How Lithuanian citizenship by descent works
The eligibility rules for Lithuanian citizenship by descent, in plain English — who may qualify, what disqualifies, and the legal regimes over time, each cited to its primary statute.
Who may qualify
A qualifying path — via the restitution route
Date keying
- In force from 2022-01-28 onward — keyed on the assessment date, not on anyone's birth.
Requirements
ALL of the following
ANY of the following
the applicant must be the parent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- parent
the applicant must be the grandparent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- grandparent
the applicant must be the great grandparent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- great_grandparent
The qualifying ancestor must have held lithuanian citizenship on or before 1940-06-15 (typically a wartime occupation or annexation cutoff).
- required citizenship:
- lithuanian
- cutoff date:
- 1940-06-15
the qualifying ancestor has a qualifying no formal lt citizenship loss (confirmed).
- confirmed:
- true
a qualifying ancestor on any line has a recorded left lt before independence such that confirmed = true, before = 1990-03-11, not to ussr after = 1940-06-15.
- confirmed:
- true
- before:
- 1990-03-11
- not to ussr after:
- 1940-06-15
Primary sources
- § Law on Citizenship No. XI-1196 (Lithuania), Art. 2 (as amended Jan 2022 — citizenship held at any time before 1940-06-15) and Art. 7 (as amended 2016 — dual citizenship for those who left before 1990-03-11, voluntary or forced)
- § Reinstatement with dual citizenship retained: qualifying ancestor (or any ancestor in the lineage) left Lithuania before 1990-03-11 and did not relocate to USSR territory after 1940-06-15.
- § MIGRIS — Dual Citizenship in Lithuania (https://www.migration.lt/dual-citizenship-in-lithuania)
A qualifying path — via the restitution route
Date keying
- In force from 2022-01-28 onward — keyed on the assessment date, not on anyone's birth.
Requirements
ALL of the following
ANY of the following
the applicant must be the parent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- parent
the applicant must be the grandparent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- grandparent
the applicant must be the great grandparent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- great_grandparent
The qualifying ancestor must have held lithuanian citizenship on or before 1940-06-15 (typically a wartime occupation or annexation cutoff).
- required citizenship:
- lithuanian
- cutoff date:
- 1940-06-15
the qualifying ancestor has a qualifying no formal lt citizenship loss (confirmed).
- confirmed:
- true
Must NOT be true
a qualifying ancestor on any line has a recorded left lt before independence such that confirmed = true, before = 1990-03-11, not to ussr after = 1940-06-15.
- confirmed:
- true
- before:
- 1990-03-11
- not to ussr after:
- 1940-06-15
Primary sources
- § Law on Citizenship No. XI-1196 (Lithuania), Art. 2 (as amended Jan 2022). Reinstatement is available, but dual citizenship is NOT: the applicant must RENOUNCE current citizenship because the left-before-1990 / not-to-USSR condition is not met (e.g. voluntary relocation to the USSR after 1940-06-15).
- § MIGRIS — Reinstatement of Lithuanian Citizenship (https://www.migration.lt/reinstatement-of-lithuanian-citizenship)
See how these rules apply to your family
The free eligibility check walks your own lineage through these rules — no account, no card, about two minutes.
Check your Lithuanian eligibility