Lithuania Extends Temporary Protection For Ukrainians Until 2027

According to the current resolution of the Lithuanian government, temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens had previously been set to expire on March 4, 2026.

“The European Union has agreed to extend temporary protection because the war is not over. We proposed to do the same in Lithuania with this government resolution,” acting Prime Minister Rimantas Sadžius said during a government meeting.

According to the Interior Ministry, Lithuania's Migration Department registers around 30 to 40 new applications daily for temporary residence permits on the basis of temporary protection, for those unable to return to their country.

At present, residence permits issued to Ukrainians are valid until March 4, 2026. Following the government's decision, they will be extended by an additional 12 months.

“This will reduce the administrative burden for individuals, as they will hold longer-term residence permits. It will also ease the workload for Migration Department staff and make it easier to manage permit renewals as March 4, 2026 approaches,” the ministry said.

The extension also continues the policy of not requiring foreigners working in Lithuania under temporary protection to learn Lithuanian.

In early July, the government decided that war refugees would not have to speak the language while holding temporary protection status.

According to the Migration Department, temporary protection in Lithuania has currently been granted to 47,600 individuals.

As Ukrinform reported, since March 2022, the EU has offered asylum to more than 4 million displaced Ukrainians. These individuals will continue to benefit from temporary protection in the EU until March 4, 2027.

On September 16, the EU Council approved a common framework for displaced Ukrainians to ensure their sustainable return and reintegration into Ukraine when conditions allow, as well as a gradual transition to other residence statuses for those eligible.

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