For British people, the question used to be "which town?". Since Brexit, it is "which permit?". The answer is not alarming, but it does come before the flat, the bank account and the school place.
This article explains the route for British citizens moving to Lithuania after Brexit, and where it differs from the EU route in our guide to residence in Lithuania for EU citizens.
Do you need a residence permit when moving to Lithuania from the UK?
Yes, if you arrive now. British citizens who settled after the end of 2020 are third-country nationals, and a longer stay needs a temporary residence permit. You apply through MIGRIS, the migration information system, from abroad at a Lithuanian diplomatic mission, or, if you are already in Lithuania lawfully, to the Migration Department.
If you were already living in Lithuania before the end of 2020, you fall under the Withdrawal Agreement. You are exempt from the new fees and keep EU-style rights. Keep the paper that proves your residence at that date.
Which permit applies to a British citizen who wants to work?
The Migration Department has a dedicated temporary permit for British citizens who come to work under a contract, do business or carry out another lawful activity, including self-employment. Nationals of the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea share it.
The documents listed are:
- a work contract or a written commitment from the employer, or proof of your self-employed activity (an individual activity certificate or patent, or a signed description of the planned activity);
- proof of qualification if the profession is regulated;
- resources of at least one minimum monthly wage for the permit's duration (or at least a year);
- housing of at least 7 m² per adult;
- a criminal record certificate for a first permit.
The fee in 2026 is €220 for the examination (€440 urgent) and €75 for producing the permit (€150 urgent). Examination takes two months, or one month if urgent.
The general conditions that the IOM guide lists for other third-country nationals (qualification or experience, a quota of 24,706 permits in 2026, a salary of at least 1.2 times the average) do not appear for this permit on MIGRIS. Ask the Department which applies to you.
Unsure if the Withdrawal Agreement covers you, or which permit fits a mix of employment and self-employment? Moovy can check your dates and your profile and prepare the list of documents for MIGRIS.
What about your family?
A British citizen's family members need their own route. A non-EU family member of an EU citizen applies for a card at €60 (2026). If your partner is Lithuanian or from another EU country, ask whether the EU rules for family members apply to you, which can be simpler than the third-country route.
How do healthcare, banking and driving work for British citizens?
Healthcare. With a temporary permit and a job in Lithuania, your employer registers you for compulsory health insurance (PSD). Without a job or state coverage, a temporary-permit holder cannot pay the contribution themselves and must insure privately or pay for care. A permanent-permit holder who does not work pays PSD alone (healthcare in Lithuania).
Banking. The UK is in SEPA, but banks generally ask for the Lithuanian residence permit and may carry out deeper checks (bank account in Lithuania).
Driving. Regitra exchanges a British licence without tests, with the exceptions above. The earlier rule, which allowed exchange without a test only for rights obtained before Brexit, no longer appears on the Regitra site. A car coming from outside the EU may be driven for 90 days, then it must be registered within 30 days of your residence permit and address declaration, with a certificate of conformity.
What about pensions, qualifications and tax?
Your UK state pension keeps being uprated each year while you live in the EEA, which includes Lithuania, according to GOV.UK. Coordination of social security goes through the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement protocol: rules close to the EU's, but the level of protection is not identical, so ask the competent bodies before relying on totalisation or an S1.
For qualifications, the Lithuanian authority VASPVT applies automatic recognition to health-profession qualifications obtained in the UK before Brexit or within the year after. A more recent British qualification is treated under the general third-country procedure.
Tax residence follows the same criteria as for everyone. Check the UK-Lithuania double tax treaty with HMRC and ask the Lithuanian tax office how it applies to you.
Which mistakes should you avoid?
- Arriving and assuming three months of free movement. Without an EU right, you need the right visa or permit for what you plan to do.
- Working before the permit is granted.
- Underestimating the housing rule. 7 m² per adult must be shown.
- Forgetting that health insurance depends on the permit type.
How do you apply, step by step?
- Decide which permit matches your plan: employment, business or self-employment, study or family.
- Prepare the documents: a valid passport, the proof of your contract or activity, proof of resources and housing, and a criminal record certificate for a first permit.
- Apply on MIGRIS, or at a Lithuanian diplomatic mission if you are still in the UK.
- Pay the fees, €220 for examination and €75 for producing the permit (2026).
- Wait for the decision, two months, or one month if urgent.
- Declare your address once the permit is issued (moving to Lithuania).
Foreign documents, including UK documents, must be translated into Lithuanian by an authorised translator. A UK criminal record certificate may also need legalisation or an apostille unless a convention waives it: check with the Migration Department.
What if you lived in Lithuania before Brexit?
If you were resident before the end of 2020, the Withdrawal Agreement applies. You do not pay the new fees, and you keep rights close to those of EU citizens. Keep evidence of your residence at that date: an old certificate, your declared address history and your employment records.
Can you work as soon as you arrive?
Not before your permit is issued. The permit for British citizens is linked to your plan, so an employment plan covers work and a self-employment plan covers your own business. If you change your plan, ask the Migration Department whether a new permit is needed.
What changes in banking and tax for British citizens?
Banks generally require your Lithuanian residence permit, and checks can be deeper than for EU citizens (bank account in Lithuania). Tax residence follows the same criteria for everyone: a declared home or 183 days in the year can be enough. Ask HMRC about the UK-Lithuania double tax treaty.
Scottish arrivals follow the same British rules. Moving to Lithuania from the UK is entirely possible. It simply needs the permit first, and the fees and documents above planned in advance.
Is moving to Lithuania from the UK worth the extra paperwork?
That is for you to weigh, but the paperwork is finite and the fees are modest compared with the cost of a flat deposit. The permit takes up to two months, so start before you resign from a UK job or sign a lease, and ask the Migration Department which route fits. If you are joining a Lithuanian or EU partner, the family route may be lighter than the work route. Plan your health cover, your bank account and your driving licence in the same sequence, and you will avoid the three most common delays.