which must be printed (all 5 pages) and signed, can be filled out online at the office. website;
3. Photograph
   One photo 3.5 x 4 cm (see photo requirements below);
4. Copies of the internal passport
   Copies of all completed pages of the internal passport (for children without a general passport - the original and a copy of the birth certificate);
5. Confirmation of hotel reservation
   Original, fax or printout from the Internet and payment/prepayment of the hotel or a private invitation or an invitation from business partners;
6. Ticket booking confirmation
   Copies of round-trip ticket bookings or detailed travel plan;
7. Confirmation of plans to return after a trip to your homeland
   For example, a certificate of ownership of real estate;
8. Certificate of employment
   Certificate of employment with the stated position and salary;
9. Bank account statement
   The statement must be recent and not older than 6 months;
10. For students, schoolchildren
    Certificate from the place of study, sponsorship letter with a photocopy of the sponsor's general passport, certificate from work/extract from the sponsor's account (issued according to the general rules);
11. Medical insurance
    Medical insurance valid throughout the Schengen territory and for the entire duration of the trip (the amount of insurance coverage is at least 30,000 EUR);

A visa to Lithuania can be obtained at the consular section of the Lithuanian Embassy in Moscow, visa centers in Moscow and 13 cities of Russia and the Lithuanian Consulates General in St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Sovetsk.

To submit documents to the embassy, ​​a travel company needs a power of attorney from the tourist.

Quarantine upon arrival in Lithuania

The government is trying its best to stop the spread of COVID-19, so it has compiled a list of countries particularly affected by the pandemic . This included most of the countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area, states where new mutations of the coronavirus have spread, African republics and a number of islands.

Persons arriving from these countries are required to provide a negative PCR test for coronavirus, which was done 72 hours before crossing the Lithuanian border . But despite the negative test, the person will still have to isolate for 2 weeks . You can shorten the quarantine by 10 days if you take a second test and it turns out to be negative.

To avoid problems at the border, the test must be provided in Lithuanian or English.

If the person entering does not have documents confirming the absence of the disease, then they will have to take a test in Lithuania at their own expense, no later than 24 hours from the moment of arrival in the country.

Even with a negative PCR test, those entering are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Photo: live-fts.flickr.com

There is another interesting and important point. There is no need to provide a Covid test and be under quarantine for those persons who:

1. move around the country in transit to other countries, drivers and crew members of international flights;
2. for those who have a certificate of having suffered COVID-19, no later than 90 days before entering Lithuania;
3. those who have certificates of a full course of vaccination.

Note that the Lithuanian government gives preference to the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and its American partner Pfizer.

After crossing the border, a person must provide an already completed online form, which includes information about their health status, the type of transport used to arrive, and indicate the address where self-isolation will take place.

Russia is one of the countries particularly affected by COVID-19. Therefore, travelers from this country must:

1. before boarding the plane, provide a negative PCR test done 72 hours before in English or Lithuanian;
2. fill out the above health questionnaire;
3. if it was not possible to do the test in advance, then you must register for testing upon arrival by calling 1808;
4. Upon arrival, citizens of the Russian Federation will face a 10-day quarantine; the period can be shortened if a repeat test is done a week later and it turns out to be negative. the visitor pays for the second analysis himself.

People from countries where mutant strains have been detected must obtain permits from the National Center for Public Health under the Ministry of Health to travel or in case of changing the place of self-isolation. To leave Lithuania, you must notify the cent 24 hours before the flight.

Entry by car

For Russian road travelers, the road to Lithuania runs through Belarus, where there are international checkpoints: Benyakoni - Shalchininkai, Kamenny Log - Medininkai, Kotlovka - Lavorishkes, Privalka - Raigardas. The exception is residents of the Kaliningrad region, who through the border crossings Morskoye - Nida, Sovetsk - Panemune, Chernyshevskoye - Kybartai, Pogranichny - Ramonishkiai immediately enter the Republic of Lithuania.

In addition to a valid Schengen visa, the driver must have:

• car insurance “Green Card” (it is also needed to travel through the territory of Belarus);
• international law;
• medical insurance;
• if necessary, a power of attorney to drive the car.

Lithuanian border guards often additionally ask for a vehicle diagnostic card. Hotel reservations, a description of the travel route, certificates of financial solvency and other “visa” documents usually do not need to be shown, but it is better to have them with you.

Transit to Lithuania for residents of Kaliningrad

Obtaining a visa to Lithuania for persons planning to make a series of trips to Lithuania from the Kaliningrad region and back is somewhat different from the standard procedure. What Lithuanian visa is required for residents of the Kaliningrad region? This question is not difficult to answer. Residents of this region do not need any special documents. All that is required is to issue a Simplified Transit Document to Lithuania.

Reviews from Kaliningrad residents claim that you can receive it within seven working days. It is important to note that the Lithuanian visa application form (and sample) has several significant differences from the Lithuanian Schengen application form. You can find out exactly what documents are needed in order to obtain a FTD at the consular department.

Relatively recently, a free visa to the Republic of Lithuania has become a reality. However, only students and teachers can get it.

Visa for children

A citizen under 18 years of age traveling separately from parents/guardians or with one of the parents/guardians must have the appropriate permission obtained from the child’s legal representatives and issued in the name of the accompanying person (the trip is not possible without an escort).

To obtain Schengen to Lithuania, a minor must provide a general package of documents and additionally a birth certificate with a copy. The form is signed by parents/guardians. If the child's visa application is processed separately, a copy of the accompanying person's visa is required.

Unofficially, it is believed that it is more difficult to obtain a visa to Lithuania than, for example, to Spain or France. Indeed, Lithuanian visa officers are sometimes overzealous when checking documents. Also at the border they often require you to present copies of your hotel reservation, return ticket and explain in detail the purpose of the trip.

Necessary documents for Schengen visa to Lithuania

The Schengen visa policy approves a standard list of required documents to obtain a permit:

• A valid international passport with a supply of blank pages, which will be valid for at least 180 days from the date of departure from Lithuania.
• Copies of passport pages with previously issued Schengen visas. This will increase the chances of obtaining a Lithuanian entry permit.
• Original and copy of Russian passport. It is mandatory to make a photocopy of the pages with photo and registration.
• A birth certificate is required in a situation where a child is sent to Lithuania.
• A completed permit application form.
• Photographs of an approved sample that comply with the visa policy of Schengen member countries.
• Traveler's medical insurance issued for the entire period of the trip. It is necessary that the minimum amount of insurance compensation be 30 thousand euros.

In addition to the standard package of accompanying documentation, applicants will need additional papers, which depend on the type of permit chosen. When applying for a tourist visa you may be asked to:

• hotel reservation or other information about accommodation;
• guarantee of financial solvency;
• sponsorship letter (if the trip is paid for by a resident of Lithuania).

If a Russian travels to the republic as a guest, he must provide an invitation from a relative who is an EU citizen, as well as proof of solvency or a letter of sponsorship.

A business permit is often issued if you have:

• information about the applicant’s presence as a member of the business delegation;
• a request from a partner who is a tax resident of Lithuania;
• confirmation of solvency (certificate of income) or sponsorship letter (if the trip to Lithuania is paid for by the host party).

A foreign citizen who travels to the state for the purpose of obtaining education must sometimes additionally provide:

• a document confirming the availability of sufficient funds to live in the country;
• a certificate from the educational institution confirming the student’s enrollment;
• invitation from a Lithuanian university.

A national long-term permit is issued on the basis of:

• confirmation of family ties with a citizen of Lithuania;
• data on participation in investment projects;
• invitations to work and guarantees of job availability from a Lithuanian employer;
• confirmation of the applicant’s Lithuanian origin;
• information about existing real estate in the state.

Thus, when applying for a Schengen visa, a Russian should always be prepared for the fact that he may be asked for additional information related to the purpose of the visit.

Scenic view of the architecture of the Old Town in Vilnius. The Old Town of Vilnius has amazingly beautiful ancient architecture. If you look at the panorama of the city, you can see many church spiers inherent in the most elegant of architectural styles - Baroque.

Photo requirements

The photo must be taken no earlier than six months ago. The face is located frontally, the height from the crown to the chin is 32-36 mm. The expression is neutral, without a smile. Apart from the face, neck and upper shoulders, there should be nothing else in the photo. Darkening of the image, red-eye effect, foreign objects in the frame, glasses with opaque lenses and massive frames are also not allowed.

The length of the head from the chin to the crown is approximately 30 mm (70-80% of the area). The photo is taken from the front, the gaze is directed at the camera, there is no smile.

Where to apply

You can apply for a visa permit at the official diplomatic missions of Lithuania located in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as at any of the visa centers located in Moscow and the regions.

Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Moscow, address: per. Borisoglebsky, 10.

• Working hours: from Monday to Friday, from 9-30 to 12-00 – acceptance of documents, from 15-00 to 16-00 – issuance of completed permits.

Consulate General of Lithuania in St. Petersburg, address: st. Ryleeva, 37.

• Working hours: Monday to Friday from 9-00 to 16-45.

Fingerprinting

Every Schengen applicant must be fingerprinted and take a digital photo once every 5 years when receiving their next visa. Based on this data, identification is carried out at the border: the customs officer asks to put his hand on a special device, after which a comparison is made with the information in the system. Minors under 12 years of age and persons with finger injuries due to which the individual line pattern is damaged do not undergo fingerprinting. The procedure is carried out at visa centers and consulates equipped with special equipment.

Registration cost

4700 ₽

Consular + service fee in rubles at the current rate

The consular fee for obtaining a Schengen visa is 35 euros (3,212.3 rubles). The embassy only accepts cards for payment. MIR cards are not accepted. In case of refusal, fees will not be refunded.

When applying for a Schengen visa urgently, a double consular fee is charged - 70 euros (6,424.7 rubles).

The visa center charges an additional service fee of 15.9 euros (1,459.3 rubles). The visa center accepts payment in cash in rubles at the exchange rate or by credit card.

Children under 6 years old, disabled people and accompanying persons are exempt from paying fees. The Visa Application Center does not charge a service fee for children under 12 years of age.

Consular fee – 35 €

Tariffs for visas to Lithuania for Russians do not differ from prices in other member states of the Schengen area: 35 EUR for a regular procedure, 70 EUR for an urgent one. Only children under 6 years of age and citizens of the Russian Federation with disabilities and accompanying persons do not pay the consular fee. The visa center additionally charges a service fee of 20 EUR for each applicant for its services. Prices on the page are for September 2021.

The visa center offers the following options: “Mobile biometrics” - accepting an application with documents, taking fingerprints and taking a photo with a digital camera at home (150 EUR for one application), “Home visa” - the same, but without without biometrics (100 EUR ), delivery of the finished passport to the address (from 1000 RUB depending on the city).

Who has the right to enter Lithuania

Like other countries, Lithuania has a list of categories of persons eligible to enter the country. Among them:

1. citizens of EU and EEA countries, their spouses and children, including adopted children, under guardianship;
2. persons with residence permit, permanent residence, Lithuanian citizenship, national visa and their families;
3. athletes, instructors and specialists in the field of elite sports, judges entering with the permission of the Minister of Education, Science and Sports;
4. artists to participate in professional events with the permission of the Ministry of Culture;
5. diplomats and consuls enjoying immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, their families and service personnel;
6. NATO military personnel and their families, service personnel;
7. health professionals;
8. journalists with the permission of the Minister of Foreign Affairs;
9. investors with the permission of the Minister of Economy and Innovation;
10. persons staying for humanitarian purposes with the permission of the Minister of Internal Affairs and only after a petition from the Minister of Foreign Affairs;
11. foreigners who came to the funeral;
12. foreigners arriving at intelligence institutions of Lithuania to ensure national security, with the permission of the Minister of National Defense or the Director of the Department of State Security of the Republic.

Nobody forces these categories of citizens to serve quarantine, but a negative PCR test is required.

You cannot enter Lithuania for the sake of tourism for the reason stated in the resolution dated November 4, 2020. Photo: unsplash.com

Valid term of a visa

There is a widespread belief among tourists that the Baltic countries often issue visas strictly based on travel dates. This unspoken rule applies primarily to citizens of the Russian Federation applying for Schengen for the first time. On the contrary, if your passport already has an entry stamp from one of the EU states, then the chance of getting a multiple visa for six months or a year increases. Holders of a Lithuanian Schengen visa issued earlier are sometimes lucky - the next one may be approved for 1-2 years. But it’s still worth getting ready for a one-time Schengen with a limited period of stay.

Visa officers are most loyal to those who frequently visit Lithuania and have an impeccable visa history without violating the rules. Such applicants can quite easily obtain a long-term multiple visa.

DEADLINES

A regular visa to Lithuania, submitted through the Visa Application Center, is issued within 5 – 7 working days from the moment the documents are received at the Embassy. If the permit is issued directly through the Embassy, ​​then the period for consideration of the request is no more than one week.

An urgent decision to issue a visa is possible if you submit documents confirming the need for prompt consideration, as well as pay a higher cost of the consular fee (70 euros). Urgent processing occurs within three business days.

Embassy and consulates of Lithuania in Russia

Embassy of Lithuania in Moscow

Visa center in Moscow

Lithuania Visa Application Center in Novosibirsk

Consulate General in St. Petersburg

Consulate General in Kaliningrad

Consulate in Sovetsk

Registration yourself

How to get a visa to Lithuania? You can apply for a visa to Lithuania yourself at the embassy of the republic in Moscow, the consulate in St. Petersburg and at the offices of the VFS Global visa center in Moscow, Ufa, Rostov-on-Don, Smolensk, Saratov, Perm, Omsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Krasnodar, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk. Citizens of the Russian Federation living in the Pskov region can obtain a visa permit at the Consulate of the Republic of Estonia in Pskov.

Through the embassy

To obtain a visa to Lithuania through the embassy in Moscow, you must follow the following algorithm:

1. Determine the type of Lithuanian visa.
2. Fill out the application form on the visa center website vfsglobal.com/lithuania/russia/ and print it.
3. Collect the necessary list of documents.
4. Make an appointment on the visa center website or by calling +7 (499) 703-49-84, +7.
5. Show up at the appointed time and undergo fingerprinting if necessary.
6. Pay the consular fee for a visa, attach a receipt for payment and submit documents.
7. The receipt you receive will contain a tracking number for readiness.
8. If necessary, appear for a personal interview.
9. Receive ready documents.

Pre-registration for an appointment at the embassy is carried out only through the visa center. Relatives of citizens of Lithuania and the European Union, as well as native Lithuanians, are accepted without an appointment. To confirm this status, it is necessary to provide birth certificates of Lithuanian ancestors or archival certificates.

The application form and sample form can be found on the embassy’s website or at the mission itself, freely available.

The visa documents can be submitted by the applicant himself, or by a relative or proxy, if there is proof of a family connection or a power of attorney. Parents submit documents for minor children.

If you need a Lithuanian visa urgently, you can apply for an urgent visa to Lithuania by paying a double consular fee.

Via Visa Application Center

The algorithm for obtaining a Vilnius visa for Russians through a visa center is similar to the procedure for submitting an application through the embassy. You can submit and receive documents in person or through a courier service. In addition to the consular fee, you must pay for the services of the visa center.

Pre-registration is not required at regional visa centers.

There are also a number of additional services, such as mobile biometrics, filling out a questionnaire, calling a center employee to your home, etc.

For those who do not have extra time, it is possible to obtain a visa permit through the Online Visa Center. To do this, you need to fill out a form on the center’s website, send scans of documents, pay fees by non-cash method, after receiving an SMS notification of readiness, pick up the documents in person or through a courier.

Applicants who have not undergone fingerprinting in the last 5 years will need to appear at the visa center at the address: Moscow, st. Malaya Lubyanka, 16, office. 1.