Amendments regarding multiple-entry national visas in Lithuania
On May 24, 2014 the Order No. 1V-354/V-76 of the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania took effect. The aforementioned order changed the provisions regarding issue of multiple-entry national visas in Lithuania of the September 2, 2004 Order No. 1V-280/V-109.
Family members will be entitled to multiple-entry visa
Arts. 66.4, 66.5 and 66.6 were supplemented and it was established that a multiple-entry national visa may also be issued to a family member of a professional athlete, coach, artist or highly qualified specialist. Consequently, Arts. 73.5.2, 73.6.2, 73.61.2 were amended and according to the new wording of these articles, when a family member comes to Lithuania with an alien, evidence that this person is family member of the alien shall be submitted. Prior to the amendments a multiple-entry national visa was not issued to the family members of professional athletes, coaches, artists or highly qualified specialists.
Amendments regarding residence permit
The Order No. 1V-280/V-109 was supplemented with the Art. 66.101. According to this article, a multiple-entry national visa may be issued to an alien who has submitted an application to issue or replace a residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania. In this case, the duration of a multiple-entry national visa is equal to the examination of application for residence permit.
Repeated issuance of multiple-entry visa
The Order No. 1V-280/V-109 was also supplemented with the Art. 671. It states that if a foreigner had received a multiple-entry visa valid for 1 year, the foreigner shall either apply for another multiple-entry visa or a residence permit:
- If after the visa expiry date less than 90 days has passed, then the foreigner shall apply for a residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania. During the examination of the application for a residence permit period, a national visa may be issued;
- If after the visa expiry date less than 90 days has passed, another a multiple-entry visa may be issued for a period not exceeding one year.
Explanation of “sufficient amount of money”
Art. 73.2 specifies that a sufficient amount of money in order to stay in the Republic of Lithuania is:
- 0.5 minimum monthly salary per month (145 EUR), if an alien is a minor or a student;
- 1 minimum monthly salary per month (290 EUR) in other cases.
Sufficient amount of money to return foreigner’s home country is considered 1 minimum monthly salary. In case where the foreigner is required to prove that he (she) has sufficient funds to stay in the Republic of Lithuania, documents proving that the foreigner has the above mentioned amounts of money shall be submitted.
Jovita Valatkaite, lawyer of the Gencs Valters Law Firm in Vilnius
Practising in fields of Bankruptcy and Immigration Law in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia
T: +370 52 61 10 00
F: +370 52 61 11 00