Lithuanian schooling is straightforward, public and in Lithuanian. That last word is the one expat parents should read twice. The state system is free and well organised, but if you want your child to study in English or French, the answer is a private school.
This guide covers schools in Lithuania for children arriving with a European family.
How does the school system in Lithuania work?
Education is compulsory from 6 to 16. A child starts with a pre-primary year (priešmokyklinis ugdymas) in the calendar year of their sixth birthday, or at five if you ask. Then comes primary school at around seven. A place in a public pre-primary facility is guaranteed.
Public schools teach in Lithuanian, and some in Russian or Polish. Registration goes through the municipality or the school, often online. In Vilnius, the main admission runs from 1 March to 31 May at svietimas.vilnius.lt, with applications possible during the year if places remain. For online procedures you often need a Lithuanian bank login; otherwise the municipality's education service or the school helps (Lithuania e-services).
Which documents do you need for schools in Lithuania?
For EU families, the list is set by the school's owner, usually the municipality, within the ministry's general admission criteria (Eurydice): ask your municipality, with your residence certificate in hand. The IOM says a foreign child needs a national visa or residence permit to be admitted. Typical papers:
- IDs of both parents and the child (Go Vilnius);
- school reports or a school certificate, translated (IOM);
- an annual medical certificate, to be requested early;
- for a nursery, a medical certificate and the municipality's form.
Your address must be declared first (residence in Lithuania). A school commission compares your child's foreign record with the Lithuanian curriculum and may propose tests. A child who does not speak Lithuanian can attend a preparatory class before joining an ordinary class. Priority goes to children living in the school's area.
Unsure which municipal form applies to your child, or how to translate and present school reports? Moovy can check what your municipality is likely to ask for and draft the request, in Lithuanian with an English version.
What about nurseries?
The darželis is optional, from birth to age six. In Lithuania's main cities (Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Marijampolė) the application is centralised online. Register early: groups fill in advance. From age three, the municipality must offer a place if you ask.
Municipal nurseries finance 20 hours a week, with meals and materials of about €50 to €60 a month (IOM) or about €120 in Vilnius (Go Vilnius). Private nurseries cost €120 to €500 a month, and Vilnius pays a compensation of €120 a month, Klaipėda region €250 (IOM, undated; each municipality and nursery sets its own). Compare in cost of living in Lithuania.
Are school lunches free?
Lunch is free without an income test in pre-primary, first and second year (Ministry of Social Security and Labour). For other pupils it depends on the family's income. The government has approved extending it to third year from September 2027 and fourth year from September 2028; the Seimas started examining the amendment on 20 October 2026, so those dates are not yet voted.
The school year starts on 1 September. Autumn, Christmas, winter and Easter breaks (17 school days at most in total) are set by each head teacher, and summer generally runs from June to 1 September (Eurydice). Ask your school for its calendar.
What are the international options?
Private schools cost from a few hundred to several thousand euros a year, plus meals and services (Go Vilnius). Options cited are the Lycée international français de Vilnius (ages 1.5 to 18, to the baccalauréat), Vilnius International School, the British School of Vilnius and the Australian International School in Vilnius. Each sets its own procedure and calendar: contact them directly, and check their fees on their sites. They are in Vilnius, which matters when you choose a city (best places to live in Lithuania).
Which mistakes should you avoid?
- Waiting until you arrive to look for a nursery.
- Forgetting the medical certificate.
- Treating the sixth-birthday year as optional. Pre-primary is compulsory.
- Looking for a state school in English or French.
- Mixing up academic and professional recognition of a diploma: for a regulated profession, the authority of that profession decides.
British children need a visa or a residence permit to be admitted (moving to Lithuania from the UK).
How do you enrol your child in schools in Lithuania, step by step?
- Regularise your stay and declare your address (residence in Lithuania).
- Nursery: apply online early in the big cities, as soon as you have your address.
- Pre-primary: obligatory from the calendar year of the sixth birthday.
- School: choose the nearest school if you can. In Vilnius, apply on svietimas.vilnius.lt with a residence permit, or by email to savivaldybe@vilnius.lt with a D visa.
- Level: the school commission compares your child's background with the curriculum.
- If your child does not speak Lithuanian, ask about a preparatory class.
- International or French school: contact the school directly.
What is different for French families?
The Lycée international français de Vilnius is under Lithuanian law and approved by the AEFE. It takes children from 1.5 to 18 years up to the baccalauréat. Scholarships may be available under conditions through the consulate, and the CNED is the alternative, with exams that can be taken at the Vilnius lycée.
What about qualifications and higher education?
A foreign higher-education diploma is recognised free of charge, in principle within one month of a complete file, by SKVC (the Lithuanian ENIC-NARIC centre) or an authorised institution. For a regulated profession, the authority of that profession decides (working in Lithuania).
Which questions should you ask a school before enrolling?
- What is the language of instruction, and is there a preparatory class?
- What documents does the municipality require for EU families?
- What are the term dates and the school's break calendar?
- What does lunch cost for my child's year?
- For a private school, what are the fees, and what is included?
One last tip on timing: the school year starts on 1 September, but the main admission period in the capital closes on 31 May. If you arrive in summer, you can still apply when places remain, and your municipality's education service is the best contact. Bring translated school reports and, if possible, a short letter from your child's previous school describing the curriculum, because the school's commission will compare it with the Lithuanian programme. A prepared file shortens the wait and helps the school place your child in the right class.