Lithuanian citizenship law changes arrive in two registers at once: the law as it stands, and a steady stream of proposals that may or may not become law. For a descendant planning an application, confusing the two is costly. This guide sets out what is in force according to the official consular pages, what has failed at the ballot box, and what has only been registered in parliament as of October 2026, and it explains how to follow future changes without relying on a headline. It is dated, because this is the kind of article that goes out of date.
Legal note: this article is general information, not legal advice, and it reflects sources we read in October 2026. Laws can change after that date. Check the current text and procedure with the Migration Department, a Lithuanian consulate or a qualified lawyer.
What is in force: the consular pages
According to the Los Angeles consulate’s page, updated on 26 July 2025, persons who held Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940 and their descendants, meaning children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren, have an indefinite right to reinstate it. The requirement to renounce another citizenship does not apply to persons who were exiled or who left Lithuania before 11 March 1990, and their descendants. Applications must be filed through the online system MIGRIS. Our complete guide explains the process, and the dual citizenship guide explains the exceptions.
A timeline of the debate
| Date | Event | Status |
|---|---|---|
| May 2019 | A referendum on a constitutional amendment to allow dual citizenship with certain countries passed with about 74 percent of votes but only about 38 percent of eligible voters | Failed: it needed the support of half of all registered voters |
| 2023 | Parliament amended the Law on Citizenship to allow revocation of citizenship granted by exception when a person poses a threat to Lithuania’s security interests | In force in 2023. An LRT report says the Constitutional Court was reviewing it after appeals. We did not find the outcome |
| 12 May 2024 | A second referendum on amending Article 12 of the Constitution: 74.49 percent voted yes, about 43 percent of registered voters | Failed: turnout threshold not met |
| 13 May 2024 | The sponsor of the referendum proposal filed a bill to let Lithuanian citizens in EU and NATO member states keep their passports | A bill, which we did not track further |
| April 2026 | A joint commission of the parliament and the World Lithuanian Community adopted six resolutions, including a call to expand dual citizenship rules | Resolutions of a commission, not a law |
| October 2026 | Three amendments to the Citizenship Law were registered in the Seimas | Registered, not adopted. Expected to be considered in the autumn session |
The numbers for the two referendums come from reference articles on the 2019 and 2024 votes, and the later events come from reports by the Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT. The 2023 amendment concerns citizenship granted by exception, and an LRT report notes that the law also allows foreign nationals to acquire Lithuanian citizenship on grounds other than by exception, including for descendants of people who left or were deported before independence was restored. We cannot say from these reports how the 2023 rule applies to descendants who reinstate citizenship.
The three amendments registered in October 2026
LRT reported that the proposals, registered after the two referendum efforts failed, would do three things. The first would tighten the procedure for stripping people of Lithuanian citizenship. The second would broaden the legal definition of a person deported or persecuted during the Soviet occupations and repressions, so that it would also cover people on deportation lists who avoided deportation by hiding and people imprisoned in Lithuania without being deported. The third would allow Lithuanians who acquire citizenship in NATO countries to keep their Lithuanian citizenship, with mention of countries such as Malta and Ireland that closely cooperate with the alliance.
Each has a different audience. The third is aimed at Lithuanians who emigrate, not at descendants. The second concerns the exile exception, so it could matter to a descendant whose ancestor hid from deportation or was imprisoned in Lithuania, but we cannot say how, because the bill’s text is not before us and it has not passed. The first concerns revocation. Registering a bill is only the first step in the legislative process, and the Seimas was expected to consider the proposals in the autumn session.
Why a constitutional fix is hard
Article 12 of the Constitution is the source of the ban on dual citizenship, and amending it requires the support of at least half of all registered voters, not just of those who vote. That is why a result of 74 percent in favor, in both 2019 and 2024, still counted as a failure. After the 2024 result, the Seimas speaker opposed lowering the threshold for a future vote, and the president suggested that a lower threshold could be considered, according to the reference article on the referendum. Either position could change, so we do not predict the outcome.
What this means for a descendant today
- The route for descendants described on the consular pages is in force, and the pending bills have not changed it.
- If your ancestor’s departure or exile is the basis for keeping another passport, watch the amendment that would widen the definition of deported or persecuted, but do not assume it applies to you until it is law.
- We cannot advise whether to file now or wait. That depends on your documents and your goals, and a lawyer who knows your file can give advice that we cannot.
- Check dates. A page that does not say when it was updated may describe an older rule.
How to follow changes without a headline
- Read the consular page for the country where you would file, and note its update date. The Los Angeles page shows its date at the top.
- Read the Migration Department’s own pages through MIGRIS or its site for procedure, since consulates say they cannot comment on processing.
- Follow a reliable news source such as LRT’s English service for reports of new bills and votes, and look for the stage a bill has reached: registered, considered, adopted, in force.
- Treat commercial sites as summaries, and compare their claims with an official page.
A worked example, invented for illustration
Example (invented, for illustration only): A reader sees a headline saying Lithuania has expanded dual citizenship. She checks the consular page, which still shows the old rules and carries an update date from the previous year, and she looks for a report of a vote. She finds that the headline describes a bill that was registered but not adopted. She notes the date and the stage in her file and checks again after the autumn session.
What we could not confirm
- The text of the three amendments, as we saw only a news report on them.
- The outcome of the Constitutional Court’s review of the 2023 revocation rule.
- Whether the Seimas has voted on any of the bills since the report we read.
Sources include LRT’s report on the three registered amendments, LRT’s April 2026 report on the diaspora commission, an LRT report on the 2023 revocation rule, a reference article on the 2024 referendum, one on the 2019 referendum and the Los Angeles consulate’s page on citizenship.
More guides are in Restoring Lithuanian Citizenship.
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