Lithuania has postponed mandatory language requirements for Ukrainian refugees

The Lithuanian government has temporarily waived the requirement for Ukrainian refugees working in the country to know the official language. This decision allows them to remain in the labor market without proof of language proficiency until at least 2026. Find out why this decision was made and how many Ukrainians are already working in the country

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The Lithuanian government has decided to postpone the mandatory requirement for Ukrainian refugees staying in the country under the temporary protection program to know the Lithuanian language.

According to LRT, the language requirement has been suspended at least until the end of the temporary protection program, which is currently valid until March 4, 2026, but may be extended at the EU level.

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What has changed?

Earlier, the Lithuanian Ministry of Education proposed exempting Ukrainians from the language requirement for four years. Subsequently, there were proposals to limit this exemption until 2028.

However, following criticism from other ministries and institutions, the government decided not to introduce the language requirement at least until the end of the temporary protection period.

What do the authorities say?

Culture Minister Sarunas Birutis stressed that knowledge of the Lithuanian language remains important for integration into society, but that temporarily relaxing the requirements will not lead to faster employment or better access to services:

"Knowledge of the Lithuanian language is a key factor for successful integration into Lithuanian society. Postponement does not speed up this process and does not contribute to better access to the labor market or public services."

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What is the situation with Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania?

According to the Migration Department, Lithuania has accepted about 96,000 Ukrainian refugees since the start of the full-scale war in 2022. As of September 2024, about 33,900 people were officially employed.

According to the State Language Inspectorate, more than 6,800 Ukrainians have already taken Lithuanian language courses, which indicates a high level of interest in language integration despite the lack of a formal obligation.

Visit Ukraine specialists can help you at every stage of the migration process – get advice and make sure your emigration to Lithuania is a success!

Reminder! Earlier, we told you how to get car insurance in Lithuania.

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