Lithuania Startup Visa: Official Framework for 2025, Compliance Steps, and Strategic Roadmap
Why Lithuania in the Modern Business World?
Corporate acquisitions slow down, the cost of capital increases, and the talent war intensifies. Nevertheless, scalable technology ventures still make a quick entry into the EU market when they knock on the right door. The Lithuania Startup Visa offers non-EU founders the opportunity to establish and grow their innovation-focused companies within the EU. With this program, you manage residence permits, company formation, and ecosystem access in a single flow.
Vilnius and Kaunas offer a mature network in fintech, cybersecurity, gaming, SaaS, and artificial intelligence verticals. When combined with cost-effective operations, an English-speaking business culture, and investor access, the program creates a strong springboard for early-stage founders.
Key Rules and Figures for 2025
- Eligibility: Requires an innovative and scalable business idea, global growth potential, and founder commitment.
- Financial sufficiency: By 2025, you must demonstrate that you can cover at least €1,038 per month in living expenses. You will also need to prove the initial capital required for your business plan.
- Family: Spouse and children accompany the residence permit. The spouse can enter employment without an additional work permit.
- Speed and fees: The standard fee for the TRP application is around €150, with expedited processing at approximately €300; the process generally takes 1–2 months.
- Company formation: You must establish your company in Lithuania within 120 days after approval and notify the platform of the status.
Note: Amounts and details may change over time. Be sure to check official sources and the immigration office’s current guidelines before applying.
Who Are Strong Candidates?
- Technology-based model: SaaS, fintech, deep tech, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, gaming technologies.
- Product-standard compliance and core customer signal: MVP, POC, pilot agreement, or pending patent.
- EU scaling plan: Clear GTM, hiring, and regulatory compliance roadmap for the first 12–18 months.
Application Roadmap: Step-by-Step Operational Plan
Preparation: Structure the Core File Correctly
- Presentation package: English pitch deck, scaling strategy, competitive analysis, revenue model.
- Business plan and budget: 18–24 months of cash flow, unit economics, break-even scenario.
- Personal and company documents: Passport, CV, diplomas, references, bank statements, health insurance.
- Family documents: Marriage/birth certificates (plan for Lithuanian translation and apostille).
You will create the application through the Startup Lithuania platform. Upload the information completely and verifiably.
Evaluation: Expert Committee and Founder Interview
- If you pass the preliminary review threshold, you will enter a registered online interview.
- The committee tests the level of innovation, market potential, and founder-product fit.
- If approved, you will receive a confirmation letter valid for three months; this document initiates subsequent immigration steps.
In the interview, instead of reciting memorized narratives, you will progress with product demos, metrics, and concrete customer conversations.
Visa/TRP, Biometrics, and Company Formation
- If necessary, you will enter with a Schengen or D visa; then, you will schedule an appointment for the Temporary Residence Permit (TRP).
- At the immigration office appointment, you will submit documents and provide your biometrics.
- After approval, you will establish a structure such as UAB/MB within 120 days; complete the shareholder, representation, and banking processes, and inform the platform within three days.
- At the end of the first year, you will present evidence of progress for renewal: product traction metrics, employment, revenue, investment, or R&D outputs.
Practical tip: To expedite banking and KYC processes, plan the executive address, tax number, and signature circular from the start.
Eligibility, Compliance, and International Workforce: Cut Errors from the Start
Immigration and Work Rights
- Founder focus: The program expects the founder to focus full-time on their venture. Generally, it does not grant the right to work full-time elsewhere.
- Family rights: The spouse directly enters the employment market; children gain access to the education system.
- Long-term goal: Continuous residence for 5 years in most EU countries opens the door to long-term residence. You will also confirm Lithuania’s specific conditions.
Link document durations, address notifications, and health insurance renewals to your agenda. Delays put the permit chain at risk.
Tax, Accounting, and Reporting
- Moment of establishment: Clearly write the articles of association, NACE code, share transfer provisions, and director appointments.
- Accounting: Set up e-invoicing, VAT registration threshold, withholding, and annual declaration plans from the start.
- Transfer pricing: Price intra-group services, software licenses, and borrowing conditions at arm’s length.
- Distribution and PE risk: While running the sales team across different countries, measure the permanent establishment risk and design contracts accordingly.
Tax optimization starts with strategy. Align the holding structure, IP positioning, and dividend flow with growth objectives.
Workforce Employment Models and Posted Worker
- Payroll: Manage remote workers and contracted personnel through Corpenza, treating salary payments as expenses.
- Employer of Record: Legally employ teams in different markets without establishing an employer entity.
- Posted worker: We manage notifications for temporary employment and assignments, A1 and wage rules.
- Social security: A1 certificates control double premium risks in multi-country scenarios.
Match the workforce model with your product cycle, avoiding PE or labor dispute risks from incorrect contracts.
Growth Strategy: Accelerate with EU Market Access, Financing, and Incentives
EU Market and Scaling Design
- Market selection: Prioritize based on ICP and regulatory burden. The Baltics, Nordics, and DACH offer sensible initial targets for most SaaS.
- GTM machine: Run partnership channels, marketplace integrations, and product-led growth (PLG) in parallel.
- Compliance awareness: Embed licensing and data transfer rules in the sprint calendar for fintech and health.
Lithuania strikes a good balance between regulation and innovation. You will leverage this advantage through rapid iterations and regional testing.
Investment, Grants, and Public Supports
- Seed/Bridge: Map out the conditions of angel networks, micro funds, and government-backed joint funds early on.
- Grants and R&D: Plan the TRL level and consortium architecture for EU programs (e.g., EIC, Horizon).
- Tax incentives: Support R&D deductions and IP box-like regimes with technical documentation.
You will not tie fundraising to a single channel. Balance the revenue-financing mix according to the product stage.
Operational Efficiency and Tax Optimization
- Group structure: Establish a simple and auditable structure that aligns with operational reality instead of a holding-paper company.
- Cash management: Reduce surprises with a multi-currency hedge policy and revenue recognition rules.
- Supplier strategy: Clarify legal, cloud, payment, and data security suppliers with SLAs and DPAs.
Operational hygiene will ease your position at the DD table during the investment round. Missing processes often lower valuations.
Working with Corpenza: End-to-End Founder Experience and Field Scenarios
Service Package: Manage Global Expansion Through a Single Channel
- Residence and work permits: Startup visa, D visa, TRP, family reunification, and renewal planning.
- Company formation: UAB/MB selection, articles of association, banking and KYC, virtual office, and governance documents.
- International accounting: VAT, payroll, year-end closing, multi-country reporting.
- Payroll: We treat salary payments for remote and contracted workers as expenses, producing payrolls compliant with local regulations.
- Staff leasing (posted worker): We manage temporary employment and assignment notifications, A1, and wage rules.
- Tax optimization: Group structure, IP positioning, profit distribution, and transfer pricing.
- Golden visa and citizenship by investment: Independent comparisons in Portugal, Greece, Malta, and Caribbean solutions.
You manage the single point of contact in Europe and globally; we run processes end-to-end with field teams and local consultants.
Example Scenarios: Tie Decisions to Data
- Fintech SaaS: Establishment in Lithuania, sales in Poland, posted worker pilot in Germany; we control PE risk with contracts and apply A1 and wage equality rules.
- AI Health startup: We match the data residency plan, DPAs, and clinical validation field; we link the grant timeline to the product roadmap.
- Gaming technology: We grow the developer pool with EOR and payroll mix; we centralize revenue sharing and IP rights under a single contract umbrella.
In every scenario, we analyze metric readings (MRR, CAC payback, gross margin) alongside compliance costs.
Checklist to Accelerate Your Progress
- Have you updated the pitch deck and business plan? (12–18 months runway, KPI targets)
- Have you gathered proof of financial sufficiency? (€1,038+ monthly and working capital)
- Have you clarified the company type, ownership, and director appointments?
- Have you locked in TRP application, biometrics, and appointment dates and set reminders?
- Have you created a calendar for accounting, VAT, payroll, and banking processes and assigned responsibilities?
- Have you matched the need for EOR, payroll, or posted worker with the market plan?
- Have you compared alternative scenarios for tax and IP positioning?
Numbers, processes, and regulations change. Always check official sources and local regulations before applying; we will conduct this verification with you.
