More than 800 foreign residents in Vilnius have registered for Lithuanian language classes within the first two weeks of a new municipal program aimed at improving integration.
The city government announced the initiative on April 2, encouraging members of the capital’s international community to learn the language as part of broader integration efforts.
According to the municipality, 870 people have already signed up. More than 20 teachers from 15 Vilnius schools are participating in the program, offering individual lessons. The initial courses are paid, while registration for free remote classes is set to open in late April. A second phase of free courses at Vytautas Magnus University is scheduled to begin in June.
City officials said demand is expected to remain high, noting that more than 6,000 foreign residents expressed interest in learning Lithuanian earlier this year.
Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said additional legal incentives could further boost participation.
He has previously called on the national government to introduce requirements linking residence permit renewals to language proficiency, suggesting that foreigners should reach at least an A2 level of Lithuanian after three years.
While some officials have pointed to other ministries as responsible for integration policy, Benkunskas said Vilnius is preparing for potential changes.
“If current immigration trends continue, we risk repeating the mistakes of other major European cities and facing similar problems,” the mayor said. “In that case, it may be too late to manage the processes or change direction in the future.”
He added that the only current legal incentive is a rule introduced this year requiring language proficiency certificates for workers in the service sector.
According to data from Lithuania’s Migration Department, about 185,000 foreigners held temporary residence permits in the country as of early April.
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