Europe

No restrictions in this travel advice

Avoid all but essential travel to part(s) of country

Avoid all but essential travel to whole country

Avoid all travel to part(s) of country

Avoid all travel to whole country

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• General
 

• There is a low threat from terrorism, but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• Increasing numbers of British tourists visit Lithuania every year.  If you need to contact the emergency services in Lithuania call 112. See General - Consular Assistance Statistics .
  
  
• You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  See General - Insurance.

Safety and Security - Terrorism
There is a low threat from terrorism, but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. See our terrorism abroad page. 

Safety and Security - Crime
Petty crime, notably pickpocketing in bars and restaurants, especially in outside areas, is common. Take extra care of your belongings in busy, particularly outside, locations. There is also a risk of mugging and bag snatching, particularly on public transport.  Avoid poorly-lit streets, parks and secluded areas after dark.
 

Be wary of accepting food and drink from strangers in bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Some visitors have been drugged and subsequently robbed. There have also been reports of foreign tourists being charged extortionate prices for drinks or having fraudulent transactions debited against credit/debit cards.

Seek recommendations for bars and clubs from trustworthy sources such as your hotel or other holidaymakers. Vilnius Police publish on a six-monthly basis a list of clubs where they have received the highest number of crimes reported.

Car theft, particularly of/from new or expensive cars, is rife.  Lock unattended vehicles and conceal all contents (and radios, if possible).  Major cities have guarded car parks, which you should use if possible, especially overnight.
 
We are aware of a number of recent thefts of bicycles in Vilnius. Make sure your bicycle is securely locked when leaving it unattended.

See our victims of crime abroad page. 

Safety and Security - Local Travel
Tickets for buses and trolley buses in Vilnius and Kaunas are best bought from a news kiosk (spauda). They cost more if bought from the driver. Tickets should be franked on the machine on board. If they are not - or you are travelling without a ticket at all - you may be fined by undercover inspectors. Taxis are widely available in the major cities and are reasonably priced. However, do make sure there is a visible meter and that it is being used. It is cheaper and safer to phone for a taxi from a recognised company rather than to hail one in the street. Ask your hotel reception to call one for you if necessary. Do not use taxis that are unmarked, as they are illegal and usually cost a lot more than registered taxis. Tourists walking along the Curonian Spit should be aware that after a short distance the Spit forms part of Kaliningrad, which is Russian Federation territory. 

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel
Road traffic accidents are common. Extra care should be taken at all times when driving, particularly when driving at night. In 2011 there were 287 road deaths in Lithuania and 4,048 people injured in traffic accidents (source: Lithuanian Ministry of Transport).

If driving into Lithuania in winter, equip your car for severe conditions. Winter tyres are a legal requirement in Lithuania between 10 November and 1 April. Dipped Headlights are also compulsory all year round. The speed limits, unless otherwise indicated, are 50km/h in towns, 90km/h on country roads and 110km/h on highways.

Drivers must carry original vehicle registration documents (copies are not acceptable). If you do not have a UK photo card driving licence you will need to also carry either an international driving licence or your passport.

Do not drink and drive. The legal blood-alcohol limit is 0.04%. Those found over the limit face a fine and possible imprisonment. When arriving in Lithuania with a car, border officials will ask for the following documents:

• A passport with a validity of at least six months

• Original vehicle registration documents (copies are not acceptable)

• International vehicle insurance (Green Card)

You will also need to have appropriate car insurance valid for Lithuania.  See our driving abroad page. 

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Air Travel
The revised EU-wide security measures that came into effect for all passengers departing from UK airports in November 2006 are also being implemented in Lithuania. For more details about this see airline security.

Safety and Security – Local Travel – Winter Travel
Be prepared for extremely cold and possibly hazardous weather if you intend to travel to Lithuania in the winter (October to March). There is likely to be snow on the ground and temperatures may drop to -25 degrees Celsius or below.

Safety and Security – Local Travel – Klaipeda, Nida & Palanga
Those wishing to travel to Klaipeda, Nida and Palanga should be aware that we now have an Honorary Consul, Mark Uribe, to assist should you have any difficulties. His number is: 8-699 33210 and the address of the Honorary Consulate is: Zveju 2/513, Klaipeda.

If you intend to walk along the Curonian Spit be aware that after a short distance the Spit forms part of Kaliningrad, which is territory of the Russian Federation.

Safety and Security - Political Situation
Lithuania country profile  

Do not become involved with drugs. Possession of even very small quantities of drugs can lead to imprisonment and/or heavy fines.

See our your trip page.

Entry Requirements - Passport validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Lithuania. For stays of up to three months your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this. However, it is always sensible to have a short period of extra validity on your passport in case of any unforeseen delays to your departure. You do not have to wait until your old passport expires to apply to renew it. Any time left on your old passport when you apply will be added to your new passport, up to a maximum of nine months. For passport applications in the UK, you should apply to the Identity and Passport Service. For stays of longer than three months, contact the Embassy of the country to which you are travelling.

Entry Requirements - Visas
Holders of British Citizen passports do not require visas to enter Lithuania. You need a valid passport to enter Lithuania. Holders of other categories of British passports may require visas and should contact the Lithuanian Embassy in London.

Entry Requirements - Staying for three months or longer
British Citizens intending to live and work in Lithuania for a period longer than three months in any calendar half-year from the first day of their entry into Lithuania should apply for an EC Residence Permit from the Migration Department under the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Lithuania.  

Entry Requirements - Travelling with children
For information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact the Lithuanian Embassy in London.

Obtain a European Health Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Lithuanian nationals. It also does not cover you for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature. See our EHIC page.

Tick-borne diseases, including tick-borne encephalitis, are common to Lithuania, especially in forested areas during the summer months. You are advised to consult a doctor about inoculations, particularly for tick-borne encephalitis and rabies if visiting forested areas, and other precautionary measures well in advance of travelling.

In July 2010 there were reports of an outbreak of Trichinellosis in Panevezys, the source is believed to be the eating of undercooked wild boar. It is important to ensure that all food is cooked and prepared appropriately.

In the 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 1,200 adults aged 15 or over in Lithuania were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at around 0.1% of the adult population compared to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

Seek medical advice before travelling to Lithuania and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention visit the websites of the NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

See our travel health page.

General - Insurance
You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. Check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See our travel insurance page.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas then see our When Things Go Wrong page.

General - Registration
Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.

General - Issuing replacement passports
The British Embassy cannot issue passports locally but it can issue temporary passports in an emergency. UK passport applications from customers living in Lithuania will be handled by the British Passport Processing Centre in Düsseldorf which is part of the British Consulate General, Düsseldorf, Germany. It is recommended that the application is sent by courier (this will be at your own expense). We aim to issue a replacement passport within 15 days. More information is available from the UK in Germany website.

General - Customs Regulations
If you travel within the European Union (EU) you can bring an unlimited amount of most goods as long as they are for your own use and transported by you. If you are bringing in alcohol and tobacco goods and the Customs officer may have reason to suspect they may be for a commercial purpose, an officer may ask you questions and make checks. This refers to travelling into Lithuania and/or entering the UK. See the website of HMRC (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingeu.htm).

General - Money
Legislation on the controls of cash entering or leaving the EU apply in all Member States. Any person entering or leaving the EU will have to declare the money that they are carrying if this amounts to 10,000 euro or more (including cheques, travellers' cheques, money orders, etc.). This will not apply to anyone travelling via the EU to a non-EU country, as long as the original journey started outside of the EU, nor to those travelling within the EU.
 
The official currency of Lithuania is Litas (Lt). Major credit cards are widely accepted and ATM machines can be found in most banks and hotels. There are numerous currency exchange kiosks in the capital Vilnius and travellers' cheques can be cashed at some banks.
 
Ensure that any Sterling you take to Lithuania is in Bank of England notes. Banks and Bureaux de Change have refused to exchange Scottish or Irish notes, as they do not recognise them as Sterling.

General - Consular Assistance Statistics
Increasing numbers of British tourists visit Lithuania every year. Most visits are trouble-free. Nine British nationals required detailed consular assistance in Lithuania in the period 01 April 2010-31 March 2011 for various reasons including three deaths; one hospitalisation; and three arrests.