How to Hire Non-EU Construction Workers in Lithuania (2026)

7 min

The Construction Shortage in Lithuania and What It Means for Employers

Lithuania faces a persistent shortage of skilled construction labor, concentrated around the major commercial and residential development zones of Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda, as well as on key national infrastructure projects. Lithuanian construction firms routinely struggle to recruit bricklayers, concrete formworkers, rebar fixers, plasterers, certified welders, and heavy machinery operators locally. The active hiring season opens in March and runs heavily through October, though structural masonry and indoor finishing work continue year-round.

Pay rates in Lithuania have risen to reflect this supply gap. Base net pay for semi-skilled site workers ranges from 1,200 EUR to 1,600 EUR per month, while experienced specialists, such as certified welders or tower crane operators, earn between 1,800 EUR and 2,500 EUR net per month depending on project complexity and overtime.

Hiring non-EU nationals is common in Lithuania, but it is not an instant fix. The Lithuanian government uses an annual national quota system for foreign workers in designated shortage occupations. When your target trade falls within the active quota, immigration filings move efficiently. Once the annual quota for the construction sector is filled, employers must conduct a mandatory local labor market test before bringing in workers from abroad. Understanding this mechanism is vital to planning site headcount accurately.

The Legal Route: Migration Department Filings and Labour Market Tests

To bring a non-EU construction worker into Lithuania legally, the employer and worker interact with two primary state authorities: the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior (Migracijos departamentas) and the Employment Services (Užimtumo tarnyba). Employers should always confirm current regulations and filing fees directly on migracija.lrv.lt and uzimtumas.ej.lt.

The legal framework relies on obtaining a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP) for employment purposes (Leidimas laikinai gyventi). The procedure follows specific steps:

Shortage Occupation List check: Užimtumo tarnyba publishes the shortage list (Trūkstamų profesijų sąrašas). If the trade is listed and the annual national quota has unused capacity, you do not need to conduct a local labor market test or apply for an individual work decision.
Labour Market Test (when required): If the quota is exhausted or the specific role is not on the shortage list, you must post the job vacancy on the Užimtumo tarnyba portal for at least 5 to 7 working days. If no qualified Lithuanian or EU jobseeker applies, you apply to Užimtumo tarnyba for a decision confirming that the foreign worker's employment complies with local market needs.
MIGRIS Mediation Letter: The employer creates an account on the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS at migracija.lt) and files an electronic mediation letter (Tarpininkavimo raštas). This document states the position, promised monthly gross wage, work location, and worker details. MIGRIS generates a unique mediation number.
TRP Application by Worker: The worker submits their TRP application through the MIGRIS online portal using your mediation number, then books an appointment at an authorized external service provider (such as VFS Global) or a Lithuanian diplomatic mission abroad to present original documents and submit biometrics.

Realistic Timeline from Decision to On-Site Work

Lithuanian immigration procedures require forward planning. You should expect a total timeline of 3 to 5 months from extending a job offer to the worker stepping onto your site.

Vacancy posting and Employment Services approval (1 to 3 weeks): Skipped if the quota is open. If required, posting the job and waiting for the Užimtumo tarnyba decision takes up to 3 weeks.
Mediation filing and appointment booking (2 to 4 weeks): Submitting the employer mediation letter takes 1 to 2 days on MIGRIS. However, securing an in-person biometric appointment at an overseas VFS Global location can take 2 to 4 weeks depending on applicant volume in the worker's country.
MIGRIS processing (1.5 to 3 months): Standard processing by Migracijos departamentas for a Temporary Residence Permit takes up to 3 months. An expedited review route is available for an additional state fee, which reduces processing time to 45 calendar days.
Travel, arrival, and SoDra registration (1 to 2 weeks): After approval, the worker receives their TRP card or national visa and travels to Lithuania. Before work begins, you must register the worker with the State Social Insurance Fund Board (SoDra) using form 1-SD no later than 1 working day before their official start date.

Pay, Housing, Qualifications, and Employer Obligations

Lithuanian law establishes strict obligations regarding salary thresholds, worker accommodation, and site certifications for non-EU hires.

Pay standards: The salary specified in the MIGRIS mediation letter cannot be lower than the average monthly gross wage in Lithuania for that occupational category, nor lower than the statutory minimum wage. For 2026, site employers must ensure gross pay matches local market benchmarks for the trade. Pay must be transferred directly to the worker's bank account.
Housing obligations: Employers submitting a mediation letter must ensure that the worker has an officially registered place of residence in Lithuania that meets legal spatial standards (at least 14 square meters of living space per person). Construction firms customarily arrange shared apartments or staff dormitories. If housing costs are deducted from wages, the deduction must be agreed upon in writing and comply with Lithuanian Labor Code limits so that net pay remains above statutory thresholds.
Qualifications and STATREG: Regulated trades such as high-voltage electricians or gas pipeline technicians require official qualification recognition. For general construction trades, the Lithuanian Construction Association (Lietuvos statybininkų asociacija) manages the STATREG system (Statybininko kortelė). Obtaining a STATREG card confirms worker identity, safety training, and verified skills, and is required on most major commercial construction sites in Lithuania.

What This Costs You, Roughly

When calculating the total financial cost of bringing a foreign construction worker to Lithuania, plan for the following line-item ranges:

MIGRIS state fee: 160 EUR for standard processing or 320 EUR for expedited processing per worker.
Employment Services decision fee (if applicable): 28 EUR to 50 EUR per application.
Document translation and legalization: 100 EUR to 250 EUR for translating trade certificates, police records, and passports into Lithuanian with apostilles.
Biometric service provider fee: 30 EUR to 60 EUR paid directly at the overseas application center.
Inbound travel: 250 EUR to 700 EUR depending on origin country and flight routes.
Initial housing deposit: 200 EUR to 400 EUR per worker for initial residential setup.
STATREG card and site safety training: 30 EUR to 80 EUR per worker.

Protection Against Recruitment Fraud and Employer Liability

Legitimate employers in Lithuania must ensure that workers are never charged for their job placement, visa applications, or legal documentation. Under Lithuanian labor law and international labor standards, passing recruitment or administrative costs onto the jobseeker is illegal.

Some third-party agencies in non-EU countries attempt to collect large upfront fees from candidates under the guise of processing payments or job guarantees. If your company works with intermediaries who charge jobseekers, you face serious legal liabilities. The Migration Department can revoke your company's right to sponsor foreign workers, the State Labour Inspectorate (Valstybinė darbo inspekcija) can impose severe financial penalties, and your firm risks public blacklisting. You should maintain direct communication with prospective workers and explicitly confirm in writing that they paid no fees to secure their contract.

How to Search the Workuro Registry for Construction Workers

If you prefer to direct your own hiring and avoid third-party agency fees, you can use the Workuro registry to find candidates directly.

Workuro is an online directory where non-EU construction workers publish profiles indicating their trade skills, professional experience, language proficiencies, and willingness to move to Lithuania. Workuro is not a recruitment agency, does not employ workers, takes no per-hire placement commission, and does not interfere in employment terms. Employers pay an access fee to search the registry, evaluate candidate profiles, and contact workers directly to conduct interviews and initiate MIGRIS procedures.

The Workuro registry is young and steadily growing, expanding its database of qualified site tradespeople every month. Searching the platform gives your HR team direct access to candidates who want to work in Lithuania, keeping your hiring fully compliant with zero-fee principles and completely under your control.