A new system came into force in Lithuania in 2025 linking medical checks directly to the validity of a driver’s licence. In practice, this means that if a medical certificate expires, the driver’s licence also becomes invalid and the person is no longer allowed to drive.
Following the latest publication on the issue, LRT.lt was contacted by Peter, a foreign national living in Lithuania. After reading the article, he became concerned about whether his driving licence remained valid, as it had been issued in another EU country with a different medical assessment system.
“As you know, there are people here who can legally drive with licences issued by other EU countries, where medical checks are handled differently,” he said. “Does the health check have to be done in Lithuania, or is one from the country of origin sufficient?”
Regitra, the state vehicle registration authority, has confirmed that the new rules apply only to drivers holding Lithuanian-issued licences.
“If a foreign national holds a licence issued by another country, they must follow the medical assessment requirements of the country where the licence was issued,” explained Bačionytė.
LRT.lt reminds drivers that operating a vehicle without a valid medical certificate, failing to comply with licence restrictions, or driving with an expired licence may result in a fine of between €30 and €50.
65,000 drivers failed to complete health checks
As previously reported by LRT.lt, at the start of this year around 65,000 drivers had failed to renew their medical certificates on time, resulting in their driving licences becoming invalid.
According to Regitra, the figures change daily. Some drivers lose the right to drive when their medical certificate expires, while others restore their licence validity after completing the required health check.
Regitra spokesperson Eglė Bačionytė said that the highest proportion of drivers who failed to renew their medical certificates were in the following age groups: 73–77 (12.6%), 63–67 (11.7%), 68–72 (10.9%) and 28–32 (10.1%).
Police data shows that in 2025, up to December 22, 19,008 people were fined under the Administrative Offences Code. Over half of those were penalised for driving without completing mandatory health checks.
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