Lithuania Startup Visa: Your gateway to Lithuania with a TRP Visa

Starting a business can be challenging but if you have the right resources, support and opportunities, you can turn your ideas into a thriving business fast. Lithuania, the largest of the three Baltic states, offers an excellent growth and innovation environment for startup entrepreneurs through the Lithuania Startup Visa and Startup Lithuania, making it an inviting place to live and work if you’re a budding entrepreneur.

Here, we discuss the Lithuania Startup Visa and the many benefits of a TRP (temporary resident visa), through which individuals can be a part of the Lithuanian business ecosystem to seamlessly establish and grow their businesses.

Ready to explore everything you need to know about the Lithuanian Startup Visa and how you can tap into Lithuania’s many incredible business opportunities? Read on. 

What is the Lithuania Startup Visa?

The Lithuania Startup Visa is a temporary residence permit that allows startups and young entrepreneurs to start a business in Lithuania and scale their business there with the view of improving the Lithuanian economy.

For those seeking business opportunities in the EU market, the visa offers access to a range of benefits including Lithuania’s business-friendly policies and state-of-the-art business ecosystem structure.

Overview and objectives 

The Lithuanian Startup Visa provides an efficient pathway for entrepreneurs looking to establish and grow their ideas and businesses in the country. It’s ideal for early-stage tech startups, as well as those looking to scale globally from Lithuania.

Meanwhile, the Startup Lithuania Program is a government-funded acceleration program with the aim to expand the global potential of startup companies, helping startups from Lithuania and Central Europe to grow, attract venture capital investments and strengthen their presence in global markets.

Why Lithuania is a startup hub

So, why is Lithuania considered to be such an attractive business destination in Europe? Well, there are many reasons.

• Digital infrastructure: Lithuania has a strong digital infrastructure, offering high-speed internet (a must for tech-driven startups) and access to free Wi-Fi in many public places.

• Favourable business policies: The Lithuanian government offers a range of grants, tax incentives and funding programs for new business opportunities, creating a business-friendly environment for entrepreneurs.

• Skilled workforce: Lithuania offers a pool of young, talented and highly educated minds—especially in the fields of business, engineering and software development.

• Path to residency: The Lithuanian Startup Visa offers an opportunity to get temporary residential approval for two years with the chance to extend it to five years. It provides residence permits for family members too. Eventually, you can also apply for permanent residency in Lithuania.

• Cost-effective living: In Lithuania, you can enjoy an affordable cost of living (a favorable condition for new startups) and a high standard of healthcare, education and public infrastructure.

Benefits of the Lithuania Startup Visa

When you apply for the Lithuania Startup Visa, you’ll gain access to multiple opportunities and benefits to grow your business.

Access to a TRP visa

With a Lithuania Startup Visa, you’ll be able to obtain a temporary residence permit (TRP), which will allow you to live in the country for an initial period of up to two years. After that, applicants have the option to renew their visa for another three years based on your business progress report. The visa also allows your spouse and children to accompany you in Lithuania. 

Business growth opportunities

Plus, if you apply for the Startup Lithuania Program, you’ll gain access to additional business growth opportunities such as:

• Networking opportunities with investors, mentors, entrepreneurs and industry experts 
• Access to local and international programs to help you fast-track your growth
• Potential funding through government grants, as well as the opportunity to pitch your ideas to investors or secure capital from Lithuania investment schemes

Who is eligible for the Lithuania Startup Visa? 

The Lithuania Startup Visa was intended for citizens of non EU/EEA countries who want to start or run innovative businesses in Lithuania.

It’s available to founders of startups with a maximum of four founders able to apply for a business startup visa. As long as you also meet the basic criteria listed below, you can apply.

Criteria for startups and entrepreneurs 

To fulfill the criteria, your startup business must:

• Present an innovative idea that contributes to the significant needs of the market
• Have a prototype, a minimum viable product (MVP) or evidence of business traction in place
• Demonstrate the potential to grow and expand in Lithuania and further afield

Applicants must also have a valid passport from a non-EU or EEA nation and must be able to provide information about their financial plans for business activities in Lithuanian for their first two years.

Industries and innovation requirements

The Lithuania Startup Visa prioritises startup businesses in the following industries:

• Financial technology and ICT
• Biotechnology and healthcare
• Nanotechnology
• Mechatronics 
• Laser technology

How to apply for the Lithuania Startup Visa

Applying for a Lithuania Startup Visa is a simple process and begins with the Startup Visa Lithuania website or the Diplomatic Mission of Lithuania or authorised visa centres in your country.

For successful registration, you’ll need to follow the below-mentioned steps.

Step-by-step application process 

1. Prepare your business plan, detailing your business model, target market and growth potential and submit your application.
2. Have an online 30-minute interview session over a video call to pitch your idea and take part in a Q&A session.
3. Wait for the committee’s evaluation—this is where the authorised committee of experts carries out a final assessment of your application based on factors such as viability, innovation and scalability.
4. Once you’ve received a confirmation letter notifying you of your successful application, you can apply for a TRP visa Lithuania document and start the process of establishing your business there.
5. Once you have your TRP visa, you can start your business in Lithuania. Your business must be established within 120 days and you must inform the Startup Lithuania team once you’ve done so.

Key documents required 

When you apply for your Lithuania Startup Visa, you’ll also need to provide additional documents for any family members who will join you. This includes passports or birth certificates and potentially, any academic transcripts, medical documents, medical insurance confirmations and educational achievements of your spouse.

You’ll also need to provide your marriage or domestic partnership certificate.

TRP visa through the program 

The TRP visa is a key feature of beginning your new business ventures in Lithuania and presents a wide range of benefits. Read on to discover more.

Benefits of the TRP for entrepreneurs 

The TRP visa in Lithuania allows you to:

• Live legally in Lithuania for up to two years, with an option to extend to five years (and later to apply for permanent residency). Residence permits for family members are also available.
• Gain EU company status with access to a 450-million customer market.
• Benefit from free-of-charge consultations throughout the entire process.
• Enjoy all that Lithuania has to offer including innovative growth opportunities, business-friendly environments, developed innovative infrastructure and a great startup-life balance. This includes access to a high standard of healthcare and education and well-developed public infrastructure.

Application timeline and procedures 

Once you apply according to the above-mentioned procedure, your residence permit can take up to two months to process. A fee of 150 EUR also applies. Timelines may be longer if further application evidence is required. 

To accelerate your application process, business owners have the option to apply for an urgent visa for EUR 300. Urgent applications tend to take around one month to process.

Please note that processing times may sometimes vary depending on the complexity of the application and the paperwork required to process.

Support and resources for Startup Lithuania Program participants 

If you apply for the Startup Lithuania Program, you’ll gain access to additional benefits as well as your visa. This includes:

Mentorship and networking opportunities 

Members have the option to access a range of mentorship programs from industry experts, as well as the chance to participate in pitch-polishing workshops and attend networking events.

Access to funding and investment 

Startup Lithuania also offers the chance to access additional funding opportunities and programs via government-backed funding initiatives and international investors.

Success stories from Lithuania

Curious about the success stories coming out of Lithuania? There are many. Read on to discover three successful businesses with routes in Lithuania.

Trafi: This Vilnius-based startup started with a public transport app but has now turned into a global transportation platform, which operates across five continents.

Pixelmator: Founded in 2007 by two Lithuanian brothers, this much-loved graphic design tool for Apple users was acquired by Apple itself in 2024.

TransferGo: Founded in 2012, the Lithuanian fintech company, TransferGo (that’s us!) came from humble beginnings. Now, we serve over 8 million customers in over 160 countries worldwide and help businesses save both time and money with our TransferGo Business Account—a simple-to-use, multi-currency account that lets you send, receive and manage money from all around the world.

Curious about other types of Lithuania business visas? Read our guide on Lithuania business visa: Process and prices 2025.

Conclusion: Why choose Lithuania for your startup?

Home to over 1,000 startups, Lithuania offers a vast selection of opportunities for businesses looking to grow and scale. Ranked 1st in the CEE by the growth of ecosystem value, the country gives business owners the chance to access accelerators, angel investor support, grants and other support programs.

When you successfully apply for a Lithuania Startup Visa, you’ll enjoy access to great business conditions, as well as a perfect mix of infrastructure to start your growth including affordable co-working spaces, hubs and sandboxes. What’s more, Lithuania is a desirable place to live with its high quality (and low cost) of living. The standard of healthcare and education is high and it has a rich cultural heritage, as well as delicious food and a thriving music and arts scene.

If you have an innovative business idea in mind and fancy a cost-effective base in Europe, Lithuania provides the perfect place to do so. And if you’re looking to streamline your business cash flow and save time and money whilst there, consider the TransferGo Business Account.

Our single, simple-to-use, multi-currency business account is suited for businesses of all sizes—whether you’re a sole trader, run a multinational operation or manage an ambitious scale-up. It’s free to set up and there are no monthly subscription fees, with zero fees on major routes and transfer margins as low as 0.35%.

With a TransferGo Business Account, you can hold balances in GBP, EUR, RON, PLN and more and maximise your value by locking in industry-leading rates. Plus, our top-notch customer support team is on hand to help when you need it, addressing 80% of enquiries within just 2 hours.

Ready to get started? Sign up for TransferGo Business today!