Working in Lithuania from Pakistan: Visa, Permit, Costs (2026)

Is Lithuania a realistic choice for Pakistani workers?

If you are a skilled worker or tradesperson in Pakistan looking for legal work in Europe, Lithuania is a country to consider, but you need to know the reality before spending time and money. Lithuania actively hires foreign workers to fill labor gaps in specific industries like heavy transport, industrial welding, and construction. However, the country uses an annual quota system for hiring workers from outside the European Union. Once this quota is reached for a specific sector, getting a work permit becomes slower and more difficult.

Processing times through the Lithuanian Migration Department (Migracija) can take several months, and visa appointment availability in Pakistan can be limited. If you face long delays or quota caps in Lithuania, neighboring countries such as Poland or Romania often provide similar trade opportunities with larger quotas and faster processing for Pakistani nationals. If you decide to proceed with Lithuania, working with a direct employer who understands the MIGRIS online system is the fastest path forward.

Trades in demand in Lithuania

Lithuanian employers search outside Europe mainly for trades where local labor is in short supply. Here are three key areas where Pakistani workers find legal opportunities:

• Long-haul truck driving: Freight companies in Lithuania operate large fleets across Western Europe and regularly hire experienced CE license drivers.
• Industrial welding and metal fabrication: Shipyards in coastal cities like Klaipeda and manufacturing plants in Kaunas hire certified welders for structural work.
• Construction trades: Building projects across major urban centers continuously recruit bricklayers, concrete finishers, and heavy equipment operators.

The official visa and work permit route

To work legally in Lithuania as a Pakistani citizen, you must follow a strict process that starts with the employer, not with you. You cannot simply apply for a work visa on your own without a verified job offer registered in Lithuania.

• Step 1: Employer application in Lithuania: Your prospective employer must first register the job opening with the Lithuanian Employment Service (Uzimtumo tarnyba). If no local or EU candidate is found, the employer applies for a work permit or a decision on compliance for foreign workers through the online portal MIGRIS.
• Step 2: Shortage occupation list: If your job title is on Lithuania's official shortage occupation list (Trukstamu profesiju sarasas), the employer benefits from a simplified procedure, which speeds up the issue of your work decision.
• Step 3: Work permit or MIGRIS approval: Once Migracija or the Employment Service approves your employer's application, an official approval number is issued in the MIGRIS portal.
• Step 4: Visa application by the worker: With your MIGRIS decision code and signed contract, you apply for a National Visa D (Darbo viza) or a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP) for employment. You will submit your passport, application forms, and biometric data at a VFS Global visa application centre serving Pakistan, such as the centres operating in Islamabad or Karachi.

Documents you need and how to legalise them

Preparing your paperwork correctly in Pakistan is essential. Missing or unverified documents will result in an immediate visa rejection. You must gather and prepare the following items:

• Valid passport: Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned stay and have at least two blank pages.
• Signed employment contract: A binding contract or job offer from a registered Lithuanian company detailing your job title, hours, and wages.
• Police clearance certificate: An official character certificate issued by the local police in Pakistan, showing you have no criminal record.
• Proof of qualifications: Trade certificates, diplomas, or documented work experience letters verifying that you can perform the job.
• Health insurance: Medical travel insurance covering emergency treatment in Schengen countries for the initial period of your entry.
• Document legalisation and attestation: Official Pakistani documents, such as your police clearance certificate and educational or trade credentials, must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in Pakistan. Lithuania requires official documents from Pakistan to be properly legalised or verified through the recognized embassy or consular process so that Lithuanian authorities can accept them as genuine.

Visa fees, processing times, and real local costs

Understanding the costs involved helps you avoid bad deals and financial distress. Official government fees are separate from your personal document preparation costs in Pakistan.

• Official visa fee: The fee for a Lithuanian National Visa D is set by the Lithuanian government and is approximately 140 EUR.
• MIGRIS processing time: Work permit decisions and visa processing generally take approximately 1 to 3 months, depending on current application volumes and quota status.
• Police clearance in Pakistan: Obtaining an official police character certificate usually costs approximately 2,000 PKR to 5,000 PKR.
• Attestation and legalisation: Legalising your documents through MoFA and authorized translation services costs approximately 10,000 PKR to 25,000 PKR (30 EUR to 80 EUR).
• Medical check and insurance: Pre-departure medical exams and initial travel insurance cost approximately 15,000 PKR to 35,000 PKR (50 EUR to 110 EUR).
• Flight ticket: A one-way flight from Pakistan to Vilnius or Riga (nearby transit point) typically costs approximately 150,000 PKR to 300,000 PKR (500 EUR to 1,000 EUR).
• Placement fees warning: Under Lithuanian law and European Union regulations, employers and licensed recruiters are legally forbidden from charging workers fees for getting a job. The employer must cover recruitment costs. Be extremely careful of illegal agents in Pakistan who demand thousands of Euros as a processing fee or guarantee fee. These are illegal scams.

Myths vs facts

There is a lot of wrong information shared on social media about European work visas. Here are the facts for Pakistani workers targeting Lithuania:

• Myth: You can buy a guaranteed Lithuanian work visa from an agent in Lahore or Islamabad.
  Fact: No agency can guarantee a visa. Only the Migration Department of Lithuania can approve work permits and visas. Paying high fees to middleman agents often leads to forged documents and lifetime travel bans.
• Myth: You can travel to Lithuania on a visit visa and start working legally.
  Fact: It is completely illegal to work on a tourist or visit visa in Lithuania. You must obtain a National Visa D or Temporary Residence Permit based on an approved work application before you start employment.
• Myth: You must speak fluent Lithuanian to get a trade job.
  Fact: While learning basic phrases is helpful, many international transport fleets and construction companies operate in English or Russian, making basic English sufficient for many manual roles.
• Myth: Work permits are available all year round without limits.
  Fact: Lithuania enforces strict yearly quotas for non-EU workers. Once the sector quota fills up, employers must go through additional testing, which can create long delays for applicants.

Before you sign

Use this checklist to protect yourself before signing any paperwork or traveling:

• Verified employer: Confirm that the employer is registered in Lithuania and that your application appears in the official MIGRIS system.
• Clear job details: Check that your contract clearly states your position, weekly working hours, guaranteed hourly rate or monthly salary, and accommodation terms.
• No payment for job offer: Ensure that no agent, middleman, or employer is asking you to pay money in exchange for the contract or work permit.
• Attested documents: Verify that your police clearance certificate and trade qualifications are attested by MoFA in Pakistan.
• Personal control of documents: Keep your original passport, certificates, and money in your own hands at all times. Never hand your passport to an agent.

Set up your profile on Workuro

If you are ready to explore direct trade opportunities in Europe, create your worker profile on Workuro today. Make sure to list your exact trade skills, your heavy driver license details or welding certifications, your English language ability, and confirm that you have your Pakistani passport and MoFA-attested documents ready. Being clear and accurate on your profile allows genuine employers in Lithuania and across Europe to evaluate your background directly.

Workuro is free for workers - employers pay to search the register, and nobody may charge you for a job.