Current Ranking & Real-World Access
Lithuanian Passport: The 2025 Deep Dive Nobody Asked For (But Everyone Needs)
Current Ranking & Real-World Access
December 2025 update: Lithuanian passport is tied for 8th–9th place worldwide. Exact visa-free/visa-on-arrival/e-visa score fluctuates between 183 and 185 depending on the index, but in practical terms you can board a plane tomorrow to:
Every EU/EEA country + UK + Switzerland
USA (ESTA), Canada (eTA), Australia (eVisitor), New Zealand (NZeTA)
Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan (90 days), UAE, Qatar
All of South America (usually 90–180 days)
Almost every country in Central America and the Caribbean
Only five passports on earth consistently beat it, and the difference is usually two or three tiny Pacific islands.
The One Feature That Crushes Every Non-EU Passport
Forget the visa-free list for a second. The single most powerful line printed inside the burgundy cover is this: you are an EU citizen. That sentence instantly deletes borders inside half of Europe. You can move to Vienna, get hired in Dublin, study in Lisbon, buy an apartment in Budapest, and retire in Mallorca without ever filling out another immigration form in your life. No other passport category comes close to that level of practical freedom.
The 2024 Passport – Yes, It’s Actually Beautiful
Rolled out from November 2024:
Dark Baltic-red cover with a colour-shifting Vytis that goes from copper to emerald
Holographic reel: sunrise over the Curonian Spit → Hill of Crosses → Vilnius Old Town bells
42 visa pages (finally)
Polycarbonate page laser-engraved so deeply you can feel the letters with your fingernail
Biometric chip now stores fingerprints + high-resolution facial image + future-proof encryption
Even seasoned travellers stop and stare when you open it at immigration.
Ancestry Route: Still the Best-Kept Secret in Europe
If any ancestor (up to great-grandparent) was a citizen of Lithuania at any moment after 1918, you can restore citizenship right now. Key points in late 2025:
Dual citizenship 100 % allowed – keep your US, UK, Israeli, Australian, whatever
Average processing time: 8–14 months (faster if your documents are perfect)
First passport after restoration: completely free inside Lithuania
Over 14,000 people did it in 2024–2025 and the numbers keep rising
No other EU country offers a cleaner, faster, or more dual-citizenship-friendly bloodline programme.
Naturalisation – Harder, but Still Very Doable
No Lithuanian roots? The old-school way still works:
10 years permanent residence (5 if married to a citizen, sometimes 7 with Lithuanian children)
B1 Lithuanian exam – think “order beer and complain about the weather” level
30-question Constitution test you can literally retake the next day if you fail
Renunciation usually required, but exceptions are quietly multiplying for Western-country nationals
2025 Fees & Turnaround (Real Numbers)
Inside Lithuania:
Regular adult: €43 → 3–4 weeks
Express: €86 → 5 working days
“I leave tomorrow” emergency: €140 → same or next day in Vilnius
Abroad (embassies/consulates): €100–€130, 2–6 weeks depending on location.
Random Bonuses Most Owners Don’t Even Realise
Georgia, Armenia, Moldova: enter with the plastic ID card only
Taiwan: 90 days visa-free (most EU passports get 14–30)
Instant eligibility for Global Entry (USA), NEXUS (Canada), APEC Business Travel Card fast lanes
If you lose your passport in a country with no Lithuanian embassy, any EU embassy must help you by law
Final Thought
lithuania citizenship by descent is the quiet kid in the corner who secretly benches 400 lbs. It doesn’t flex on Instagram, it doesn’t have a €1 million price tag, and it doesn’t need to. It just works – extremely well – for frequent travellers, digital nomads, families looking for European education, retirees wanting Mediterranean winters, and descendants who suddenly discover a burgundy ticket to an entire continent.
