Lithuania's Migration Department confirms extension of residence permits for refugees until 2026

This is according to Delfi, as reported by Ukrinform.

According to the Migration Department, this decision was made on the basis of the decision of the European Council to extend the mechanism of temporary protection of Ukrainian refugees for another year and the relevant resolution of the Lithuanian government. According to the latest data, digital temporary residence permits in Lithuania based on temporary protection have been issued to 44,921 Ukrainian refugees.

This document was issued to them before the aforementioned government decree, so it is valid until March 4, 2025. Therefore, after the expiration of the specified period, Ukrainian citizens should have the document replaced.

At the same time, chief adviser for the Migration Department, Rokas Pukinskas, explained to the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT that those Ukrainian refugees who are currently arriving in Lithuania are immediately issued a temporary residence permit valid until March 2026. Accordingly, they will not have to do anything by the end of the year.

Pukinskas specified that in the fall, the Migration Department will distribute special information with clarifications regarding the replacement of permits issued earlier and valid until March 2025. According to him, Ukrainian citizens may have to appear at the Department physically to do this.

These digital documents provide Ukrainian refugees who left Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion with collective protection and access to housing, employment, health care, education, and other services.

Over the past few weeks, an average of 50-60 newly arrived Ukrainian refugees have registered with the Department of Migration's customer service departments every day.

As reported earlier, last week the Lithuanian authorities decided to extend temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees for another year.