Lithuania · Business & founder
Startup Visa Lithuania
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open, administered by Startup Lithuania / Innovation Agency Lithuania.
This is the cheapest legitimate route into Lithuania. Unlike the business route, it carries no payroll obligation. It runs two years, extendable to five, and the PR clock genuinely runs the whole time.
Qualifying routes
€12k
Innovative startup founder
No capital investment is required. The applicant must show subsistence of over EUR 12,000 for the first year. Maximum four founders per venture.
The facts
- Minimum investment
- €12k
- Total landed cost
- No investment threshold. Budget for state fees, EUR 30,000 of health cover and the cost of running the venture.
- Route type
- Business & founder
- Timeline
- 2–5 months (Endorsement by the assessment commission, then UAB registration, which can be done remotely, then the permit.)
- Physical presence
- Expected to build the business from Lithuania
- Family
- Spouse and minor children receive one year initially, then two
- Permanent residency
- 5 years of continuous legal residence
- Citizenship
- 10 years of permanent residence, with exams and renunciation
- Language test
- State language exam plus Constitution test
- Dual citizenship
- Not permitted. You would have to renounce.
- Requirements
- Innovative solution with prototype, MVP or traction in a qualifying fieldSubsistence funds of over EUR 12,000 for the first yearHealth insurance of at least EUR 30,000Registration of a Lithuanian UAB
What can go wrong
- The innovation gate is real. You need a prototype, MVP or traction in a listed technology field. Service businesses do not qualify.
- Capped at four founders per venture.
- There is a five-year total ceiling on the startup permit itself. You must convert to another basis or reach PR within that window.
- Renunciation is still required at the citizenship stage.