The ETIAS Europe visa waiver for Lithuania will allow visa-exempt citizens to travel to European countries in the Schengen Area for multiple short stays up to 90 days. An approved ETIAS Lithuania visa waiver allows the holder to travel to all Schengen countries for purposes of tourism, transit, medical treatment, or business.
The ETIAS is not a visa; it is a travel authorization for visitors from countries with visa exemption for Lithuania and the rest of the Schengen Area. Citizens of these nations will simply have to register their details online with the ETIAS instead of obtaining a Lithuania visa from an embassy.
Those who wish to travel to Lithuania for other purposes, as well as foreign citizens not eligible to apply for ETIAS Lithuania, are required to apply for a Schengen visa for Lithuania from the nearest Lithuanian diplomatic office.
Applicants for a Lithuania Schengen Visa are first required to make a visa appointment at the relevant Lithuanian consulate, and then download, print, and complete a Lithuania visa application form to bring to the visa interview alongside supporting documentation.
After presenting the supporting documents and paying the Schengen visa fee at the consulate, applicants will need to wait at least 15 days to get a response regarding the status of their application.
The standard Schengen Visa for Lithuania processing time is approximately 2 weeks, although this may take longer in some individual cases.
Some diplomatic missions may take up to 30 days to process certain applications, while the processing time may be up to 60 days for extraordinary cases. Processing times tend to be the longest during the busy June–August holiday period.
It is necessary to bring the following supporting documents when attending a consular appointment for a Schengen visa:
- Passport valid for at least 3 months from the intended entry date
- 2 recent photographs taken within the past 3 months, passport-sized
- Proof of travel insurance to cover the trip to Lithuania
- Evidence of return flight bookings
- Proof sufficient finances for the entire stay in the Schengen Area
- Evidence of hotel bookings or a letter of invitation from friends or family in Lithuania.
Lithuania Schengen visa requirements state that it is also necessary to supply additional supporting documents depending on the type of visa the applicant requires. For example, those applying for a Schengen study visa must show proof of an acceptance letter from an educational institution in Lithuania.