Living in Lithuania as a French National: Cities, Settling In, Schooling, Safety and Cost of Living

Lithuania is a member of the European Union and the Schengen area, and uses the euro: a French national travels there without a visa, with the same currency as in France. The French Treasury (Direction générale du Trésor) describes a dynamic economy, with sustained growth, service centres for Scandinavian banks and a technology, biotechnology and laser sector that exports more than 80% of its output.

• Online administration: the government portal brings together residence declaration and tax procedures, with English versions.
• A French lycée: the French international lycée in Vilnius, part of the AEFE network, covers the whole of schooling.
• A normal vigilance level: France Diplomatie rates the whole country at normal vigilance.
• Human-scale cities: Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda are easy to get around, and lake and forest regions are close by.

The points to watch should be known from the preparation stage: the Lithuanian language, essential for work outside international sectors, cold winters, and a health framework where cover depends on the mandatory contribution; see the page on healthcare reimbursement in Lithuania.

Vilnius, the capital and main employment hub, is home to the French embassy and the French lycée. France Diplomatie recommends caution at night in the Šnipiškės and Naujininkai districts and around the railway station. Kaunas, the second city, appeals to families looking for a calmer setting; Klaipėda, a Baltic port, opens onto the coast and the Curonian Spit.

France Diplomatie specifies that the Curonian Spit, a World Heritage site, is shared with Russia: the northern half is in Lithuania, the southern half belongs to the Kaliningrad region, which is classified red, and hiking along the spit from the Lithuanian side leads into Russian territory. Frequent random checks take place at the borders with Poland and Latvia, particularly for coach passengers: you must be able to show a passport, an identity card or a residence permit.

The minimum wage is close to €1,150 gross per month, well below the French level (Eurostat), and the national average wage is close to €2,300 per month (CLEISS). These figures give a sense of a local household’s budget; the real cost of an expatriation project depends on the neighbourhood, the size of the home and the lifestyle.

• Housing: rents and purchase prices vary widely between Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda; the Lithuanian statistics office and the registers centre publish the reference statistics. A lease or a title deed is used to declare the place of residence (Migration Department).
• Health: a mandatory contribution of 6.98% of income funds health insurance for employees and the self-employed (CLEISS); see the healthcare system in Lithuania.
• Currency: the euro, with no exchange-rate risk for a French budget.
• Heating: the winters justify an energy budget, to be asked about with the landlord before signing.

The guide on budgeting for health abroad helps you build medical costs into the overall budget.

France Diplomatie specifies that entry requires a valid passport or national identity card, including for children, who have their own document; a minor travelling without one of their parents needs an authorisation to leave the territory. Lithuania does not recognise the five-year extension of identity cards issued to adults between 2004 and 2013: if the printed validity date has passed, a passport is required. Collective travel documents are not accepted.

• Up to three months: no visa or residence formality.
• Beyond three months: EU citizens receive a residence certificate, valid for up to five years (France Diplomatie).
• Declaration of the place of residence: it is made with the municipality or the competent service with the documents confirming the right to occupy the home (lease or ownership); the Migration Department specifies the procedure.
• Permanent residence: a permanent residence certificate, valid for ten years, is applied for after five years of residence; the right is obtained through the MIGRIS information system (Migration Department).
• Checks: random checks are frequent at the borders with Poland and Latvia.

Registration on the register of French nationals living abroad, with the embassy in Vilnius, completes the settling-in for anyone staying more than six months.

The French international lycée in Vilnius is an establishment under Lithuanian law created in 1992, linked to the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) by an agreement. According to the AEFE’s profile, it offers 16 levels, of which 15 are approved by the French Ministry of National Education, from the first year of nursery school to the final year of lycée; only the earliest toddler year is not. The campus address is Silo gatvė 13 in Vilnius.

Families who prefer local education will find Lithuanian public schools and international schools in the big cities. The choice depends on the children’s age, the length of stay and the planned return to France. The approval of each level should be checked with the school and the AEFE before enrolling. On the health side, see expat family insurance.

France Diplomatie rates the whole country as a normal vigilance zone. The crime rate is low, but thefts and assaults are occasionally reported, and pickpocketing in summer.

• Nightlife: scams exist in city-centre venues, with staged fights to extort money; never leave a drink unattended, do not accept a drink from a stranger and do not leave alone with a stranger.
• Civil protection alerts: drone overflights have occurred; alerts are sent automatically in English and Lithuanian. The yellow alert signals a potential threat, the red alert an imminent threat. The LT72 website and application show public shelters.
• Wetlands: there is a drowning risk in marshy areas away from marked paths (France Diplomatie).
• Nuclear: Vilnius is about 45 km from the Ostrovets plant, in Belarus; the Lithuanian authorities advise keeping iodine tablets, available at pharmacies and free for residents.
• Documents and money: avoid large amounts of cash, keep copies of documents, do not pay for a rental in advance from a distance.
• Emergencies: 112; in case of an assault, file a complaint at the police station and then contact the consular section of the embassy.

Lithuania has cold winters and mild summers; as no readings were taken from an official source, no temperature figure is given here, and the Lithuanian meteorological service publishes the normals. Winter clothing and good insulation of the home are among a newcomer’s first purchases.

The official language is Lithuanian; English is widely spoken in international sectors and by younger generations, but Lithuanian makes employment, paperwork and social life easier.

On the health side, up-to-date French vaccinations are advised. France Diplomatie strongly recommends vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis for walks in the forest, as many cases are reported every year. For an overview of cover, see expat health insurance; Expavy helps you compare the options according to your status and budget.