Once your documents are gathered, the MIGRIS Lithuanian citizenship application runs through a single online system, and the details of how it works, who must appear, what it costs and how long it takes are scattered across embassy pages. This guide pulls together what the official pages say about filing for reinstatement through MIGRIS, the Lithuanian Migration Information System, in the order you will meet each step. It also says plainly which numbers differ between sources, because fees and timing are the points where private websites and official pages disagree.
Legal note: this article is general information, not legal advice. Procedures, fees and forms change. Always follow the instructions on the current MIGRIS pages and from your own Lithuanian consulate, and consider a qualified lawyer if your case is complicated.
Step 0: finish the documents first
The Los Angeles consulate states that an application can be submitted only together with all supporting documents. That means translations, apostilles and the proof of citizenship, relationship and any exile or departure are ready before you open the system. Our guides to the documents and to dual citizenship explain what to prepare, and the complete guide shows how the pieces fit.
The steps in order
- Create and complete the application in MIGRIS. Since 15 November 2021, all applications for reinstatement must be submitted through MIGRIS at www.migracija.lt, personally by the applicant, according to the consulate page updated on 26 July 2025. The page for the embassy in Israel adds that notifications about acquiring another citizenship also go through MIGRIS.
- Upload the documents and choose where to show the originals. If you say in MIGRIS that you will bring the originals to a consulate, the system treats that as the route for verification. The embassy in South Africa tells applicants to select its embassy as the place for submitting the originals.
- Wait for the preliminary assessment. The Migration Department assesses the uploaded documents online. If there are no deficiencies, it sends a message through MIGRIS.
- Book the consulate visit only after the message. The message tells you to appear in person within four months and show the originals. The Washington embassy’s page says you can register for the visit only upon receipt of that notification, and the South African embassy asks you to attach the MIGRIS notification when you email for an appointment.
- Attend in person with the originals. Bring the documents you uploaded, in the form the consulate requires, and pay the consular fee.
- Wait for the decision and follow up through MIGRIS. The consulates say they cannot comment on how documents are processed. For questions about a submitted application, the Washington embassy’s page directs applicants to the Migration Department through MIGRIS or by phone or email.
Contact details on the Washington embassy’s page, which is older and should be checked, give a Migration Department phone number of +370 5 271 7112 and an email address of info@migracija.gov.lt.
What it costs: the numbers we found
| Item | Figure | Source and caution |
|---|---|---|
| Consular fee for verifying documents submitted to MIGRIS | 60 euros per application, paid in rand by bank card | An embassy page for South Africa, which dates from about 2025 |
| Consular fee for accepting and handing over documents to the Migration Department | 200 euros per application | An embassy page for Israel, last updated on 1 March 2026 by its own header, though its text may be older |
| State fee for the application | 120 euros | A private law firm’s FAQ. We did not find this figure on a government page |
The first two differ by a factor of more than three, and they come from different embassies describing different fees, so do not assume that either applies to you. The Los Angeles and Washington pages we read did not state a fee. Ask your own consulate, and look for the state fee in MIGRIS itself.
How long it takes: what is and is not known
Official pages are silent on timing. The Los Angeles consulate states that it has no possibility of commenting on the processing of documents or a timeline, and the Washington embassy says the same. Private websites give figures. One law firm says the process usually takes between six and twelve months, another site says Lithuanian law sets a maximum of twelve months, and a foundation’s guide says the review typically takes nine to twelve months, with complex cases longer. We could not verify any of these against the statute or a government page, so treat them as industry estimates and not as promises.
What the sources do agree on is that preparation takes time too. One private guide estimates three to six months for archive research and document gathering before filing, and the total journey as twelve to twenty-four months. Again, that is an estimate. A better planning method is to build the chain of documents first, as in our documents guide, and to ask each archive about its turnaround when you write.
A worked timeline, invented for illustration
Example (invented, for illustration only): A reader spends several months collecting records, translating and obtaining apostilles. She files in MIGRIS and is told by message to appear at a consulate within four months. She books a visit only after the message arrives and attends with her originals. After that, she checks MIGRIS for updates and asks the Migration Department, not the consulate, about the status of her file. The invented timeline has no fixed dates, because the sources give none.
If something goes wrong
- A deficiency message: the Migration Department’s preliminary assessment can find problems. Read the message carefully and ask the Migration Department before you resubmit.
- A missed window: the four-month period is stated on the consular pages. If you cannot meet it, contact the consulate quickly.
- A name mismatch: include the documents that explain it. Our guide to spelling variants can help you describe the pattern.
- A complicated family history: consider qualified legal help.
What we could not confirm
- The current state fee and whether consular fees are the same everywhere.
- Any official processing time.
- How MIGRIS handles applicants who cannot visit a consulate within four months.
- Whether the application form is available in English inside MIGRIS. One law firm says the application is completed in Lithuanian.
Sources include the Los Angeles consulate’s page on citizenship, the embassy in South Africa, the embassy in Israel, the embassy in Washington, a private law firm’s FAQ, a private consultancy’s guide and a foundation’s guide. The last three are commercial or private sites, and we use them only for the estimates we label as such.
More guides are in Restoring Lithuanian Citizenship.
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