The EURES advisers of Lithuania are ready to provide information and advice at any stage of your job search and moving process. With specialised expertise in the practical, legal and administrative aspects of European labour mobility, they can:
- Recommend interesting opportunities based on your profile and even seek to match your profile with a suitable employer in Lithuania
- Assist you with your job application and pass on your CV to potential employers
- Give you information on the living and working conditions in your country of destination
- Help you get started in your new country by providing information on accommodation, social security, taxes and on schools and healthcare for your family, if relevant
Finding a job in Lithuania
Member States nationals and their family members intending to work in Lithuania under an employment contract do not need to obtain a work permit. They can take part in recruitment procedures and find jobs under the same conditions as Lithuanian nationals.
According to the data provided by the Lithuanian Employment Services, the most in-demand specialties in the country are the following:
- Specialists: advertising and marketing professionals, administrators and executive secretaries, accountants, teachers, doctors and nursing professionals, sales representatives, application developers, construction managers
- Skilled workers and service sector workers: heavy truck and lorry drivers, cooks, car, taxi and van drivers, painters and workers of related professions, tailors, hatters and furriers, builders, concrete placers, concrete finishers and related workers, plumbers and pipe fitters, electricians, welders
- Unskilled workers: loaders, cleaners, maids and helpers in offices, hotels and other establishments, manufacturing labourers, low-skilled engineering construction workers, packers (by hand), unskilled mixed crop and livestock farm workers, shelf-stackers, launderers and levellers (by hand), unskilled forestry workers, kitchen helpers
The most comprehensive database for jobs and related services in Lithuania is available at Lithuanian Employment Services database www.uzt.lt. We also recommend other useful links for the job search on the internet: www.workinlithuania.com, www.cv.lt, www.cvonline.lt, www.cvmarket.lt, www.cvbankas.lt, www.afr.lt.
Working conditions
Employment in Lithuania requires formal employment contract. Employment contract usually includes:
- The employee’s place of work (enterprise, establishment, organisation, structural subdivision, etc.)
- Job functions’ description
- Job requirements, such as profession, speciality, qualifications
- Specific duties
In every employment contract, the parties must agree on the conditions of remuneration for work (system of remuneration for work, amount of wages, payment procedure, etc.). Other conditions of an employment contract may be established by the agreement between the parties unless labour laws, other regulatory acts or the collective agreement prohibit doing so (trial, combination of professions, liability, etc.).
Working time
In Lithuania, working time cannot exceed 40 hours per week. Working hours should not exceed 8 hours per day. The maximum number of working hours over seven days, including overtime, should not exceed 48 hours (which may be extended up to 60 hours per week for employees working under more than one work contract) and 12 working hours per day. A five-day working week is standard, but it may be extended to a six-day working week. Overtime must not exceed 12 hours in seven consecutive days and 180 hours per year. For certain categories of workers, including doctors, nurses, carers, workers in children’s homes, energy and other services who are on duty without a break, working hours can be up to 24 hours a day and the time off between working days cannot be shorter than 24 hours. For workers whose job involves significant mental or emotional stress, the procedure for the shortening of working time is determined by the Government.
Social security
The social insurance system is based on the pay-as-you-go principle. The employer’s and employee''''s contributions are calculated as a percentage of the salary paid to the employee. Persons employed under employment contracts are covered by State mandatory social insurance.
- Sickness insurance – Beneficiaries and conditions for entitlement
Individuals covered by the sickness and maternity social insurance are entitled to receive sickness benefit. The sickness benefit for the first 2 calendar days of sickness overlapping with the work schedule of an employee (except for the benefit for nursing a family member) is covered by the employer. The sickness benefit covered by the employer may not be lower than 80% and higher than 100% of the average salary. From the third day sickness benefit equal to 80% of the reimbursed salary and is paid from the State Social Insurance Fund Budget.
- Minimum income guarantee – Beneficiaries and conditions for entitlement
The hourly rate and monthly salary paid to the employee cannot be lower than the minimum hourly rate and the minimum monthly salary set by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. The minimum salary can be paid only to non-qualified employees and qualified employees have to be offered higher salary.
Tips for moving to Lithuania: Before you go
Upon arrival in Lithuania, make sure you have the following:
- A valid passport or identity card
- Your CV (English and/or Lithuanian advisable)
- Copies of diplomas and certificates attesting to your qualifications along with translations into Lithuanian
- References from your former employers (if any), with translations into Lithuanian
- European Health Insurance Card
- A copy of your marriage certificate with a translation into Lithuanian
- Copies of your children’s birth certificates with translations into Lithuanian
Prior to arrival in Lithuania, it is recommended:
- To contact local and social security services and tax offices to find out how moving to Lithuania will affect your tax and benefit situation, and obtain appropriate documents
- To obtain U1 document form competent authority
- To obtain U2 document from Public Employment Services (if you are receiving unemployment benefit)
- Having sufficient funds to live on for at least one month
Firsts steps in Lithuania
1. Obtain a certificate to confirm the right to reside in the Republic of Lithuania if you are planning to stay in Lithuania for longer than three months within a six-month period
2. Ensure that you have taken care of the compulsory health insurance
3. Choose a health care institution
4. Contact the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education for academic recognition of foreign qualifications
5. Open a bank account by signing bank account agreement at any bank’s customer service office
More information could be found in the European Job Mobility Portal www.eures.europa.eu.
Equal Opportunities
What is Equal Opportunities?
It is the implementation of human rights despite one''''s gender, race, nationality, language, origin, social status, belief, convictions or views, age, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic origin, religion. Inherent human rights are regulated by international human and civil rights documents and laws of the Republic of Lithuania.
The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania provides the principle of equality for all people and the inherent right to be treated equally with others. The Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson is a budgetary institution ensuring implementation of equal opportunities and prevention of discrimination in society. Competence of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson:
- investigates complaints, carries out investigations on his/hers own initiative;
- performs independent researches, related to discrimination, and independent surveys on the discrimination state, provides conclusions and recommendations on any issue related to discrimination;
- carries out preventive and educational activity, secures equal opportunities mainstreaming;
- controls the implementation of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provisions, related to securing equal opportunities;
- exchanges information with various institutions and agencies from Lithuania and foreign countries, international organisations.
Procedure for filing a complaint
Each natural and legal person shall have the right to file a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson concerning a violation of equal rights.The complaints shall be submitted in writing. The complainant or an authorised representative can file a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson by:
- post (Gedimino Ave. 11, LT-01103 Vilnius). Discrimination Complaint Form;
- email ();
- filling in the electronic complaint form;
- delivering the written complaint directly to the registry of the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson (Gedimino Ave. 11, LT-01103 Vilnius). Discrimination Complaint Form.
Useful inks:
Independent institutions, protecting human rights
Source: Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson
State Labour Inspectorate information
Mission of the State Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Lithuania – preservation of life, health and employability of employees as well as prevention of infringements of safeguarding employees guarantees in labour relations. The main objectives of the SLI activities are:
- to carry out the control of the compliance with the provisions of the Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania, the laws regulating occupational safety and health as well as labour relations and other legal acts, and the prevention of their violations;
- to prevent accidents at work and occupational diseases
Complaints and reports
State Labour Inspectorate (SLI) examines the reports and complaints about possible labour law and occupational safety and health law violations. Individuals may submit requests to come to SLI using the official SLI e-mail address , send them by mail, fax, transfer over the confidence phone. It is also possible to make an individual inquiry to the SLI electronically, which has to be created in a way that the SLI would identify the person and the contents of the inquiry. Individual inquiries submitted electronically are treated in the same way as written inquiries. Answers to the individual inquiries submitted this way are given to the person only to the indicated e-mail address.
At SLI persons are also served over the phone - that is a personal hearing, a clarification of the content of the request, providing information on issues concerning the procedure of resolving the question, providing names, phone number and consultation (reception) hours of the employees competent to investigate and resolve the the questions. Person''''s service phone number (+370 5) 213 9772.
Contacts:
State labour inspectorate of the Republic of Lithuania
19 Algirdo str. LT-03607 Vilnius Lithuania Phone: +370 5 265 0193 Fax: +370 5 213 9751 E-mail:
Links:
Do you have a question? Please contact us by e- mail .
