Background information

On 1 March 2022, Order No 1V-145 On the issuance of national visas, temporary residence permits in the Republic of Lithuania, alien registration certificates, aliens’ right to work and to health care services in the Republic of Lithuania of the Minister for the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania came into force, simplifying the procedure of accessing employment in Lithuania for Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war. The aim of this measure is to enable Ukrainian refugees to integrate into the labour market in Lithuania as soon as possible and to secure them a living income.

Content of measure

In compliance with the ministerial order, foreign citizens who enjoy a visa-free regime or hold a valid Schengen visa or a national visa issued for humanitarian reasons (Force Majeure) or those who have applied for a temporary residence permit by reason of their employment in the Republic of Lithuania, shall have the right to work and be exempt from the obligation to obtain a work permit or a decision from the Public Employment Service (PES) on the compliance of their work with the needs of the Lithuanian labour market.

Having employed foreign citizens on a contract basis, employers are required to submit a notification in the prescribed form through the social insurance information system. Such notifications of the employment of aliens must be submitted at least one business day before the commencement of employment.

Before coming into force of the changes above, foreign job-seekers had to obtain a work permit from the PES, and the employer had to apply for the temporary employment of foreigners.

Use of measure

According to the data from the Ministry of Social Security and Labour (MSSL) as of 11 April 2022, 4,400 Ukrainian war refugees have already found jobs in Lithuania. A total of nearly 7,700 Ukrainians are currently registered as job seekers with the PES. The majority of Ukrainians are employed in manufacturing, transport and storage, accommodation and food services, as well as wholesale and retail companies. Ukrainians are employed in 53 Lithuanian municipalities out of 60.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	Migrants or refugees

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Trade unions Employers' organisations Public employment service	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Direct consultation outside a formal body	Direct consultation outside a formal body

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

No information available.

Views and reactions

The President of the Lithuanian Business Confederation (LBC), Andrius Romanovskis, welcomed the decision to apply more flexible migration and employment rules which, according to him, are very cumbersome in Lithuania. The LBC leader assured that business is ready to help incoming Ukrainians to find a job, so that they can earn income on their own, with fewer costs for the State to maintain them. This decision was also supported by the President of the Confederation of Lithuanian Employers (CLE), Danas Arlauskas. According to him, employers have long been discussing with politicians how to facilitate migration procedures for employees from third countries, so this is a welcome step.

The measure was welcomed by trade union representatives, too. The President of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LTUC), Inga Ruginienė, pointed out the need to take care of the employment of war refugees. She also noted that the employment of refugees could contribute to the revitalisation of smaller regions in Lithuania.

Sources

• 28 February 2022: Order No 1V-145 On the issuance of national visas, temporary residence permits in the Republic of Lithuania, alien registration certificates, aliens’ right to work and to health care services in the Republic of Lithuania of the Minister for the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania (LR vidaus reikalų ministro įsakymas Nr. 1V-145 „Dėl nacionalinių vizų, leidimų laikinai gyventi Lietuvos Respublikoje, užsieniečio registracijos pažymėjimų išdavimo, užsieniečių teisės dirbti Lietuvos Respublikoje ir sveikatos priežiūros paslaugų") (e-seimas.lrs.lt)
• 03 March 2022: Lithuania has simplified procedures for employment of Ukrainian citizens. Here’s what you should know (Lietuva supaprastino Ukrainos piliečių įdarbinimo procedūras: ką svarbu žinoti?) (www.lrt.lt)
• 11 April 2022: 4.4 thousand Ukrainian refugees have already found jobs in Lithuania (Lietuvoje jau įsidarbino 4,4 tūkst. karo pabėgėlių iš Ukrainos) (www.delfi.lt)