Dual Citizenship In Lithuania

So we wait and hope for a positive outcome in October!

It's good 2 know its not over yet. October will bring some changes. Until such time I would recommend that everyone who has been left in a state of limbo (SOL)in that their application may have been made prior to the 2006 changes, but only rceived confrmation in say 2007 that they are eligible should get some or other Certificate guaranteeing that they are eligible for citizenship (irrepsective of the dual nationality thing). The wording on their begrudgingly sent letters confirming eligibility are very vague. I received this advice from Stuart. Perhaps Stuart can post his suggestion re this certificate. I have now asked for this and am as usual waiting for the bureaucrats to get off their butt and reply. Apparently as long as they reply at least once in six months they are seen to be doing their job(what a joke).

Hi All
As part of my application for Lith citizenship I need to supply a free form written statement of confirming that I consider myself Lithuanian and why......has anyone ever written one of these before??/ I need an example as I am not sure whether I just state the obvious is my decent/ancestry or if I need to go on about wanting to get to know my heritage etc....
Many thanks

I have a question for those of you who have been able to obtain their "right to restore Lithuanian citizenship" in the last year or two. Is there a expiration date? Once obtained do you have to renounce your current citizenship within a certain amount of time or are you planning on just sitting on it and seeing if the law is changed?

Also, has anyone found out for certain if one can live/work in Lithuania with JUST one of these papers (does it act like a Green Card)?

Thanks,
Greg

Hi i wonder if anyone can help me...im so new to this all....my great grandparents are from lithuania and i have there lithuanian passports and other stuff relating to them living there and then coming to south africa, i would just like to know what i should do, whta would be my next step in apply for my passport and what are my chances of getting one....im from south africa but im staying in london

As far as I know there is no expiration date on the document, and yes you can live and work in Lithuania with it. As far as I was told anyway. I would suggest contacting someone at the Ministry of the Interior for clarification:

www.vrm.lt

or their website on immigration/emigration:

www.migracija.lt

Kris.

Greg wrote:

I have a question for those of you who have been able to obtain their "right to restore Lithuanian citizenship" in the last year or two. Is there a expiration date? Once obtained do you have to renounce your current citizenship within a certain amount of time or are you planning on just sitting on it and seeing if the law is changed?
Also, has anyone found out for certain if one can live/work in Lithuania with JUST one of these papers (does it act like a Green Card)?
Thanks,
Greg

Update on dual citizenship:

President Adamkus' revision of the new law on dual citizenship appears to contain the following amendments (in effect July 22, 2008):

Children of Lithuanian citizens, whether born in Lithuania or abroad, can hold dual citizenship.

Political prisoners, deportees, and citizens who left Lithunia between June 15, 1940 and March 11, 1990, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, can hold dual citizenship.

The law will expire on January 1, 2010, at which time a new citizenship law will have to be drafted.

Kris.

Thanks Kris, however I didn't think the president signed this law, but yet sent it back to be re-drafted or discarded?

Jessica

Hi Kris

Is there any way to confirm this?

Darren.

This is not the law that the President returned to be discarded/re-drafted. That law listed seven scenarios whereby someone can hold dual citizenship. And yes, he did return that law to the Seimas to be discarded or re-drafted. However, he returned it with the suggestion that dual citizenship be allowed to the groups I mentioned in my previous post. The Seimas ratified his amendments a few days later.

The amendments are meant to be temporary (expiring Jan 1, 2010), giving the lawmakers time to explore how the citizenship law can be further amended without contravening the constitution, which states that dual citizenship be the exception, not the rule. Because his suggestions still drastically limit the number of people who can hold dual citizenship, the President's suggestions were deemed acceptable in the meantime.

If you follow the LT news at all, the President issued a press release today saying he will urge the parliament to hold a referendum on dual citizenship together with the presidental elections in the summer of 2009.

Kris

Jessica wrote:

Thanks Kris, however I didn't think the president signed this law, but yet sent it back to be re-drafted or discarded?
Jessica

My observations come from reading the amended law on the Seimas website in Lithuanian. Lithuanian is not my best language, which is why I don't want to say anything definitively :). I'm quite confident I read the law correctly though. I suppose you could read it for yourself or have it translated to confirm. Unfortunately there is very little, if anything, available in English on the subject, and in my experience the embassies are often a step or two behind the changes and not always able to confirm or deny the latest, breaking news.

http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter3/dokpaieska.show...

Kris

Darren wrote:

Hi Kris
Is there any way to confirm this?
Darren.

Hi, so this is currently signed and official until 2010?

I don't read any Lithuanian so..

Thanks.

Can you please clarify what the implications of the law you refer to expiring on the 1 Jan 2010 means in practice for those who have had their documents recognised/qualifying for citizenship if they give up their current nationality. Does that mean one has until 2010 to do so or lose out entirely (or is this only to do with the new laws)??

Kris wrote:

Update on dual citizenship:
President Adamkus' revision of the new law on dual citizenship appears to contain the following amendments (in effect July 22, 2008):
Children of Lithuanian citizens, whether born in Lithuania or abroad, can hold dual citizenship.
Political prisoners, deportees, and citizens who left Lithunia between June 15, 1940 and March 11, 1990, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, can hold dual citizenship.
The law will expire on January 1, 2010, at which time a new citizenship law will have to be drafted.
Kris.

I went into the Lithuanian embassy in London yesterday and submitted my documents for Citizenship. They said that although there has been talks about the dual citizenship being given the go ahead from the President he has not yet signed anything official and that the current law stands.......it's so confusing!

I guess I will just wait and see what happens.

My mom read the link that Kris posted and she said the document said the law was signed and officially in practice.

So have all references to grandchildren been dropped? Would this mean I would have to force my mother to get Lithuanian citizenship because her mother was Lithuanian and then get mine on her coattails?

I believe it still says grandchildren still: see above and my mom read the law

Given what is going on with Russia & Georgia, one has to ask why Lithuania wouldn't be next. Then ask what could Lithuania do to best protect herself & the obvious answer is a huge diaspora population of citizens that have a real interest in Lithuania's survival that could ask the other governments to intervene on Lithuania's behalf.
If Lithuania reject all of us as citizens, and they state they don't want us, why would we agitate other governments to intervene on Lithuania's behalf?
We are possibly the single best defense Lithuania has against foreign agression, but Lithuania doesn't want us. Clever huh!

randchildren. A question: if one's documents are recognised (as being a grandchild of a genuine Lithuanian resident between the years prescribed), and you were previously told 'You are eligible for citizenship only on the basis of giving up your current citizenship' does this still apply? Is the amendment an exemption or not if you are a grandchild?

Michael wrote:

I believe it still says grandchildren still: see above and my mom read the law

Man, Lithuanian embassies in both the US and Canada never reply to my emails...it's very frustrating. I was wondering about translations: am I going to need official, notarized translations of all the birth and emigration documents? That's going to cost a fortune.

No one has yet to confirm that I *am* in fact allowed to hold dual citizenship either.