Declaration of your place of residence. Why and for whom is it important?
Everyone living in Lithuania must declare their place of residence. This procedure is necessary if
-
Foreign citizens come to live here;
-
Lithuanian citizens return to live in their home country or plan to stay in the country for more than 183 days;
-
Residents change their place of residence within the country;
-
A citizen of the Republic of Lithuania is born.
This must be done within a maximum period of 1 month after receiving temporary or permanent residence permit (TRP or PRP), the change of residence or the birth of a child. The place to be declared may be the location of the property, rented accommodation, and in some cases a district or municipality.
Declaration of place of residence for foreigners
Foreigners applying for a temporary residence permit in Lithuania may declare their place of residence at the Migration Department by indicating the option to declare their place of residence on the application form for a temporary residence permit (provided that the exact address of residence is known). The most common way for foreigners to declare their place of residence is at the county/municipal office by presenting their residence permit, their exact address, and property ownership documents or the consent of the property owner. Unfortunately, in most cases, foreigners cannot complete the declaration of place of residence online.
BOOK an appointment to declare your place of residence:
-
Persons declaring their place of residence in Klaipėda City Municipality must book an appointment to submit their application for declaration of place of residence. This can be done via:
-
Email: deklaravimas@klaipeda.lt.
-
Phone: +370 46 39 61 02
-
The applications to declare place of residence are filled during the appointment at Klaipėda Municipality Customer Service Department on Taikos pr. 52C. Make sure to bring your identification documents (passport or ID card), valid residence permit and rental contract.
Declaring your place of residence in the private property
To register your place of residence in your private property, all you need to do is go to the county/municipality with your identity card or passport, and you residence permit. You can also do this by filling in an online application at the Electronic Government Gateway or at the Register Centre. You will need to verify your identity by e-banking, electronic or mobile signature when connecting to the self-service systems.
Declaration of Residence in Rental Property
This method is available at physical locations as well as online. In addition to your passport, residence permit, you must have the consent of the landlord. This can be written in the rental contract or in a officially notarized document. Alternatively, the landlord can come alonside you to the county/municipality and sign the permission form or confirm it online by logging on to the Electronic Government Gateway.
Declaration of place of residence for minors
Infants, children and adolescents are also required to declare their place of residence. The declaration of place of residence application is completed by the parents, adoptive parents or legal guardians of a minor. The birth certificate of the child and the identity card/passport and residence permit in Lithuania of the parents are sufficient for the declaration. If the declared place of residence is a rented property, no separate authorization from the property owner is required, as the parents' and children's home addresses are the same.
Declaration of residence at the municipal address
If you have arrived in Lithuania or are already living there, you may not be able to register your home address. For example, you do not own property, your landlord does not allow you to register your address, or other circumstances beyond your control. In this case, the person must contact the county/municipality where he/she lives. He/she will be registered in the register of undeclared persons. This option is available to citizens of the Republic of Lithuania. Unfortunately, this option is not available to foreigners.
Benefits of declaring your place of residence
Declaring your place of residence is not only necessary, but also very useful for the Lithuanian residents. All public institutions, including the Lithuanian Post Office, emergency services and public institutions, use this information. This means that letters and emergency assistance will be provided to you faster and on time.
Having a registered address also gives you access to the services and support you are entitled to from your local municipality:
-
The chance to take your children to public kindergarten or school in the area of your declared place of residence.
-
Employed adults can register with their preferred medical centre. Obtain compulsory health insurance and have free access to healthcare services reimbursed by the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund.
-
Adults who are unemployed can apply for help to find a job at the Employment Service in the district/municipality where they are registered as resident. They are also provided with essential social benefits to help them live until they find a job. (Applies for permanent residence holders).
Undeclaring your place of residence
Residents moving from one place to another within Lithuania do not need to undeclare their old place of residence. This is done automatically when the new place of residence is declared at the new municipality. However, things are different if you plan to leave the country.
If you plan to leave Lithuania for more than 6 months, you must undeclare your place of residence. This can be done before departure at the district/municipality office, online or by visiting the local diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Lithuania in your new country of residence.
You don't need to declare your departure from the Republic of Lithuania if you are:
-
Working in a diplomatic capacity and, because of the nature of the job, have to change residence for the duration of the assignment, either alone or with their family;
-
Performing military service;
-
Receiving treatment in inpatient health care facilities;
-
Studying on a full-time study programme in the EU or European Free Trade Association countries;
-
Serving a sentence in a detention centre or correctional home;
-
Working as seafarers on ships that sail and constantly change their location.
Common errors in declaring a place of residence
Although declaring your place of residence is a relatively easy procedure, there are various misunderstandings. Learn about the most common mistakes, prepare yourself properly, save time and avoid inconvenience during the declaration.
-
When you are ready to declare your place of residence, you must check the accuracy of your address. You can do this either by visiting the district/municipality office or online. If the address of your declared place of residence has changed due to certain circumstances, you will need to reapply for a new declaration of residence with a revised address.
-
If you have declared your place of residence at a rental property and your tenancy or lease agreement included the landlord's permission to do so at the time of declaring your place of residence, you will lose your declared place of residence and all its privileges when the rental agreement ends. In this case, you must immediately contact the district/municipality or declare your new place of residence online.
-
If you bought the property and moved in to your private home, you must declare your new place of residence within 1 month of moving. Unfortunately, the place of residence is not automatically switched to a new address after you buy a property. You will have to do this yourself.
-
The place of residence of newborn babies is not automatically declared. You must do this yourself within 1 month of the birth of your child.
-
Applications and documents are not accepted by e-mail for persons who have decided to declare their departure from the Republic of Lithuania. They must be submitted in person to the offices responsible for registering declarations or online.
