They pay taxes, speak Lithuanian, work and raise children – but they don’t know if they can fully tie their future to the country. For many long-term residents of Lithuania, the path to citizenship can be long and uncertain, even after they have fulfilled all formal requirements.
Hundreds of applicants whose files are technically complete remain in limbo at the final stage of the process, waiting for a decision from the president.
Years of waiting
Belarusian engineer Vladimir Chivel has lived in Lithuania for more than a decade but has been waiting for a decision on citizenship for three years.
Vladimir first arrived in Lithuania 13 years ago for short-term projects. He later worked in wind turbine testing, fintech companies, and now manages risk and security in a bank. He applied for citizenship in February 2023, after fulfilling all formal requirements, including permanent residency, a B1-level Lithuanian language exam, and a master’s-equivalent engineering degree recognised in Lithuania.
“I’ve done everything I could on my part,” he told LRT.lt.
His family’s life is now deeply rooted in Lithuania. Vladimir’s child, born in Lithuania, attends a local kindergarten, speaks fluent Lithuanian, and is preparing to start school this year.
“He points to the Lithuanian flag and says, ‘This is our flag’,” Vladimir said. The family has not returned to Belarus since 2019, and the child has only faint memories of the country.
Inquiries to the Migration Department revealed that a commission recommended granting Vladimir citizenship in October 2024 and forwarded the case to the president. “But the president has not yet made a decision. And under the law, there is no deadline,” Vladimir explained.
The uncertainty weighs heavily. “It’s hard to plan life. For example, taking a mortgage or buying a house – I consider the risk high. At any moment, they could say you are undesirable,” he said. Some acquaintances have already decided to leave Lithuania, mostly for Poland, but Vladimir remains, tied to work and family.
He describes his situation as “a limbo”, while he awaits a decision that will decide his security and his future.
From Moscow to Vilnius
Alexander (name changed), a Moscow native who lived in Russia for nearly 30 years, moved to Lithuania after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
“I felt it very personally. My great-grandparents were from Ukraine, I spent my childhood in Crimea and had many friends there. After 2014, I just couldn’t watch it calmly,” he said.
Alexander moved to Lithuania in part because of his Lithuanian wife. He had several short visits before relocating permanently in 2015 and received residency. Over the years, he integrated into Lithuanian society, learning the language and passing the constitution and language exams.
Professionally, Alexander shifted from long, demanding hours in the film industry to a more stable role in advertising. He applied for citizenship about two and a half years ago, benefiting from a shortened residency requirement for spouses of Lithuanian citizens.
“I applied right when the full-scale war started. I had to renew my Russian passport – six months of uncertainty about whether I could even apply. I think I managed. Since then – silence,” he said.
Alexander emphasises that obtaining Lithuanian citizenship is equally about renouncing his Russian citizenship. “I want to renounce it as much as I want to get Lithuanian citizenship. I don’t want any ties with that fascist cesspool my birthplace has become,” he said.
‘I think my name won’t be there for a long time’
Olga (name changed), a Belarusian, has lived in Lithuania for more than 13 years and has been waiting for citizenship for 18 months. She represents a typical experience of migrants who complete all formal steps but stall at the last stage.
She moved to Lithuania in 2012, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and stayed to work. By December 2023, after more than a decade in the country, she applied for citizenship.
“I met all requirements,” Olga said. She passed the language and constitutional exams at the residency stage. “I also had to fill out a form asking about Crime,” she said, referring to a requirement introduced by the Lithuanian parliament after 2022 that Russian and Belarusian nationals applying for residence sign a declaration condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
“The migration service couldn’t give me a clear timeframe for the review. They said a year at best, but they didn’t really know,” Olga said.
However, she was informed that for Belarusian and Russian nationals, additional security checks were needed and they could take “a prolonged period”. The only additional request she received in 2025 was to confirm her legal income – technically not a standard requirement. Later, she corrected a minor error in her declaration and received confirmation that it was accepted.
Despite recommendations from the citizenship commission, her name did not appear in the December citizenship decrees. “I think my name won’t be there for a long time. They are working through a backlog accumulated over several years,” she said.
Olga described mixed emotions. She understands Lithuania’s security concerns given its geography and history, but she also finds the delays frustrating and opaque.
“I don’t understand how exactly not issuing citizenship or such a delay and lack of transparency contribute to the country’s security,” she reasoned.
The procedure
Lithuanian citizenship can be acquired by birth, restoration, exceptional merit, or naturalization – the latter being most common for foreign residents. Applicants usually must have legally and continuously resided in Lithuania for at least 10 years, hold permanent residency, know Lithuanian, understand the constitution, and renounce previous citizenship.
The Migration Department collects information from the State Security Department, police, Interpol databases, and other registers. It then forwards the case to the Citizenship Commission, which issues a recommendation to the president, who makes the final decision.
“Migration Department applications must be submitted to the Citizenship Commission within three months of acceptance,” the department said. Certain individuals – such as those involved in international crimes, serious offenses in Lithuania, or without permanent residency rights – are automatically excluded.
Citizenship numbers
The president’s office says recent citizenship decisions are based solely on legal requirements and commission recommendations, not political motives.
In the last December decree, 180 people were granted or restored citizenship: 56 under the simplified process as persons of Lithuanian descent, 87 by naturalisation, 32 by marriage to Lithuanian citizens, and six restorations.
The majority were Ukrainian citizens (71), followed by Russians (48), stateless persons (15), and Belarusians (10). Others included citizens from the UK, Egypt, Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, India, Syria, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Latvia, Georgia, Nigeria, Ecuador, Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran, and Albania.
In total, 366 people received or restored citizenship in 2025 by four presidential decrees, compared to 122 in 2024 and 91 in 2023.
Long pauses between decrees, the administration says, are due to the president needing time to review and evaluate all information thoroughly. “Decision timing depends solely on the president’s ability to examine the materials, not on political or legal reasons,” the office said.
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