Driving in Lithuania is easy on paper. The roads are good, the motorway limit is 130 km/h in summer, and nobody cares which country issued your licence, as long as it is a European one. What catches newcomers out are the months afterwards: the registration deadline, the winter tyre date and the CO2 tax.
Is your licence valid when driving in Lithuania?
If it was issued in the EU or EEA, yes. You do not have to exchange it, except in case of loss, theft, an offence or a licence without an end date. Older European licence models must be replaced by 2033 at the latest. The 2006 directive also lets a host country require a renewal two years after you move.
If you want a Lithuanian licence anyway, Regitra (the licensing and vehicle registration body) exchanges it without an exam, at any branch. Regitra checks in the population register that your address is declared in Lithuania for at least 185 days in the year, or you prove personal or professional ties by other documents. You must pass a medical examination in a Lithuanian health facility, because foreign medical certificates are not accepted.
What does the exchange cost?
In 2026, Regitra charges €17.15 in 15 working days, €34.30 in 5 working days and €51.45 in 1 working day. Delivery to a pick-up locker costs €4.90, and to your home €6.99, or you collect it at a branch. The health facility sends the medical certificate to Regitra directly. For categories AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B and BE, the certificate is valid ten years before age 65.
How do you register a car when driving in Lithuania long term?
For a car registered in the EU or EEA, you have six months from first use on Lithuanian roads. The steps:
- Pass the roadworthiness test (techninė apžiūra) in Lithuania.
- Take out Lithuanian third-party liability insurance. Regitra only registers an insured vehicle. Ask your former insurer for your five-year claims history, to keep your bonus.
- Book Regitra with the car, your ID and the foreign registration certificate. You need a residence document, a personal code and a declared address first (Lithuanian personal code).
- Pay the registration tax, if due. Registration is not finished until it is paid.
- Receive your plates, the certificate and an eight-letter SDK code that you need to resell the car.
A car bought outside the EEA also needs a certificate of conformity. There is no annual car tax on a private car in Lithuania, according to the EU tax database for 2026.
Bringing a car across the border, or unsure whether your licence needs exchanging? Moovy can lay out the steps for your own vehicle and licence and draft the insurance request in Lithuanian.
How does the registration tax work?
The registracijos mokestis has applied since 1 July 2020 to cars and light vans. It is due when emissions exceed 130 g of CO2 per km, and depends on the fuel. Nothing is due up to 130 g/km. From 131 to 140 g/km the tax starts at €40.47 for diesel, €20.23 for petrol and €18.21 for gas or ethanol, and goes up by 10 g bands to €728.46, €364.23 or €327.81 from 301 g/km (Regitra scale, October 2026). Rates are indexed each year, Regitra has a calculator, and the exact figure is fixed at registration. It also applies when an imported or second-hand car changes owner in Lithuania.
What are the winter tyre rules?
Winter tyres are compulsory from 10 November to 31 March, according to Your Europe. Go Vilnius says until 1 April, with studded tyres allowed until 10 April. The minimum tread depth for a car is 3.0 mm from 10 November to 31 March, and 1.6 mm the rest of the year, with tyres marked M+S, a snowflake or "*", or all-season. Book the garage before November: they fill up.
Other rules to remember: dipped headlights on in the daytime, an alcohol limit of 0.4 g/l (0 for novice and professional drivers), 130 km/h on motorways from April to October and 110 km/h from November to March, and a fire extinguisher, warning triangle, first-aid kit and reflective vest on board.
What changes if you are Swiss or British?
A Swiss licence is exchanged without an exam if valid, or if expired within a year after you moved. Regitra does not publish how long you may drive on it before exchanging, so exchange it as soon as you settle. A British licence is exchanged without a theory or practical test except for categories with codes 101, 102, 105, 107 or 122, and category BE obtained since 16 December 2021 if you lack C1E, CE, D1E or DE. A car from outside the EU can circulate for 90 days, then must be registered within 30 days of your residence permit and declaration of address (moving to Lithuania from the UK).
Which mistakes should you avoid?
- Keeping foreign plates for years.
- Arriving at Regitra without a declared address.
- Forgetting the Lithuanian medical certificate.
- Changing tyres in the first week of November.
- Buying a used car without checking Regitra's database for seizures or liens.
Where you settle also decides how much you will drive: see best places to live in Lithuania.
What documents do you need for the licence and for the car?
Licence: ID, your current licence and a valid Lithuanian medical certificate. A licence from outside the EU also needs a translation into Lithuanian.
Car: ID, the foreign registration certificate, proof of insurance and the roadworthiness test result. A certificate of conformity is needed for a car bought outside the EEA. Before the appointment you must have a residence document, a personal code and a declared address (IOM).
What are the common mistakes?
- Driving for years on foreign plates. Once you settle, the roadworthiness test and insurance requirements still apply.
- Turning up at Regitra with no declared address.
- Forgetting the Lithuanian medical certificate for a licence exchange: without it, no Lithuanian licence is issued.
- Changing tyres too late. Garages are packed in early November.
- Buying second-hand without checking in Regitra's database that the car is not seized or pledged.
How much does a car really cost?
There is no annual tax on a private car, according to the EU tax database for 2026. Your recurring costs are insurance, roadworthiness tests, fuel and tyres. The big one-off item for imported cars is the CO2-based registration tax, which can be zero for a low-emission car and reach hundreds of euros for a high-emission one. Use Regitra's calculator before you buy or import (cost of living in Lithuania).