Lithuania Startup Visa: Everything You Need to Know in 2026

Lithuania’s Startup Visa offers innovative founders from outside the European Union a structured route to establish and develop a startup in Lithuania. It can provide access to a fast-growing European startup ecosystem, a Lithuanian temporary residence permit and an EU-based company from which to serve international markets.

However, the name can be misleading. The Lithuania Startup Visa is not simply a visa that can be obtained by opening a company. It is a two-stage approval process. First, Startup Lithuania assesses whether the proposed venture is genuinely innovative and capable of scaling. If the assessment is positive, the founder may then apply to the Lithuanian Migration Department for a temporary residence permit. The Migration Department makes its own decision, and Startup Lithuania’s approval does not guarantee that the residence permit will be issued.

This guide explains the requirements, application process, costs, company-registration options and principal tax rules as they stand in 2026.

Lithuania Startup Visa at a glance

What is the Lithuania Startup Visa?

The Startup Visa Lithuania programme is a relocation pathway for third-country entrepreneurs who intend to build an innovation-driven company in Lithuania. It is administered by Startup Lithuania, the national startup ecosystem facilitator operating under Innovation Agency Lithuania.

The programme addresses a practical problem faced by foreign founders. The ordinary business-based immigration route may involve capital, operating-history or employment conditions that are difficult for an early-stage venture to satisfy. The startup route focuses instead on the quality and growth potential of the venture. The official programme highlights lower initial capital and hiring requirements than other business-migration pathways.

The successful founder receives the opportunity to apply for a Lithuanian temporary residence permit rather than an automatic right of residence. There are therefore two separate decisions:

1. Business assessment: Startup Lithuania decides whether the venture meets the programme’s startup criteria.

2. Immigration assessment: the Migration Department checks the founder’s identity, immigration history, security, finances, insurance, documents and other legal requirements.

Both stages must be completed successfully.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need the Startup Visa route to establish a business or exercise their free-movement rights in Lithuania. They may still register and operate a Lithuanian startup, but different residence-registration rules apply to them.

Who can qualify for the Lithuania Startup Visa?

The programme is intended for a founder or co-founder from outside the EU who will take an active role in a venture capable of introducing meaningful innovation and growing beyond a small local market.

A strong applicant will normally be able to demonstrate:

• a genuinely innovative product, service, technology or business model;

• a credible opportunity to scale internationally;

• a clearly defined problem and a defensible solution;

• a capable founding team with relevant experience;

• a realistic business model, target market and development plan;

• sufficient resources to execute the initial plan; and

• the founder’s real ownership, responsibility and active involvement in the venture.

An applicant does not necessarily need a mature company with substantial revenue. Nevertheless, an idea alone is rarely persuasive. A prototype, minimum viable product, intellectual property, customer interviews, letters of intent, pilot results, early users, revenue or investment discussions can all make the application more credible.

Which businesses are unlikely to qualify?

The Startup Visa is not designed for every new business. A conventional consultancy, marketing agency, restaurant, retail shop, construction company, import-export business or ordinary e-commerce store will not normally qualify merely because it is newly established or uses digital tools.

The central question is not whether the company is new. It is whether the venture introduces a meaningful innovation and has a convincing model for rapid, repeatable growth. A traditional business would need a genuinely innovative element at the heart of its product or model - not simply a modern website, an app wrapper or an intention to expand abroad.

How the Lithuania Startup Visa application works

1. Prepare the business case

Before applying, founders should clarify the problem, proposed solution, market size, competitive advantage, business model, development milestones and the role of each team member. Financial assumptions should be consistent with the product roadmap and go-to-market plan.

The pitch deck should be concise but evidence-based. It should answer three questions particularly well: why the solution is innovative, why the venture can scale, and why this team can execute it from Lithuania.

2. Submit the application to Startup Lithuania

The application is submitted online and includes information about the founders, team, product and business plan. A pitch deck must also be attached. The official application route is available through the Startup Visa Lithuania website.

Startup Lithuania warns that its programme and consultations are free. Applicants should be cautious of anyone claiming to represent the programme and requesting an unofficial approval fee.

3. Attend the online interview

Applicants who proceed are invited to a 30-minute video call. This is a pitch and question-and-answer session, not a formality. Founders should be ready to explain the technology or innovation, commercial model, competition, current progress, funding, team responsibilities and plans for Lithuania.

4. Expert-committee evaluation

After the initial review, the application is submitted to an authorised committee of experts for the final startup assessment. The committee may consider the venture’s degree of innovation, scalability, commercial potential, team and ability to implement the stated plan.

5. Receive the confirmation and apply through MIGRIS

Following a positive assessment, Startup Lithuania issues an official confirmation. The founder can then apply for a temporary residence permit through MIGRIS, the Lithuanian Migration Information System.

In MIGRIS, the relevant route is generally found under temporary residence permits, legal activity and the startup category. The applicant uploads the required documents, selects the place of submission and books an appointment to present the originals and provide biometric data.

6. Submit documents and biometrics

A founder who is legally present in Lithuania may submit the originals and biometric data at the Migration Department. A founder applying from abroad normally uses an authorised external service-provider office.

The place of application must be checked before filing. Lithuania changed its external-service-provider network and appointment rules in late 2025. As of 2026, offices operate in a defined list of countries and, as a general rule, an applicant can use the office in the country of which they are a citizen. There are exceptions and additional restrictions for particular countries and nationalities. The Migration Department publishes the current rules and list of foreign application locations.

Submitting a residence-permit application does not by itself grant a right to remain in Lithuania after the applicant’s existing lawful stay expires. Travel and filing dates should therefore be planned carefully.

7. Receive the Migration Department’s decision

Startup Lithuania’s official confirmation is necessary, but it is not binding on the Migration Department. The Migration Department can request further documents, conduct security checks or refuse the application if immigration requirements are not satisfied.

The official Startup Visa guide lists a one-month decision period under the general procedure and 15 days under the urgent procedure. Appointment availability, requests for additional documents and delivery of a residence card abroad can extend the practical timeline. No adviser should promise an exact approval date.

8. Establish the Lithuanian company

After receiving the temporary residence permit, the founder has 120 days to register the company in Lithuania. Startup Lithuania must then be informed about the registration within three working days. The official guide asks founders to provide the company’s registration certificate and incorporation agreement, or an equivalent document showing the full ownership structure.

This deadline is important. The residence permission was granted for the purpose of developing the approved startup, so the company must be real, properly registered and consistent with the venture that was evaluated.

Documents commonly required for the residence permit

The final list is generated in MIGRIS and depends on the applicant’s circumstances. A typical founder should prepare for the following:

• a valid passport;

• Startup Lithuania’s positive confirmation;

• the completed MIGRIS application;

• evidence of sufficient means of subsistence;

• qualifying health insurance;

• a criminal-record or non-conviction certificate, where required;

• evidence concerning accommodation or a commitment to declare residence;

• civil-status documents for accompanying family members; and

• properly legalised, apostilled, notarised and translated documents where applicable.

In 2026, the general subsistence benchmark for an adult applicant is linked to Lithuania’s minimum monthly wage and is currently €1,153 per month, according to the Migration Information Centre’s current TRP guidance. A founder asked to prove funds for at least 12 months should therefore plan for evidence equivalent to approximately €13,836, although MIGRIS and the Migration Department’s live requirements must be checked at the time of filing.

The Startup Visa guide currently available also specifies private health-insurance cover of at least €30,000, valid in the EU for at least 12 months and covering repatriation costs in the event of illness or accident. The policy wording matters; a basic travel policy is not automatically sufficient.

Documents issued by foreign public authorities may require an apostille or legalisation. Documents not issued in Lithuanian or English generally require a certified translation. These formalities often take longer than founders expect and should be started before the residence application is submitted.

Lithuania Startup Visa costs

The programme assessment itself is free, but the full relocation is not. A realistic budget should distinguish official fees from supporting costs.

The current state fees can be checked on the Migration Department’s residence-permit fees page.

Company registration in Lithuania after Startup Visa approval

The Startup Visa and company registration in Lithuania are connected, but they are not the same procedure. Startup Lithuania evaluates the venture, the Migration Department decides the founder’s residence status, and the Register of Legal Entities records the company.

For most startups, the practical choice is between a UAB and an MB. Both provide limited liability, meaning that founders are generally not personally liable for the company’s obligations merely because they are owners. The ownership structure, fundraising plans and method of paying founders should determine the choice—not registration price alone.

UAB or MB: which is better for a startup?

Why UAB is normally the stronger startup form

Startup Lithuania’s own guide recommends the UAB as the standard form for startups. Its share-based structure is familiar to investors, makes ownership percentages clearer and is better suited to investment rounds, share transfers and employee-option planning. A UAB may have both individual and corporate shareholders, and there is no general limit on their number.

The minimum authorised capital is €1,000. This is not a registration fee: it becomes the company’s capital and can be used for legitimate company activities after incorporation, subject to corporate and accounting rules.

For a founder planning to approach accelerators, angel investors or venture-capital funds, choosing a UAB at the beginning will usually avoid restructuring later.

When an MB can make sense

An MB can be attractive to a small team that is bootstrapping and does not need external equity investment in the near term. It has no statutory minimum share capital and may be established by up to ten natural persons.

Its limitations matter. An MB has members rather than shareholders, legal entities cannot become members, and conventional share-based investment or employee-option structures do not fit naturally. Founder remuneration and social-insurance treatment also differ from a UAB. An MB can later be transformed, but the time, legal work and tax consequences of restructuring should be considered before choosing it solely to save €1,000 of initial capital.

For current official descriptions of both forms, see Innovation Agency Lithuania’s business-form guidance.

Practical company-establishment steps

The exact process depends on the founders, legal form and method of signing, but it normally includes:

1. reserving or approving the company name;

2. securing a Lithuanian registered-office address and the owner’s consent;

3. preparing the incorporation agreement or act, articles of association and management decisions;

4. identifying founders, owners, the director or other authorised representative;

5. opening an accumulation account and paying the UAB capital, where applicable;

6. registering the legal entity with the Lithuanian Register of Legal Entities;

7. recording shareholders or members and ultimate beneficial owners in the relevant registers;

8. opening an operational business account and completing the bank or payment institution’s KYC review; and

9. arranging accounting, tax registrations, payroll and any sector-specific licences.

Both a UAB and an MB may be established electronically when the required Lithuanian-compatible electronic signatures and standard documents can be used. Foreign founders who cannot complete the electronic procedure may use a representative and individually prepared documents.

Company registration does not guarantee a bank account. Banks and payment institutions conduct their own onboarding, source-of-funds, ownership and business-model checks. Foreign founders should prepare a clear description of the startup, ownership chart, expected transactions, contracts and evidence showing the source of initial funds.

Taxes for Lithuanian startups in 2026

Corporate income tax

The standard Lithuanian corporate income tax rate is 17% of taxable profit in 2026. Tax is charged on profit, not turnover: ordinary and properly documented business expenses are deducted when calculating the taxable result.

Qualifying small companies whose annual income does not exceed €300,000 may benefit from a 0% corporate income tax rate during their first and second tax periods, followed by a 7% rate in later periods. The reduced rates are subject to statutory eligibility and anti-fragmentation rules, so the revenue threshold alone is not enough to confirm entitlement.

The official rates and conditions are summarised by the Lithuanian Ministry of Finance.

VAT

Lithuania’s standard VAT rate is 21%. The domestic small-business exemption generally applies where relevant turnover did not exceed €45,000 in the previous calendar year and is not expected to exceed it in the current year.

The €45,000 figure should not be treated as a universal exemption. Receiving services from another EU Member State, supplying certain cross-border services or acquiring more than €14,000 of goods from other EU Member States can create VAT registration or reporting obligations earlier. This point is especially important for SaaS startups buying foreign advertising, cloud or software services and selling B2B services across the EU. The Ministry of Finance provides a useful overview of Lithuania’s VAT rules.

Innovation and R&D incentives

Technology companies should assess whether their activities qualify as research and experimental development rather than assuming every software-development cost does. Where statutory conditions and documentation are satisfied, Lithuania provides several incentives, including:

• a triple deduction for qualifying R&D expenses;

• accelerated depreciation of fixed assets used in R&D; and

• a 7% corporate income tax rate on qualifying profits from the commercialisation of assets created through R&D.

From 2026, immediate deduction may also be available for specified categories of newly used fixed assets, including computer and communications equipment and software, subject to the applicable rules. The Ministry of Finance’s innovation-incentives guidance should be reviewed before relying on any incentive.

Founder salary, MB payments and dividends

Corporate income tax is only one layer. Salary, director remuneration, MB-member payments and dividends can produce different personal-income-tax and social-insurance results. Dividends received by individuals generally remain subject to 15% Lithuanian personal income tax in 2026, while employment income falls under separate payroll rules. The Ministry of Finance summarises the principal 2026 changes in its official tax-amendments notice.

A foreign founder’s tax residence and home-country rules may also affect the final result. The company form and founder-remuneration model should therefore be selected together, preferably before the first payments are made.

Can family members relocate with the founder?

Yes. The official programme identifies residence permits for family members as one of its benefits. Eligible family members submit separate applications and must provide their own passports, civil-status documents, insurance and other supporting evidence.

Marriage, partnership and birth certificates may need to be apostilled or legalised and translated. The official Startup Visa guide states that a spouse holding the relevant family residence status does not need a separate work permit. Family applications should nevertheless be planned individually because the documents and timing may differ from the founder’s application.

Renewal, permanent residence and EU mobility

The initial startup-based temporary residence permit is issued for two years. The programme states that it may be extended up to a total of five years, but renewal is not automatic. The startup must continue operating, and the legal basis for the founder’s residence must still exist. Founders should preserve evidence of product development, clients, revenue, financing, employment, taxes and genuine activity in Lithuania.

The Startup Visa does not itself grant Lithuanian citizenship or permanent residence. After sufficient continuous lawful residence, a founder may become eligible for long-term or permanent residence under separate rules concerning continuity, absences, income, language and other conditions. The individual residence history must be assessed before relying on this route.

A Lithuanian residence permit also does not give an unrestricted right to live and work throughout the EU. It permits residence and work in Lithuania and generally supports short visits within the Schengen Area, but moving to or working in another Member State remains subject to that state’s immigration law.

Common mistakes that weaken an application

Treating an ordinary small business as a startup

Calling a company a platform or adding artificial intelligence to the pitch is not enough. The innovation must be substantive and central to the business.

Submitting a generic pitch deck

The committee needs evidence, not slogans. Explain the market, competition, product, business model, traction, milestones, funding and why Lithuania is a credible operating base.

Giving inconsistent financial information

Revenue forecasts, development costs, funding needs and founder resources should tell the same story. Unrealistic numbers can undermine an otherwise promising application.

Confusing Startup Lithuania approval with immigration approval

The confirmation letter allows the founder to proceed; it does not bind the Migration Department. Criminal-record, security, financial, insurance and document requirements remain fully applicable.

Using the wrong foreign application office

External-provider rules are nationality- and country-specific. Confirm where you are allowed to submit before paying for travel, translations or appointments.

Leaving apostilles and translations until the end

Foreign public documents can take weeks to prepare. A technically incomplete file may delay the application even when the startup itself has been approved.

Choosing an MB without considering investment

The absence of minimum capital is attractive, but an MB may become inconvenient as soon as a corporate investor, option pool or conventional share round is required.

Assuming the €45,000 VAT threshold covers every transaction

Cross-border services and EU acquisitions can create VAT obligations independently of domestic turnover. International startups should review VAT from the first month, not only when sales approach €45,000.

Final advice for founders

Lithuania can be an excellent base for an ambitious European startup, but the strongest applications are built on substance. A polished pitch cannot replace genuine innovation, a capable team, credible finances and a realistic execution plan. Equally, a positive startup evaluation cannot compensate for incomplete immigration documents.

The best approach is to plan the business, immigration and corporate stages together. Decide early whether an MB or UAB fits the ownership and funding strategy, prepare foreign documents before they become urgent, verify the correct MIGRIS submission location and design the accounting and VAT setup around the startup’s actual transaction flows.

Need help with company registration in Lithuania?

Our team can assist with choosing between an MB and UAB, preparing incorporation documents, arranging a registered business address, coordinating the registration procedure and setting up the company for accounting and tax compliance. We can also help founders organise the corporate documents required after Startup Visa approval. The final startup assessment and residence-permit decision always remain with the responsible Lithuanian authorities.

Official resources

• Startup Visa Lithuania—official programme website

• Official Startup Visa Lithuania guide

• MIGRIS—Lithuanian Migration Information System

• Migration Department—temporary residence permit fees

• Innovation Agency Lithuania—starting a business and legal forms

• Ministry of Finance—corporate income tax

• Ministry of Finance—VAT

• Ministry of Finance—tax incentives for investment and innovation

This article provides general information and does not replace advice based on an applicant’s nationality, immigration history, ownership structure, tax residence or business model.