Simplified Naturalisation for Persons of Lithuanian Descent (Article 10 - supaprastinta tvarka)

Applicant IS a citizen of another state and is unwilling to renounce/commit to renounce it (single-nationality only; Art 10(2): 'provided they are not citizens of another state'). Applicant has previously held Lithuanian citizenship (the simplified procedure is for those who NEVER held it; prior holders use Art 9 reinstatement or Art 21 restoration). Any Article 22 circumstance: (1) preparation/attempt/commission of international crimes; (2) criminal acts against the Republic of Lithuania; (3) prior very-serious-crime imprisonment; (4) no right to a permanent-residence document. Lithuanian descent not established (no certificate of Lithuanian descent and insufficient documentary proof of parent/grandparent Lithuanian nationality plus self-identification) — an evidentiary refusal. Failure to take the Art 23 oath within the deadline (without a sufficiently serious reason) — the grant does not perfect into citizenship and a repeat application is not considered (Art 37(4)). Discretionary Presidential refusal: a positive Citizenship Commission recommendation does not bind the President (Art 30(1); cf. KT 2003-12-30 byla 40/03 on the Art 84(21) presidential prerogative line). Litvak/Jewish descent — Art 10 requires Lithuanian tautybė; Litvak descendants must use Art 9.

Positive requirements: (1) Lithuanian descent per the Art 2 definition — parent/grandparent (or one of them) is or was Lithuanian by nationality/ethnicity (tautybė), plus the applicant's written statement that he considers himself Lithuanian; (2) Never held Lithuanian citizenship; (3) Not currently a citizen of another state, OR written declaration of will to renounce after the grant; (4) No Art 22 disqualifying circumstance (all four grounds — international crimes, criminal acts against Lithuania, very-serious-crime imprisonment, no permanent-residence right). No positive requirement of: Lithuanian language (CEFR exam); Constitution-fundamentals examination; legal permanent residence in Lithuania; specific minimum age (other than being competent to apply). The grant is by Presidential decree — it is discretionary (Art 30(1)), not an enforceable right; meeting all conditions does not bind the President. The Citizenship Commission (Art 31) makes a non-binding preliminary recommendation. Following a positive decree, the applicant must take the oath of allegiance (Art 23) before the citizenship is perfected — oath is NOT optional for the simplified procedure (contrast with reinstatement under Art 9, which requires NO oath). Where the applicant held a foreign citizenship, renunciation must be completed before the Presidential decree expires (decree validity for this purpose is 2 years).

Required documents: (1) Application for the grant of citizenship under the simplified procedure (via MIGRIS portal in Lithuanian or English), addressed to the President of the Republic and submitted through the Migration Department or a diplomatic mission/consular post (Art 37(2)/Art 39(3)); (2) Either: a 'certificate of Lithuanian descent' (lietuvių kilmės pažymėjimas) — upon submission of which NO further descent/kinship documents are required; OR documents indicating that both or one of the parents or grandparents are or were Lithuanians (period records of nationality/ethnicity, e.g. pre-war population/parish records, identity documents stating tautybė), PLUS the applicant's written statement that he considers himself Lithuanian; (3) Documents proving the kinship chain linking the applicant to the Lithuanian parent/grandparent (birth/marriage certificates), where a certificate of Lithuanian descent is NOT used; (4) Document attesting the applicant is NOT a citizen of another state, OR a written declaration of the will to renounce the other citizenship after the grant; (5) Valid passport/identity document; criminal-record certificate addressing the Art 22 bars; (6) Legalisation/Apostille and certified Lithuanian translation of foreign documents; physical originals to reach a Migration Department territorial unit within 4 months of MIGRIS submission.

Step 1: Establish Lithuanian descent — obtain a certificate of Lithuanian descent (lietuvių kilmės pažymėjimas) from the Migration Department (recommended — it removes the need for further descent/kinship documents), OR assemble documents proving a parent/grandparent was Lithuanian by nationality plus the applicant's written statement that he considers himself Lithuanian. Step 2: File the simplified-procedure application via MIGRIS (Lithuanian or English), addressed to the President of the Republic, through the Migration Department or a consular post; enclose descent evidence, identity document, criminal-record certificate, and the non-foreign-citizenship document or written renunciation declaration; submit physical originals within 4 months; pay the EUR 120 state fee. Step 3: Migration Department examines and forwards to the Citizenship Commission no later than within 3 months of receipt. Step 4: Citizenship Commission examines within no more than 6 months and makes a NON-BINDING recommendation to the President. Step 5: President decides by decree at discretion (Art 30(1)); a positive decree is published in the official gazette (Art 36). Step 6 (if applicable): Where the applicant held a foreign citizenship, renounce it before the decree expires (decree validity 2 years for this purpose). Step 7: Take the OATH of allegiance (Art 23) at the Ministry of the Interior or a diplomatic/consular post within the Art 23(4) deadline. The person becomes a citizen with full rights ONLY after taking the oath. (Contrast: reinstatement under Art 9 requires NO oath.)

Following submission of the simplified-procedure application, documents are forwarded to the Citizenship Commission within NO LATER THAN 3 months of receipt by the Migration Department. The Citizenship Commission examines within no more than 6 months and makes a non-binding recommendation to the President (Art 31). Presidential decision is then by decree at discretion; the indicative end-to-end is approximately 4-12 months for the decision phase (Migration Department indicative figure; migration.lt/migracija.lt T1), but the discretionary Presidential step has no statutory maximum. Where the applicant held a foreign citizenship, after the decree the person must renounce it before the decree expires (decree validity for this purpose is 2 years), then take the oath. Physical original documents must reach the Migration Department within 4 months of MIGRIS submission. State fee: EUR 120.00 — the flat grant-route state fee (valstybes rinkliava) for a grant of citizenship under the simplified procedure (Art 37(5); Vyriausybės nutarimas Nr. 597/2023, in force 2023-07-28; item 2.25.2 simplified grant — confirmed against the official Migration Department fee table 'New Fees of the Migration Department as of 28 July 2023';). Certificate of Lithuanian descent fee: EUR 50.00 — where obtained to ease descent proof. Consular fee may apply where filed via a diplomatic mission.

Primary law: Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania No. XI-1196 (adopted 2010-12-02, in force 2011-04-01), consolidated edition in force 2024-01-01 (e-seimas LT TAIS.387811 / EN render TAIS.395555). Art 10(1) verbatim (EN render TAIS.395555, retrieved 2026-05-31): 'Persons of Lithuanian descent who have never held citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania shall have the right to acquire citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania under the simplified procedure, irrespective of whether they are permanently resident in the Republic of Lithuania or in any other state.' Art 10(2) verbatim: 'Persons referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article may acquire citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania under the simplified procedure, provided they are not citizens of another state and there are no circumstances specified in Article 22 of this Law under which citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania shall not be granted.' Art 2 verbatim (descent definition): 'Lithuanian descent shall be certified by documents indicating that both or one of the parents or grandparents of a person are or were Lithuanians, as well as a person's written statement whereby he declares that he considers himself Lithuanian.' Decision power: Art 30(1)-(2) (President grants by decree); Art 31 (Citizenship Commission preliminary non-binding recommendation); Art 37(2)/Art 39(3) (filing channels; application documents); Art 23 (oath REQUIRED for the simplified procedure); Art 37(5) (fee delegation); Art 36 (decree publication). Fee instrument: Vyriausybės nutarimas Nr. 597 (2023-07-26, in force 2023-07-28) — EUR 120 grant fee; EUR 50 certificate of Lithuanian descent fee. Lithuania is NON-party to ECN (CETS 166), ETS 043, and CETS 200.