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Recognition bodies
SKVC — Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (Lithuania's NARIC/ENIC)
AcademicSKVC is Lithuania's official NARIC and ENIC centre. It issues academic recognition decisions mapping foreign higher education degrees to Lithuanian qualification levels. The SKVC decision is the foundational document for employer-facing qualification evidence in unregulated roles and the mandatory first step for third-country nationals seeking to enter regulated professions.
www.skvc.lt/en
VASPVT — State Accreditation Agency for Health Care Activities
Regulated professionVASPVT is the statutory licensing authority for all healthcare professions in Lithuania, including doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, and other health practitioners. It issues practice licences and handles recognition of foreign healthcare qualifications. EEA-trained practitioners in the seven sectoral professions may apply directly; third-country nationals must present an SKVC academic recognition decision first.
www.vaspvt.gov.lt
Lithuanian Bar Association (Lietuvos advokatūra)
Regulated professionThe Lithuanian Bar Association regulates access to the advokatas (advocate/lawyer) title, which is required for independent legal practice before Lithuanian courts. EEA-qualified lawyers may integrate after three years of practice under their home-country title; non-EEA lawyers must meet Lithuanian professional qualification requirements.
www.advokatura.lt/en
Lithuanian Chamber of Architects (Lietuvos architektų rūmai)
Regulated professionThe Lithuanian Chamber of Architects is the statutory body whose membership is required for independent architectural practice in Lithuania. EEA-qualified architects benefit from automatic recognition; architects from other countries must go through the general-system route and present an SKVC academic recognition decision.
lpr.lt
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Regulated professions
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Recognition process
Apply to SKVC for academic recognition
Submit your degree certificate, transcript, and supporting documents to SKVC (Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education) at skvc.lt. SKVC will issue an academic recognition decision that maps your foreign higher education qualification to the Lithuanian qualification level. This decision is required by all third-country nationals before entering a regulated profession and is the employer-facing document for unregulated roles. Processing normally takes 30 to 60 days.
Identify whether your target profession is regulated
Check whether the profession you intend to practise in Lithuania is listed as regulated. Regulated professions (healthcare, law, architecture, certain engineering roles) require a licence or chamber membership before practice is lawful. For unregulated professions, the SKVC academic recognition decision alone is sufficient as employer-facing evidence.
For healthcare professions (EEA applicants): apply directly to VASPVT
EEA-trained practitioners in the seven sectoral professions (doctor, dentist, pharmacist, nurse, midwife, and equivalent) may apply directly to VASPVT for a practice licence without a prior SKVC step. Submit the application with your degree, certified transcript, certificate of good standing from your home country authority, and evidence of Lithuanian language proficiency at B2 level for patient-facing roles. VASPVT typically decides complete EEA applications within 4 to 8 weeks.
For healthcare professions (third-country nationals): obtain SKVC recognition first
If you trained outside the EEA, obtain an SKVC academic recognition decision for your healthcare degree before approaching VASPVT. Once SKVC has issued its decision, submit it together with your degree, transcript, certificate of good standing, and Lithuanian language evidence (B2) to VASPVT for a practice licence assessment.
For architecture: apply to the Lithuanian Chamber of Architects
Present your SKVC academic recognition decision (for non-EEA applicants) or your qualifying certificates (for EEA applicants under the automatic recognition route) to the Lithuanian Chamber of Architects (lpr.lt). Chamber membership is required before independent architectural practice is lawful in Lithuania.
For law: apply to the Lithuanian Bar Association
EEA-qualified lawyers may practise under their home-country title in Lithuania and, after three years of regular practice of Lithuanian law, integrate into the Lithuanian Bar (Lietuvos advokatūra). Non-EEA lawyers must meet Lithuanian professional qualification requirements and go through the general-system recognition route, which may include an aptitude test or adaptation period.
Receive the licence or registration confirmation
Once the relevant body has completed its assessment, it will issue a practice licence (VASPVT) or membership confirmation (chambers). Keep the original decision document — it is required by employers and may be needed as part of your work permit or residence permit application file.
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Typical timelines
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Unregulated qualification route
For professions that are not regulated in Lithuania — such as most software engineering, finance, business management, and many technical specialisations — formal recognition is not legally required before starting work. However, employers and immigration authorities routinely request an SKVC academic recognition decision as evidence of qualification level. SKVC issues these decisions for all higher education degrees from foreign institutions, mapping them to the Lithuanian and European Qualifications Framework levels. The SKVC decision is the standard employer-facing qualification document for unregulated roles. Applications are submitted online at skvc.lt and decisions typically take 30 to 60 days.
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EU framework notes
Lithuania implements EU Professional Qualifications Directive 2005/36/EC (as amended by 2013/55/EU) through the Profesinių kvalifikacijų pripažinimo įstatymas (Law on Recognition of Professional Qualifications). The seven sectoral professions — doctor, nurse, dentist, pharmacist, veterinary surgeon, midwife, and architect — benefit from automatic recognition for EEA-trained practitioners: the competent Lithuanian authority must accept qualifying certificates from other EEA member states without a substantive curriculum assessment. For other regulated professions, EU and EEA applicants may use the general-system route, which may include an aptitude test or adaptation period. Third-country nationals do not benefit from automatic or general-system recognition under the Directive and must first obtain an SKVC academic recognition decision.
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Warnings
La Lituanie lie étroitement l'autorisation de travail à l'employeur nommément désigné
Les permis de travail et titres de séjour standard sont spécifiques à l'employeur, et même les titulaires de la carte bleue ont besoin d'un circuit distinct de changement d'employeur pendant la période initiale d'emploi ; ne supposez donc pas que vous pouvez changer librement de commanditaire après l'arrivée.
Les voies visa ne suppriment pas le besoin d'un plan pour un séjour plus long
Les visas nationaux lituaniens peuvent servir de pont pour l'entrée et le travail de durée moyenne, mais ils restent limités en validité et le travail saisonnier lui-même est plafonné à six mois sur une période de douze mois ; un emploi plus long doit souvent basculer sur la filière titre de séjour.
La logistique des rendez-vous compte encore après le formulaire en ligne
Les pages lituaniennes vérifiées exigent systématiquement un dépôt électronique MIGRIS suivi d'une comparution en personne avec les originaux et les données biométriques ; une planification tardive des rendez-vous peut donc encore faire dérailler un dossier par ailleurs complet.
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Official sources
Je suis un salarié hautement qualifié
www.migracija.lt/en/as-esu-aukstos-kvalifikacijos-darbuotojas
official · Département des migrations de Lituanie · checked 2026-04-23
J'envisage de travailler sous contrat de travail et ma profession ne figure pas sur la liste des professions en pénurie
www.migracija.lt/en/ketinu-dirbti-pagal-darbo-sutarti-ir-mano-profesija-nera-itraukta-i-trukstamu-profesiju-sarasa
official · Département des migrations de Lituanie · checked 2026-04-23
J'envisage de travailler sous contrat de travail et ma profession figure sur la liste des professions en pénurie
www.migracija.lt/en/ketinu-dirbti-pagal-darbo-sutarti-ir-mano-profesija-yra-itraukta-i-trukstamu-profesiju-sarasa
official · Département des migrations de Lituanie · checked 2026-04-23
Je suis un transfert intragroupe (Directive 2014/66/UE)
www.migracija.lt/en/esu-perkeliamas-imones-viduje
official · Département des migrations de Lituanie · checked 2026-04-23
Je suis un chercheur
www.migracija.lt/en/esu-tyr%C4%97jas
official · Département des migrations de Lituanie · checked 2026-04-23
Je viens travailler comme travailleur saisonnier
www.migracija.lt/en/darbas-noriu-gauti-viza
official · Département des migrations de Lituanie · checked 2026-04-23
Changement d'employeur
www.migracija.lt/en/changing-employer
official · Département des migrations de Lituanie · checked 2026-04-23
Obligations de l'employeur
www.migracija.lt/en/obligations-of-the-employer
official · Département des migrations de Lituanie · checked 2026-04-23
Salarié en Lituanie
home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/employed-worker-lithuania_en
official · Direction générale de la migration et des affaires intérieures de la Commission européenne · checked 2026-04-23
Travailleur hautement qualifié en Lituanie
home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/highly-qualified-worker-lithuania_en
official · Direction générale de la migration et des affaires intérieures de la Commission européenne · checked 2026-04-23
Chercheur en Lituanie
home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/researcher-lithuania_en?prefLang=nl
official · Direction générale de la migration et des affaires intérieures de la Commission européenne · checked 2026-04-23
Travailleur saisonnier en Lituanie
home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/seasonal-worker-lithuania_en
official · Direction générale de la migration et des affaires intérieures de la Commission européenne · checked 2026-04-23
Qui fait quoi ? Lituanie
home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/who-does-what/lithuania_en
official · Direction générale de la migration et des affaires intérieures de la Commission européenne · checked 2026-04-23
Loi sur le statut juridique des étrangers
e-seimas.lrs.lt/rs/legalact/TAD/TAIS.243642/
legislation · Seimas de la République de Lituanie · checked 2026-04-23
Lituanie
european-union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/eu-countries/lithuania_en
official · Union européenne · checked 2026-04-23
Espace Schengen
home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/schengen-area_en
official · Direction générale de la migration et des affaires intérieures de la Commission européenne · checked 2026-04-23
Work permits
Once your qualifications are recognised, check the available work permit routes for Lituanie.
See work permit guide for Lituanie