Work in Europe

Qualification recognition

Recognising qualifications in 立陶宛

Lithuania's qualification recognition system is built around two central bodies: SKVC (Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education) is Lithuania's NARIC/ENIC centre and the primary authority for academic recognition of all higher education degrees; VASPVT (State Accreditation Agency for Health Care Activities) is the licensing body for all healthcare professions. Lithuania implements EU Directive 2005/36/EC via the Profesinių kvalifikacijų pripažinimo įstatymas (Law on Recognition of Professional Qualifications), granting automatic recognition to EEA-trained practitioners in the seven sectoral professions. Third-country nationals and applicants for non-sectoral regulated professions must obtain an SKVC academic recognition decision as a first step before applying to the relevant professional body for a licence or membership.

01

Recognition bodies

SKVC — Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (Lithuania's NARIC/ENIC)

Academic

SKVC 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 profession

VASPVT 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 profession

The 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 profession

The 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

02

Regulated professions

Profession Governing body Recognition type
Medicine (gydytojas) VASPVT — State Accreditation Agency for Health Care Activities Automatic (EU Directive)
Dentistry (odontologas) VASPVT — State Accreditation Agency for Health Care Activities Automatic (EU Directive)
Pharmacy (vaistininkas) VASPVT — State Accreditation Agency for Health Care Activities Automatic (EU Directive)
Nursing (slaugytojas) VASPVT — State Accreditation Agency for Health Care Activities Automatic (EU Directive)
Midwifery (akušeris) VASPVT — State Accreditation Agency for Health Care Activities Automatic (EU Directive)
Architecture (architektas) Lithuanian Chamber of Architects (Lietuvos architektų rūmai) Automatic (EU Directive)
Law — advokatas title (independent practice) Lithuanian Bar Association (Lietuvos advokatūra) General system
Teaching (mokytojas) — public sector Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of Lithuania General system
Engineering — construction specialists Lithuanian Chamber of Engineers (Lietuvos inžinierių sąjunga) / relevant construction authority under construction law General system

03

Recognition process

1

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.

2

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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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.

7

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.

04

Typical timelines

SKVC academic recognition decision 30–60 days
VASPVT healthcare licence — complete EEA application 4–8 weeks
VASPVT healthcare licence — third-country national (SKVC recognition already obtained) 4–8 weeks after SKVC decision received
Chamber membership (architecture, law) — after SKVC decision received 4–8 weeks depending on the chamber

05

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.

06

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.

07

Warnings

Warning

立陶宛将工作许可与具名雇主紧密挂钩

标准工作许可证和居留许可与雇主挂钩,即使是蓝卡持有人在就业初期也须使用单独的更换雇主流程,因此不要假设抵达后可以随意更换担保机构。

Warning

签证路径并不意味着不需要长期规划

立陶宛国家签证可为入境和中期工作提供过渡,但有效期仍受限制,季节性工作本身在12个月内上限为6个月,因此较长期的就业往往须转至居留许可轨道。

Warning

网上表格提交后预约事宜同样重要

所查立陶宛页面持续要求先在MIGRIS电子申请,再携带原件和生物特征材料亲自出席,因此预约安排滞后仍可能使原本完整的申请材料功亏一篑。

08

Official sources

1

我是高技能员工

www.migracija.lt/en/as-esu-aukstos-kvalifikacijos-darbuotojas

official · Lithuanian Migration Department · checked 2026-04-23

2

我计划签订劳动合同,且我的职业不在紧缺职业清单上

www.migracija.lt/en/ketinu-dirbti-pagal-darbo-sutarti-ir-mano-profesija-nera-itraukta-i-trukstamu-profesiju-sarasa

official · Lithuanian Migration Department · checked 2026-04-23

3

我计划签订劳动合同,且我的职业在紧缺职业清单上

www.migracija.lt/en/ketinu-dirbti-pagal-darbo-sutarti-ir-mano-profesija-yra-itraukta-i-trukstamu-profesiju-sarasa

official · Lithuanian Migration Department · checked 2026-04-23

4

我是公司内部转调被调动者(指令2014/66/EU)

www.migracija.lt/en/esu-perkeliamas-imones-viduje

official · Lithuanian Migration Department · checked 2026-04-23

5

我是研究人员

www.migracija.lt/en/esu-tyr%C4%97jas

official · Lithuanian Migration Department · checked 2026-04-23

6

我来从事季节性工作

www.migracija.lt/en/darbas-noriu-gauti-viza

official · Lithuanian Migration Department · checked 2026-04-23

7

更换雇主

www.migracija.lt/en/changing-employer

official · Lithuanian Migration Department · checked 2026-04-23

8

雇主义务

www.migracija.lt/en/obligations-of-the-employer

official · Lithuanian Migration Department · checked 2026-04-23

9

立陶宛受雇工人

home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/employed-worker-lithuania_en

official · European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs · checked 2026-04-23

10

立陶宛高技能工人

home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/highly-qualified-worker-lithuania_en

official · European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs · checked 2026-04-23

11

立陶宛研究人员

home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/researcher-lithuania_en?prefLang=nl

official · European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs · checked 2026-04-23

12

立陶宛季节性工人

home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/seasonal-worker-lithuania_en

official · European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs · checked 2026-04-23

13

谁负责什么?立陶宛

home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/who-does-what/lithuania_en

official · European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs · checked 2026-04-23

14

《外国人法律地位法》

e-seimas.lrs.lt/rs/legalact/TAD/TAIS.243642/

legislation · Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania · checked 2026-04-23

15

立陶宛

european-union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/eu-countries/lithuania_en

official · European Union · checked 2026-04-23

16

申根区

home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/schengen-area_en

official · European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs · checked 2026-04-23

Work permits

Once your qualifications are recognised, check the available work permit routes for 立陶宛.

See work permit guide for 立陶宛