Useful Information

Memo for a new employee

Employee number - a unique number assigned to an employee and included in the employment contract. It will need to be entered on the registration form.
If you have any questions about the Employee number, please contact by mail or telephone Personnel Specialist or Administrator of the Institute where you started working, or LSC Administrator Danutė Kurečkienė (, tel. +370 5 223 4419)

VU IT and Library Services relevant to LSC staff
About VU Employee Card
About Card for entering LSC Premises
About LSC Mailinglists
More information on VU eServices

Info pack for international community of LSC

Congratulations on choosing to study and work at Vilnius University Life Sciences Center!

In this info-pack, you will find useful information to make your transition to Lithuania easier.

Resident permit

A Temporary Residence Permit is a document that provides a right for temporary residence in Lithuania to the bearer for the period specified in the Permit. If a student or an employee has a Temporary Residence Permit, he (she) may choose a place of residence, leave the country and come back. However, the student of employee should inform a Migration Service of any changes of his (her) place of residence. A Temporary Residence Permit shall be issued, when a student or employee is not a citizen of a European Union Member State.

Usually, a Temporary Residence Permit in Lithuania is issued for a period of one year or two years.

You must first submit an application for an issue or renewal of a temporary residence permit electronically through the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS).

For issue the said Permit, the following documents shall be submitted:

The application of the set form for issue a Temporary Residence Permit in Lithuania;
The valid travel document;
The valid visa, if the application is submitted after arrival of the student or employee to Lithuania;
A photo relevant to the age (40 x 60 mm) – 1;
The documents certifying the base for issuing a Temporary Residence Permit in Lithuania:
5.1. The documents certifying that the student has been admitted to studies at a higher education institution in Lithuania or that the employee has been accepted for a certain position;
5.2. A mediatory letter issued by the said higher education or work institution; (Note that the VU central administration office issuing said document is on vacation in August and may not reply during that month)
If the student is underage, - the consent of his (her) parents or one of them or the tutor or another legal representative for studies and residence in Lithuania.
The document certifying that you have sufficient means of subsistence and (or) get income for living in Lithuania on a regular basis (EUR 924 per month in 2024);
The document of the place of residence in Lithuania;
The health insurance.

At present, the first application for issue a Temporary Residence Permit in Lithuania is satisfied within 2-4 months. If a shorter period remains until the beginning of your studies/work, choose the national visa D and submit the application for these documents after arrival to Lithuania. The visa application is completed online through the system of the Migration Department (MIGRIS).

If a student/employee continues his (her) studies/work in Lithuania, the Temporary Residence Permit shall be renewed after the expiry.

On renewal of the Temporary Residence Permit, the student/employee shall submit a mediatory letter issued by the higher education/work institution to confirm that the person is not excluded from it. A student/employee shall apply for renewal of the Temporary Residence Permit no later than 2 months before the expiry of its validity period, but not earlier than 4 months before the expiry of its validity period.

More information on how to acquire a resident permit in Lithuania:

https://www.vu.lt/en/studies/master-studies/living-in-lithuania/visa-residence-permit#temporary-residence-permit-trp-for-degree-seeking-non-eu-efta-citizens
https://www.migracija.lt/esu-studentas1
https://ihvilnius.lt/services/migration-depart
https://www.renkuosilietuva.lt/en/registering-as-a-resident/
https://www.renkuosilietuva.lt/en/temporary-residence-permit/

Health insurance

Foreign nationals permanently residing in the Republic of Lithuania are eligible for the Compulsory Health Insurance (CHI). CHI is needed to access all public health services in Lithuania.

Rights of foreign students to participate in health insurance system:

Third country nationals:

D visa holders

Have no right to participate in the CHI system;
Do not pay CHI contributions
Can get healthcare services funded by their private health insurer in accordance to the conditions established in the insurance policy.

Holders of a temporary residence permit

Have no right to participate in the CHI system
Do not pay CHI contributions
Can get healthcare services funded by their private health insurer in accordance to the conditions established in the insurance policy.
EXEPTOIN: if students legally work in Lithuania, they participate in the CHI system.

Holders of a permanent residence permit

Participate in the CHI system
Are covered by CHI by the means of the State
Can get free healthcare services

EU country nationals (+ NO, JK, LI, IS, CH)

EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) holders

Have a right to receive necessary healthcare services funded by the THIF on the basis of their EHIC;
Have no right to register to the list of Family doctor;
In case of emergency can get necessary healthcare services on the basis of the EHIC.

Holders of PD S1 (The S1 form is a document that you can obtain from your country of origin to qualify for state healthcare in Europe)

After registering this document in the territorial health insurance fund (THIF), have a right to receive all healthcare services on the same conditions as permanent residents of Lithuania: have a right to register to the family doctor, can receive subsidized pharmaceuticals and planed healthcare services upon the referral of family doctor.

EU country nationals (+ NO, LI, IS)

Cross-border healthcare (EU citizens have the right to access healthcare in any EU country and to be reimbursed for care abroad by their home country)

Have a right to receive planned healthcare services in any chosen healthcare institution (public or private);
Cover the expenses of healthcare services from his/her own resources and apply to the competent institution of their home country for reimbursement;

Important information for EHIC and S1 holders:

Free healthcare services are provided in the institutions having contracts with THIFs;

Referral from family doctor is obligatory in order to get planned specialized and in-patient healthcare services;

In case of emergency the referral is not needed.

Important information concerning cross-border healthcare:

If you want to receive cross-border healthcare, first contact your competent institution in the country where you are insured and ascertain what the requirements are in order to be reimbursed the cost as well as whether you need prior authorization for these services.

More information:

https://ligoniukasa.lrv.lt/en/
https://ihvilnius.lt/services/vlk

People from third countries who do not belong to the European Union must take care of their own health insurance. For PhD students may be possible for the costs of health insurance to be covered from your doctoral funds. For this option, you should contact the administrator for doctoral studies. It is possible to do this after you have received the TRP.

Social Insurance Services – SODRA

From accessing the various types of social insurance benefits available to residents to managing pensions, Sodra is the agency serving individuals who contribute to Lithuania’s social insurance fund.

Students who are not employed (or receiving only a university student stipend) do not need to contribute to SODRA.

Only employees, students who are employed in the projects or post-doctoral researchers need to pay taxes to SODRA. However, employees with legal contracts do not need to worry about paying their own taxes – employers pay them on behalf of employees. As such, contracted employees only need to declare their income for the previous calendar year if they want to receive tax refunds or verify the taxes they have paid.

If you are a student and do not work, you do not need to register at STI or provide any other information.

More information:

https://www.sodra.lt/
https://ihvilnius.lt/services/vlk
https://www.renkuosilietuva.lt/en/social-security/

Bank account

These are the biggest and most popular banks in Lithuania:

Revolut (recommended for incoming foreign students and employees)

https://help.revolut.com/en-LT/help/profile-and-plan/getting-started-with-revolut/

Opening a Revolut account in Lithuania is free, regardless of your nationality. If you choose the Standard plan, there are no monthly fees, but some charges may apply for services like ATM withdrawals beyond certain limits (e.g., 2% fee after €200 in withdrawals) and currency conversions after a monthly threshold. Revolut also offers Premium and Metal plans with more perks, but these have monthly fees of around €10 and €17, respectively. Delivery fees may apply for the physical card.

Luminor

https://www.luminor.lt/en/private/become-customer

Bank account opening fee – 200 eur

Swedbank

https://www.swedbank.lt/private/d2d/accounts/becomeOurCustomer?language=ENG

Bank account opening fee – 200 eur

SEB

https://www.seb.lt/en/private/become-customer/become-customer

Bank account opening fee – 250 eur

Housing

For the information on renting or buying an apartment in Lithuania, you can check these links:

https://ihvilnius.lt/finding-a-place-to-live/renting-a-place-in-vilnius
https://www.renkuosilietuva.lt/en/housing/

There are also dormitories available for students of Vilnius University. Dormitories in Vilnius are situated in Saulėtekio, Olandų or Didlaukio streets. However, due to the limited capacity at the dormitories, the places won't be assigned to all the interested students. Usually, they are only assigned to undergraduate and master students but not to PhD students or incoming researchers.

https://www.vu.lt/en/studies/master-studies/living-in-lithuania/accommodation#student-dormitories-in-vilnius

Information on how to apply for a room:

https://www.vusa.lt/en/dormitories
https://www.bustas.vu.lt/en/

Learning Lithuanian language

Lithuanian language classes are offered at the LSC if there is sufficient interest (at least 8 participants) to form a semester-long group. If during the current semester, there are not enough people interested in learning the language in LCS, the course can still be taken in the VU Faculty of Philology (the course fee can be covered by LSC if requested). To learn more about current availability and interest, reach out to the LSC representative for your career stage.

More information: https://www.flf.vu.lt/en/lsk/courses

Public transport

Trafi – the main platform for using public transport and more. In the app you can easily buy tickets. This all-in-one app will also give you live traffic and public transport updates and info, helping you choose the fastest way to your destination every time. However, to use Trafi app Lithuanian telephone number is required.

For students, there is a 50 % student discount for short-term tickets and 80 % student discount for day/monthly tickets with LSIC or ISIC cards.

Other option to get public transport tickets is to buy them directly on the bus or tram with the contactless card. By tapping a contactless payment card on the validator, you will purchase a full-price 60 minute ticket for €0.90. The ticket will be activated automatically. More about this option:

https://judu.lt/en/contactless-payment-on-public-transport/

More information on public transport in Vilnius:

https://www.govilnius.lt/plan-your-trip/getting-around-vilnius-/public-transport
https://judu.lt/en/for-public-transport-passengers/routes-and-timetables/

Lithuanian Student Identity Card (LSIC) or International Student Identity Card (ISIC)

Every full-time or exchange student of Vilnius University has right to get Lithuanian Student Identity Card (LSIC). If you want to get LSIC, you must register and order the card at https://lsp.lt/register. However, it might take up to a month for a LSIC card to be made and delivered after the order.

More information on LSIC:

https://www.vusa.lt/en/production-of-lsic
https://lsp.lt/en/how-to-order-lsic

An alternative to LSIC is an ISIC card (International Student Identity Card) which have many similar benefits and discounts. When ordering the card in person at the ISIC issuing points in Vilnius, the card can be made and acquired during the appointment.

More information on ISIC: https://www.isic.lt/en

Academic information for bachelor and master students:

https://www.gmc.vu.lt/en/studies/academic-information#study-process

Psychological Support at VU

VU students and employees can receive up to 4 free of charge individual sessions each year. The sessions are facilitated by experienced and qualified practitioners and can be conducted remotely or in-person.

More information:

https://www.gmc.vu.lt/en/for-staff/occupational-safety/psychologist-s-consultation

Emergency number - 112

The common emergency number for the Lithuanian police, rescue, and fire department, as well as for medical emergencies in Lithuania, is 📞 112. Assistance by the 📞 112 number is available in Lithuanian, English, Russian and Polish.

Relocation guide prepared by International House Vilnius:

https://ihvilnius.lt/relocation-guide-form

Another information center for valuable articles on life in Lithuania and integration tips:

https://micenter.lt/en

WE CAN HELP YOU!

Contacts at Vilnius University Life Sciences Center:

Daina Bujanauskienė – coordinator of international events and projects

Consults international staff (academics and/or researchers, doctoral students or post-doctoral researchers) on general issues about moving to Lithuania and getting started at Life Sciences Center

Office at LSC: C139,