Complete EU mandate — UAB, national visa, residence
Lithuania company formation with visa and residence — complete package
One professional mandate covering incorporation of a private limited company (UAB) in Lithuania, putting the company into qualifying operation, and preparing the National Visa and temporary residence file through to issue of the residence card.
Lithuania is an EU, euro-area and Schengen state. This package is for founders who want a genuine European company and a residence route tied to real business activity — with published investment and operating thresholds you can plan against from day one.
- UAB inside the EU, the euro and Schengen
- Business-activity residence route with clear floors: €28,000 equity and €14,000 personal investment
- File management from incorporation and the six-month operating period through to the residence card
Who is this package for?
The mandate is designed for entrepreneurs and investors who can build a real Lithuanian company and meet the investment and operating floors of the business-activity residence route.
Founders who want an EU base and residence
Operators of an existing business or an executable project who want a UAB inside the single market, with residence in Lithuania in order to manage the company from within the Union.
Shareholders who will take part in management
Clients who will hold at least one third of the shares, or combine a shareholding with the director role, and invest at least €14,000 of their own funds in the company’s equity.
Clients who can operate the company for six months before filing
The business-activity route is filed after the company has been actively operating for at least six months, with qualifying full-time employees whose total salaries meet the official threshold. We sequence formation, operations and the residence file as one plan.
Family members linked to the principal file
A spouse and minor children may be considered as dependants under the family-reunification rules in force, once the principal’s legal ground is in place.
What the full package includes
One mandate: incorporate the company, put the required operations in place, then run the visa and residence file through to the card.
UAB incorporation
The private limited company (Uždaroji akcinė bendrovė) is the right vehicle for most non-resident founders: limited liability, full foreign ownership permitted, and a structure banks and European counterparties recognise.
- Name check, share structure and director appointment
- Articles and incorporation documents in the Lithuanian form
- Registration in the Register of Legal Entities (Registrų centras)
- Tax registration with VMI as required
- A Lithuanian registered office for the agreed formation and follow-up period
Investment and operating structure for the residence route
We do not stop at a shell registration. The company is structured to meet the business-activity tests before the residence application is filed.
- Share design so the applicant holds at least one third, or is both manager and shareholder
- Planning company equity of at least €28,000 and a personal investment of at least €14,000
- Guidance on the company account, capital contribution and books
- Direction on full-time Lithuanian / EU / permanent-resident employees and the official wage-fund threshold
- Oversight of the six-month operating period before the residence filing
Documents, legalisation and sworn translation
Lithuanian immigration files stall on incomplete apostille chains or translations. We settle the papers before any appointment.
- A document list tailored to your nationality, country of residence and number of shareholders
- Apostille or consular legalisation guidance by country of issue
- Sworn translation into Lithuanian by translators acceptable to the receiving authority
- Name and date consistency across passport, company papers and application forms
National visa and temporary residence
Once the operating period is met, we prepare the National D visa file where required, then the temporary residence application at the Migration Department through to issue of the card.
- Grounding the application in company management / business activity
- Forms and a business narrative that match the operating company, not a generic template
- Consular or visa-centre appointment coordination when filing from abroad
- Follow-through during biometrics, further documents and collection of the residence card
Requirements and minimum investment
The business-activity residence route has clear statutory floors. We build the file against them from the share structure through to filing day.
Minimums for a strong residence file (business-activity route)
These floors apply when residence is sought on the ground of managing or taking part in the company’s activity. The statutory UAB formation capital (€1,000) is a company-law floor only — it is below the residence threshold.
€28,000
Company equity
The company’s equity must be at least €28,000 when the residence application is filed.
€14,000
Your personal investment
The applicant must invest at least €14,000 of their own funds in the company.
⅓
Shareholding
Hold at least one third of the shares, or be both the manager and a shareholder.
6 months
Active operations
The company must have been actively operating for at least six months before the residence application is submitted.
Staff
Full-time employees
Employ full-time Lithuanian, EU or permanent-resident staff whose total salaries meet the official threshold in force at filing.
Personal requirements
The application is made in the name of a person who can prove identity, integrity, and the ability to reside in Lithuania and manage the activity.
- A passport valid through the procedure with a sufficient margin
- A criminal-record certificate covering the period the Department requires
- Health insurance for the intended stay
- Proof of sufficient means for the residence period
- A Lithuanian residential address that can be evidenced at filing
- Personal attendance for biometrics and usually at least one stage in Lithuania or at the mission
Company and ownership structure
The residence file is built on a company in genuine operation — not on a name on the register alone.
- A UAB registered in the Register of Legal Entities
- Equity of at least €28,000
- A personal investment by the applicant of at least €14,000
- Ownership of at least one third of the shares, or the combined role of manager and shareholder
- An activity that can be explained: customers, market and operations in or through Lithuania
- A real management address — not a mailbox if residence is sought on a business-management ground
Employment and salaries
The business-activity route requires the company to employ full-time Lithuanian, EU or permanent-resident staff, and for total salaries to meet the official threshold in force at filing. We confirm the current figure at review because the threshold is updated periodically.
- Full-time contracts for qualifying employees
- Registration with social-security and tax authorities under Lithuanian law
- Evidence of salary payments during the operating period before the residence filing
Nationality notes
Nationality shapes planning and consular appointments. We review it in the first step.
Most nationalities
Third-country nationals outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland are generally eligible for this route, subject to the standard background and security checks carried out by the Lithuanian authorities.
Russian and Belarusian nationals
Russian and Belarusian nationals currently face additional restrictions and higher refusal rates under national-security policy. We review the case at intake and set out the practical path before execution starts.
Required documents
The final list is prepared once we know your nationality, country of residence, number of shareholders and whether family members are included. Missing papers delay a file more than translation does.
Personal documents
Usually filed as legalised copies, with originals at biometrics or the consular appointment.
- Passport and relevant previous visa pages
- Photographs to the specification used by the mission or the Migration Department
- A recent criminal-record certificate
- Proof of current address (utility bill, recent bank statement or equivalent)
- Health insurance covering the intended stay
- Proof of personal means and statements showing the source of the €14,000 investment
Company documents
After incorporation, the register papers become the spine of the residence file.
- Articles and incorporation documents
- An extract showing directors, shareholders and ownership percentages
- Evidence of the capital contribution and equity
- Director appointment and signing authority
- Proof of the Lithuanian registered office
- Tax registration and VAT registration where it applies
- Employment contracts and payroll evidence for qualifying staff
Supporting residence documents
This layer shows that the company is operating and that the applicant manages a genuine activity.
- A description of the activity and an operating plan for the residence period
- Contracts, invoices or market evidence where available
- A residential lease or equivalent accepted in Lithuania
- Migration Department forms completed under the instructions in force
- Family documents (marriage, birth) if dependants are included
Apostille and translation
Lithuania is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Documents from Convention states are apostilled; others may need a consular chain.
- Apostille on official certificates (criminal record, civil-status documents) in the country of issue
- Sworn translation into Lithuanian by a translator acceptable to the receiving authority
- Some missions accept English attachments at the visa stage, with Lithuanian translation where required
Process and timeline
The path is sequenced: incorporate and operate first, then file for residence after the six-month activity condition is met. Timings below assume a complete document set.
Application and review
Complete the package form: identity, intended company structure, residence objective and initial documents. We reply with the execution plan and the fee structure.
Usually within a few working days of a complete form
Company structuring and UAB formation
Confirm the name, allocate shares so the one-third or manager-shareholder test is met, appoint the director, and file incorporation at the Register of Legal Entities.
Typically 1–3 working weeks after complete company papers
Banking, tax and start of operations
Guidance on the company account, investment deposit, tax registration and office, then the start of activity and appointment of qualifying employees.
Starts with incorporation and continues through the first operating cycle
Statutory operating period — 6 months
The company operates in practice for at least six months before the residence application, meeting the equity, employment and wage-fund tests. We stay with the file through this period until it is ready to file.
Six months of genuine operations — a statutory condition of the route
National visa (when filing from abroad)
If you are outside Lithuania, a National D visa is filed at the mission competent for your country of residence, tied to the operating company.
Depends on mission appointments and file examination
Residence application and the card
The temporary residence application is filed with the Migration Department, with biometrics and originals where required. We stay with further documents through to issue of the card.
Weeks to months, depending on nationality and the state of the file
Fee structure
This is a combined corporate, operating and immigration mandate. Cost varies with nationality, number of shareholders, family members and the volume of legalisation and translation. The written engagement letter after review sets the figures — we do not publish a generic price on this page.
Company formation
A UAB first, structured to the residence floors even if the immigration file follows later
- UAB incorporation and register filing
- Registered office for the agreed period
- Company document pack
- Initial tax guidance and share / investment structure
Register fees are official state charges, paid separately at the authority’s rate.
Complete package — recommended
The company + operating period + National Visa where required + residence file through to the card
- Everything in company formation
- Operating and employment follow-through during the six months
- Immigration file and appointment coordination
- Legalisation and sworn translation through to issue of residence
Visa, residence-permit and card fees are sovereign charges, separate from our coordination fee.
Family and ongoing operations
After the principal file is in place — spouse and children, or continuing accounts
- Dependant applications under family-reunification rules
- Bookkeeping and filings after incorporation
- Registered-office renewal
- Residence renewal at expiry
Priced once we know the number of people and the state of the principal file.
The engagement letter always separates Eteform fees, state fees, and third-party costs (translator, notary, courier, insurance). The company’s investment (€28,000 / €14,000) is paid into the company itself — it is not a service charge.
Advantages of a Lithuanian company and residence
Lithuania combines a single-market company with a sovereign residence route that can be built on — usually at a lower operating cost than Western Europe.
Full access to the EU single market
A UAB is a company in an EU member state. That makes it straightforward to contract with European clients and operate in euro under a legal framework banks and counterparties already understand.
Live and work in Lithuania (Schengen)
The residence permit lets you live and work in Lithuania. Short Schengen travel follows the 90/180 rule. Work in another member state follows that state’s rules.
Lower formation and maintenance costs than Western Europe
Register fees, professional services, accounting and office costs are typically below those of Western European capitals, while you remain inside an EU legal framework.
Attractive tax regime for small and medium companies
Lithuania applies a corporate-tax system that can be competitive for SMEs under the bands and reliefs in force. We outline the framework and recommend tax advice where income crosses borders.
Strong digital government services
The register and e-government stack are among the more mature in the region. Incorporation and later filings can be run from a structured file without a daily presence in Vilnius once the structure is in place.
A path to long-term and then permanent residence
A temporary permit can be renewed while the legal ground continues. Long-term and then permanent residence are later routes with their own conditions (continuous stay, language and integration).
Family members under certain conditions
A spouse and minor children may be considered under the family-reunification rules in force, once the principal file is sound.
Why Eteform for this package?
Eteform.com Ltd has been a UK-registered company since 2015. We handle non-resident files every day: identity checks, multi-country documents, and corporate plus immigration work under one mandate.
One mandate instead of a chain of brokers
The engagement sits with Eteform, using Lithuanian partners for local filings where representation before the register or the Migration Department is required.
The file is built to the right floors from day one
Equity, personal investment, share ratio, employment and the six-month operating period are part of the execution plan — not a surprise at the residence appointment.
Follow-through until the card is issued
From UAB registration through operations and then the visa and residence file, we stay with appointments and further documents until the residence card is collected.
Document discipline in Arabic and English
Explanations and engagement terms are in a language you can instruct in. Official forms are filed in Lithuanian or English as required. Names match, and the apostille chain is correct before an appointment is booked.
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions clients ask before starting the package.
What is the minimum investment and company equity?
For the business-activity residence route: company equity of at least €28,000, and a personal investment by the applicant of at least €14,000. The statutory UAB formation capital (€1,000) is a company-law floor only and sits below the residence threshold. If residence is the objective, we structure the company to the residence floor.
Do I have to own the company outright?
No. You must hold at least one third of the shares, or be both the manager and a shareholder. We set the articles and management structure on that basis before registration.
Can I file for residence as soon as the company is formed?
The business-activity route is filed after the company has been actively operating for at least six months, with qualifying employment, the wage-fund threshold and the equity test met. The package sequences formation, operations and the residence file as one plan.
What is the employee requirement?
The company must employ full-time Lithuanian, EU or permanent-resident staff, and total salaries must meet the official threshold in force at filing. We confirm the current figure at review because the threshold is updated.
Does the route apply to Russian or Belarusian nationals?
Russian and Belarusian nationals currently face additional restrictions and higher refusal rates under national-security policy. We review the case at the first assessment and set out the practical next step before execution. Other nationalities are generally eligible, subject to standard security checks.
Do I have to live in Lithuania in practice?
A temporary residence permit is granted to live in Lithuania on the ground of managing the company or the activity. Prolonged absence without a real nexus weakens renewal. We explain presence expectations for your ground before filing.
Does Lithuanian residence let me work in another EU country?
The permit lets you live and work in Lithuania according to its category. Work in another member state follows that state’s rules. Short Schengen travel is governed by the 90 days in 180 rule, which is not a right to work.
Can I start from the Gulf or Egypt without travelling immediately?
Company formation can be prepared remotely through organised representation. A national visa is usually filed at the mission competent for your country of residence. Biometrics and the residence stage require personal attendance. We sequence the work so you do not travel before the file is ready.
How long does the complete package take?
UAB incorporation is typically measured in working weeks after complete papers. Then comes six months of operations before the residence filing. Consular appointments and Migration Department examination are added after that and vary by nationality. We give you a timetable for your case after the form is reviewed.
Can family members be included?
A spouse and minor children may be considered as dependants under family-reunification rules, usually once the principal’s legal ground is in place. Each person needs their own documents and legalisation. Family fees are quoted separately.
Is Lithuania a tax haven?
No. Lithuania is a member state with an ordinary tax system, and a framework that can be attractive for SMEs under the bands in force. The advantage is operating inside the Union at a reasonable cost with mature digital administration. Personal tax depends on your actual residence and the law of your nationality.
Do you open a bank account with the company?
We guide opening a company account after incorporation and prepare the documents required. The investment and equity contribution is made through that arrangement and is set out in the execution letter.
Why not just form a UK company?
A UK Ltd is an excellent vehicle for international trade, invoicing and platforms, and it remains Eteform’s core service. It is a British commercial registration and does not confer EU residence. If the objective is European residence, you need a member state and a business-activity route — which is exactly what this package is for.
Start with the application — one form opens the file
The form collects your identity, the intended company structure, your residence objective and the first documents. We reply with the next steps and the fee structure for your case.
Execution begins after you accept the engagement letter and document schedule. The company’s investment is paid into the company itself.