The BNS news agency presents nine key changes that came into effect on January 1, 2026.
Conscription reform
Young men aged 18-22 will be invited to perform compulsory initial military service. Eighteen-year-olds on the conscription list will be invited to serve immediately after graduating from school, and voluntary service will be available to people up to the age of 39.
Young men aged 17 on the conscription list will be required to undergo a health check, and if they are found to be fit, they will be called up for service when they reach the age of 18.
The possibilities for deferring service are also being reduced. Students who enrol in higher education only after getting listed for conscription will no longer be able to defer military service. These young people will have to choose between taking academic leave, opting for junior officer training, or voluntary non-regular military service.
Compulsory initial military service will last nine months, but soldiers who complete it will receive higher allowances and additional compensation. Soldiers who are highly rated will receive up to 7,500 euros, and those who serve voluntarily will receive an increase of 15 to 30 percent, up to approximately 9,800 euros.
Additionally, soldiers who complete their service will be able to get reimbursement for driving courses.
The length of military reserve service will also be extended from ten to fifteen years.
Pension reform
Changes to the rules concerning private pension funds – the so-called “second-pillar” pension saving – comes into force in 2026, abandoning automatic enrolment, allowing people to withdraw from private pension funds. Savers will be able to withdraw 25 percent of their accumulated savings at once, or the entire amount in the event of serious illness.
All people will be able to withdraw funds accumulated over a two-year period, except for the government subsidy that has been given to savers in order to encourage them to sign up for the scheme.
Around 20-40% of savers are expected to withdraw from the private pension funds, releasing 1.2 billion euros into the economy, according to estimates by economists. Lithuania’s public social insurance fund SoDra estimates that it will receive around 550 million euros.
Retirement age
The gradual increase in the retirement age is now complete, with both men and women retiring at 65. The minimum length of service required to qualify for a pension increased by six months to 34 years and six months, and it will rise to 35 years in 2027.
Language requirement for foreigners serving customers
Foreigners selling goods or providing services in Lithuania must now serve residents in the official language at a minimum A1, or basic, level. This requires the ability to understand and use common phrases, introduce themselves and others, ask and answer simple personal questions, and conduct basic interactions with customers.
Seasonal workers with a residence permit must also meet this requirement. After two years, foreigners wishing to continue working must demonstrate at least an A2-level proficiency in Lithuanian.
Tighter penalties for dangerous smuggling
Amendments to the Criminal Code impose stricter criminal penalties for smuggling goods in dangerous ways, with no option for financial penalties. Smuggling that endangers human life or health, disrupts key companies, or compromises safe transport can result in two to eight years in prison.
Similar penalties apply for the storage, transport, shipment, or sale of excise goods if these activities pose real threats to life, health, or property. Smuggling weapons, explosives, or ammunition carries five to ten years in prison; very large quantities of narcotics, four to twelve years; drug precursors, four to seven years; radioactive or highly toxic substances, three to eight years; and other products harmful to health, two to six years.
A new article in the Criminal Code also criminalises disruption of transport operations through illegal means, punishable by three to eight years in prison.
The changes follow the recent “smuggler balloon crisis” where contraband cigarettes transported from Belarus by weather balloons seriously disrupted operations at Vilnius Airport.
Unused paid time off
Employees who had unused paid time off for 2021–2022 and did not take it by December 31, 2025, will lose it, except in cases where objective circumstances prevented its use, such as long-term illness, childcare leave, employer actions, or other important reasons.
More tests by family doctors
Family doctors are now authorised to perform additional laboratory and rapid tests. These include vitamin B12 and folic acid, vitamin D, thyroid function, Helicobacter pylori antigen testing, rapid rotavirus, adenovirus, and norovirus tests, as well as microbiological cultures from stool, wounds, throat, nasopharynx, and ear secretions. Natriuretic peptide testing may also be used more widely.
No more driving tests in Russian
Prospective drivers can no longer take the theory test in Russian. Tests are now offered only in Lithuanian or another official EU language, including English, Polish, Spanish, or French. The practical driving test continues to be conducted in Lithuanian, with interpreters available for translation into official EU languages.
The change was originally scheduled for 2025 but was postponed for a year by Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič to allow more time for preparation.
Changes to traffic regulations
All riders of electric micro-mobility vehicles, including scooters and electric bicycles, must now wear helmets. Rental companies are required to provide helmets with rented vehicles.
Electric micro-mobility devices must continue to have a working brake and horn, a white light at the front, a red light at the rear, and orange reflective elements on both sides. Riders travelling on roadways must wear brightly coloured vests with reflective elements, or ensure the vehicle has proper front and rear lighting.
During hours of darkness or poor visibility, a reflective vest is mandatory, and the white front and red rear lights must be used.
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