People who move to Vilnius and officially declare their residence in the Lithuanian capital will be eligible for cash incentives and a "Vilnius starter kit".
"Many people spend their days in Vilnius, work here, and quite a few actually live here, but have not declared their residence. This means Vilnius loses funds – the taxes they pay could otherwise go toward building city infrastructure and improving services," said Julius Lukošius, head of the municipality's Finance Department.
On average, one Vilnius resident contributes 1,145.5 euros per year to the city budget, according to the municipality.
After one year, a person who has declared their residence in Vilnius will receive a payment worth 50 percent of the personal income tax they paid in the first year, capped at 500 euros. After two years, they will receive another payment worth 50 percent of the tax paid in the second year, also capped at 500 euros.
The "Vilnius starter kit" will include ten 60-minute public transport tickets, one ticket for a ride on the capital's electric boat, two invitations to the Skalvija cinema, and one invitation to the Lazdynai swimming pool.
The scheme will launch on Friday, September 26.
According to the municipality, the goal is to encourage people who live in Vilnius to declare their residency in the city, which would help the municipality better plan and allocate resources.
The payment will be available to those who declare their residence in the city of Vilnius and who have not been registered in the municipality for at least two years before doing so, according to the regulation.
Figures from the National Health Insurance Fund show that 736,000 people are registered with primary healthcare providers in Vilnius, compared to 632,000 who have officially declared their residence in the city.
Vilnius also has nearly 50,000 students, of whom more than 30,000 have not declared their residence in the capital.
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